Mexico opens biosafety laboratory at Cinvestav

As if we were in the movie 12 Monkeys or Extermination , where viruses are in a laboratory and suddenly something gets out of control, that's how I imagined it when I visited Cinvestav Zacatenco 's new LBS-3 Biosafety Laboratory . The difference is that here I was able to see that in real life, these spaces are safe, and science fiction is only for the movies.

Although laboratory biosecurity certainly seems like the stuff of science fiction, working with pathogens, especially those that affect humans, requires extreme levels of safety with applicable regulations that guarantee safety.

Dr. José Tapia Ramírez , a specialist in Genetics and Molecular Biology and the laboratory coordinator, tells us as we tour the different rooms in the lab that there are four biosafety levels. Level 1 works with microorganisms that do not pose a potential problem for researchers or the environment, nor does it require extensive equipment. Level 2 requires work in a biological safety cabinet that, through a flow of air, prevents microorganisms from escaping to the outside. These spaces work with pathogens that can cause disease in humans that are still treatable or curable.

But levels 3 and 4 are separated from the rest. Special protective clothing is worn here, work is done in a flow cabinet, and the laboratory itself has negative pressure relative to the surrounding environment, which prevents microorganisms from escaping. It's like being in a movie here, as we're working with pathogens for which there's no vaccine and which are potentially lethal. Biosafety level 4 is the most containment-intensive, as it contains exotic microorganisms that are easily transmitted.

A level 3 laboratory

These facilities are equipped with double doors, double locks, and a pre-room with an air shower between them, which helps minimize the potential release of pathogens to the outside. Everything is logged and monitored 24/7.

"The heart of biosafety laboratories is the air systems. Extraction is the focal point because there must be negative pressure; what goes in, doesn't come out. Nothing can go wrong here, which is why emergency supplies are available," Tapia explains.

These laboratories are intended to manipulate agents that cause serious diseases in humans, such as COVID-19 , but they will also experiment on animals, so they have an area for their care with temperature and humidity parameters. Dr. Jorge Fernández Hernández, coordinator of the Laboratory Animal Production and Experimentation Unit (Upeal), tells us that this laboratory also has an ABSL-3 within an ABSL-3 ( Animal Biosafety Level 3 ), it is a double protection equipment unique in Mexico and Latin America that generates direct alarms to researchers in any situation.

On the other hand, the suit used in the most restricted area is a Tyvek. Gustavo Adolfo Torres Franco, a veterinary zootechnician, explains while wearing the suit that it is charged by a battery and has a self-contained breathing system, allowing researchers to breathe filtered air. "Thanks to this, we will be able to diagnose animals with some diseases caused by viruses like influenza or bacilli like tuberculosis."

Dr. Martha Espinosa, Cinvestav's planning secretary, explains that cleaning staff also receive specialized training in pathogen management.

How was the project achieved?

At Cinvestav Zacatenco, an LBS-2 already existed, for example, during the influenza epidemic. And in 2020, something similar was done; samples came from several hospitals, the National Guard, Cinvestav itself, and pharmaceutical companies. Mexico City was even supported in the diagnosis, all of this using the LBS-2, but it was then that they realized something more was needed.

All of these implementations were carried out with the clear understanding that we will experience pandemics again. We also conducted preclinical trials to gain access to the different stages of research. Most likely, some vaccines and drugs will be emerging from this laboratory.

Although there are other LBS-3 laboratories, Espinosa explains that none have the level of facilities and the ability to conduct preclinical studies with this rigor. He adds that once the material and samples begin to be collected, the research topics can be expanded exponentially, so this space is definitely good news for the country.

"We have to be prepared for the next pandemic, that's a given. And this is Cinvestav's response to how to prepare, but with the necessary elements," Espinosa concludes.