Biosafety Lab Level 3
Overview
McMaster’s Containment Level 3 (CL3) Laboratory is one of the few centres in Canada equipped to support research on Risk Group 3 pathogens. The 1,400-square-foot Lab boasts dedicated animal facilities, a state-of-the-art flow cytometry facility and ample space for current and future projects. The laboratory meets all biosafety standards as defined by the Canadian Biosafety Standard 2nd edition and is certified for risk group 3 work by the Public Health Agency of Canada laboratory. The Lab’s services are available for a fee to researchers across the University, as well as other academic institutions and the private sector.
What We Can Do
- Amplify Risk Group 3 pathogens including M.tb and SARS-CoV-2
- Infect mice / primary cells / cell lines with Risk Group 3 pathogens
- Determine whether a new drug / vaccine / antibiotic / microbicide is effective against infection / disease development in cell culture and small animal models
- Perform mid-throughput screening of antimicrobials
- Imaging of infected cells
- Single cell sequencing
- Isolate live infected cells to conduct functional assays
“We are one of the few centres in Canada equipped to support research on infectious disease and the world’s most deadly pathogens.”
Contact Us
- Kristen Carrigan, Associate Biosafety Officer
- Dr. Zhou Xing, CL3 Facility Director
How We Do It
Two-laser BD Influx™ FACS instrument
- Capable of 4-stream, high-speed sorting of infected cells
State-of-the-art small animal suite
- ISOcage racking system capable of housing more than 350 mice
- Animal procedure room with biosafety containment cabinet, anaesthetic machine and aerosolizer
Two tissue culture rooms
- Biosafety containment cabinet
- Double set of incubators
- Centrifuge
- Microscope
Specialty equipment
- Double-door autoclave
- -70C freezers, fridges
- Upright and inverted microscopes capable of fluorescence and live cell imaging
- Tissue homogenizers
- Aerosolizer
- Plate Reader
- Single cell sequencing platform