AAHL Collaborative Biosecurity Research Facility

The specialised biosecurity infrastructure at CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) is available to the international research community for working with pathogens that require the highest levels of containment.

• 23 November 2011 | Updated 23 November 2012

Specialised biocontainment facilities: enabling world-class research

The AAHL Collaborative Biosecurity Research Facility (ACBRF) is a shared resource dedicated to research on infectious diseases that affect the health of humans, domestic animals and wildlife.

It provides advanced technology and infrastructure for scientists undertaking research that requires a laboratory environment with high biosecurity.

It provides researchers from Australia and overseas with access to AAHL's physical containment level three (PC3) and four (PC4) laboratories

Currently the ACBRF offers access to:

• physical containment level three (PC3) space, enabling work with exotic pathogens affecting animals and humans
• specialist microscopy services and equipment within the PC3 environment, available through the AAHL Biosecurity Microscopy Facility (ABMF)
• a dedicated PC3/PC4 training area
• an insect-proof large animal room within the PC3 environment, enabling work with large animals – such as ruminants and marsupials – and insect-borne pathogens
• additional specialised PC3 facilities, including an insectary and associated laboratories
  PC4 space, including small animal facilities and an insectary, enabling work with the most hazardous pathogens affecting animals and humans
• advanced microscopy equipment within the PC4 environment.

The Australian Government has provided $8.5 million for the construction of the AAHL Collaborative Biosecurity Research Facility through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), under the Networked Biosecurity Framework capability.