Why NBAF in Georgia?
Georgia is the ideal location for the NBAF, a new facility that will protect our nation’s health and agriculture from threats that involve zoonotic diseases – diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans. This world class facility would continue Georgia’s tradition of strong support for the country’s national defense infrastructure.
Georgia has become a world leader in global health, especially in the areas of infectious diseases, vaccines and food safety. The primary strength of Georgia’s NBAF proposal lies in the efficiencies and effectiveness that the NBAF would gain by locating near this critical mass of assets in and near Athens. This impressive mix will provide a full complement of expertise, technologies and facilities for disease surveillance, diagnosis, prevention and treatment. Local complementary resources include:
- UGA’s nationally recognized expertise and programs in zoonotic, emerging, re-emerging infectious diseases and avian medicine.
- UGA’s Animal Health Research Center, a unique stand-alone BSL-3AG facility,
- USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, with internationally acknowledged expertise in infectious diseases of poultry, plus molecular diagnostics and vaccine development.
- USDA-ARS Richard B. Russell Agricultural Research Center, with programs in food quality and safety, swine endocrinology, livestock antimicrobial resistance and poultry microbiological safety.
- Merial, Ltd.’s world-class expertise and facilities for development of animal vaccines.
Other critical resources located within a 70-mile radius include:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), public health world leaders in infectious diseases, epidemiology, global health and bioterrorism preparedness and response.
- Emory University, with superb infectious disease, vaccine development, agricultural forensic diagnostics, human medicine and public health programs.
- Georgia Institute of Technology, with the fastest growing bio-engineering program in the country.
- Georgia State University, with commitment to virology, zoonotics infectious diseases and immunology.
- Medical College of Georgia, the largest medical school east of the Mississippi, with an impressive history in clinical trials and a rapidly expanding biomedical research enterprise.
- Morehouse School of Medicine, focused on health disparities and major diseases.
Additionally, Georgia assets include the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, other high-level biocontainment facilities, expertise in construction and operations of high-level biosafety facilities, and low costs for construction and cost of living. |
