research labs

Suggestions or feedback?

At MIT, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and possibility is our joyful obsession, and we celebrate fundamental discoveries and practical applications alike. As educators, we also value research as a potent form of learning by doing .

Research flourishes in our 30 departments across five schools and one college , as well as in dozens of centers, labs, and programs that convene experts across disciplines to explore new intellectual frontiers and solve important societal problems. Our on-campus research capabilities are enhanced through the work of MIT Lincoln Laboratory , the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution , active research relationships with industry , and a wide range of global collaborations .

Centers, Labs & Programs

MIT continually develops organizations and partnerships that foster interdisciplinary work. Listed here are just some of the MIT labs, centers, and programs where groundbreaking research is happening every day.

View Centers, Labs & Programs

Collaborating Institutions

MIT researchers collaborate with many leading local, national, and international organizations to further drive exploration.

View Collaborating Institutions

The National Laboratories

Pushing the boundaries of science

The transformative science and technology solutions being discovered across the 17 National Laboratories are changing the way the world sees innovation.

Learn More →

Looking for the best & brightest

Internships, fellowships, and opportunities to further your research await you at the National Laboratories.

Innovation drives us

By recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce, the National Laboratories can better fulfill their mission to deliver scientific breakthroughs.

Get to know our workforce

The National Labs’ success depends on the unique insights and perspectives enabled by a diverse workforce.

Improving lives

Innovation is at the heart of everything done inside the National Laboratories. Our scientists strive to make our world a safer, better place for all.

The Department of Energy’s 17 National Laboratories are powerhouses of science and technology whose researchers tackle some of the world’s toughest challenges. The Laboratories support scientists and engineers from academia, government, and industry with access to specialized equipment, world-class research facilities, and skilled technical staff. Together, they are working to solve some of the world’s greatest scientific challenges.

From innovations in energy technologies and sustainable building design to medical discoveries and improved national security, National Laboratory scientists and engineers are inventing solutions that make America and the world safer, healthier, and more sustainable.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s 17 National Laboratories lead the nation in advancing the frontiers of scientific knowledge, keeping our nation secure, and fueling our clean energy economy. The innovation at the heart of the Laboratories’ past and future success benefits from the fusion of diverse talents and inclusive perspectives.

The Department of Energy’s 17 National Laboratories are powerhouses of science and technology.

STEM Resources

The National Laboratories are committed to advancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in our nation’s schools.

The National Laboratories are a diverse and inclusive career destination for the next generation of scientists and engineers aspiring to make an impact through their research.

What can we help you find?

We run to, not from, the world’s biggest health challenges.

The journey to discovery is guided by science – and inspired by patients

We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. The path to discovery is often unclear, but we are tireless in seeking solutions for some of the world’s most difficult health challenges.

Our work in numbers

people employed in research and development

invested in R&D in 2023

Our areas of focus

We focus on scientific innovation to deliver medicines and vaccines that may help millions of people around the world.

Our team of researchers and scientists are pushing the boundaries of cancer research to discover more effective anticancer therapies.

Our work in oncology

Vaccines are one of the greatest public health success stories – and we’ve been discovering, developing, supplying and delivering vaccines to help prevent disease for over 130 years.

Our work in vaccines

Infectious diseases

Our focus has always been on the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and communities around the world.

Our work in infectious diseases

Cardio-metabolic disorders

We have a long history of making an impact in cardio-metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Our work in cardio-metabolic disorders

Discovery & development

We follow the science where we can make the greatest difference, now and in the future.

More about discovery and development

We address the world’s most difficult health challenges, following leading-edge science

Step inside Merck Research Laboratories (MRL) where our quest to save and improve lives through research and development begins

We’re focused on inventing new medicines and vaccines to help more people

Our focus on breakthrough science is working

Clinical trials

Our progress is due in large part to the important and tough scientific questions we set out to answer with our trials and collaborations. We are grateful to the thousands of volunteers who participate in our clinical trials — making this all possible.

Our commitment to patients is unwavering

As long as there are still patients in hospitals, doctors and nurses desperate to add years to the lives of their patients, and a world where treatments aren’t accessible to all, we will be here, fighting with all we have to deliver more, sooner.

Discovery starts here

Our scientists are applying the latest groundbreaking research technologies and revolutionizing how we discover and develop medicines and vaccines

Vaccine inventors, creators and innovators

Dr. Maurice Hilleman was among the pioneering scientists who made strides in vaccine history and the fight against infectious disease

Next: Vaccine inventors, creators and innovators

Vaccines: Our history, our legacy

We've been working to discover and develop vaccines for more than a century

Next: Vaccines: Our history, our legacy

Our Q1 2024 earnings report

Merck’s (NYSE: MRK) Q1 2024 results reflect continued strong growth in oncology and vaccines. Our company announced Q1 worldwide sales of $15.8 billion, an increase of 9% from Q1 2023. “Merck has begun 2024 with continuing momentum in our business. We are harnessing the power of innovation to advance our deep pipeline and are maximizing […]

Next: Our Q1 2024 earnings report

A new foundation for future talent

We’re partnering with America’s largest HBCU to launch a collaborative biotechnology learning center

Next: A new foundation for future talent

Humans, animals and the environment – our health is all connected

Why the One Health approach is important now more than ever

Next: Humans, animals and the environment – our health is all connected

Safety and quality go hand in hand

Protecting animal health

Our Animal Health business is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals and the people who care for them.

Related links

Business development & licensing

We work with many partners, from early-stage science to clinical-stage programs, to deliver life-changing therapies.

Find our latest financials, events & presentations, news, stock information, and contacts

We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company.

Forward-looking statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA

This website of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline candidates that the candidates will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov). No Duty to Update The information contained in this website was current as of the date presented. The company assumes no duty to update the information to reflect subsequent developments. Consequently, the company will not update the information contained in the website and investors should not rely upon the information as current or accurate after the presentation date.

You are leaving Merck.com

Welcome to merck.com.

By continuing, you will be directed to a site intended only for residents of the United States and Canada. We are called MSD everywhere, except in the United States and Canada where we are known as Merck & Co Inc, Rahway, NJ USA.

The NOAA Research Network

Labs & Programs

Results-driven research networks.

As the primary research and development organization within NOAA, NOAA Research explores the Earth and atmosphere from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean.

We enable better forecasts, earlier warnings for natural disasters, and a greater understanding of the Earth providing unbiased science to manage the environment better, nationally and globally.

Our role within NOAA is to provide products and services that describe and predict changes in the environment. Research results allow decision makers to make effective judgments in order to prevent the loss of human life and conserve and manage natural resources while maintaining a strong economy.

We have an internal network of labs, programs and offices to manage and conduct research. We also have several formal partnerships with Cooperative Institutes to enhance our research capabilities.

Find a Lab or Program

Click the Icons to learn more about our labs, programs, and cooperative institutes.

• Chemical Sciences Laboratory >
• Physical Sciences Laboratory >
• Global Systems Laboratory >
• Global Monitoring Laboratory >

The NOAA Research Laboratories conduct an integrated program of research, technology development, and services to improve understanding of the Earth System. The laboratories and their field stations are located across the country and around the world.

• Climate Program Office
• Weather Program Office
• NOAA Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program
• SeaGrant College Program
• NOAA Ocean Exploration
• Ocean Acidification Program
• Uncrewed Systems Research Transition Office (UxSRTO)

Program Offices

Our Program Offices are located at NOAA’s headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. Our Programs find and fund research to transition research products into operations, to meet NOAA & OAR Strategic Objectives and to further our understanding of the Earth System.

• The Cooperative Institute for the North Atlantic Region (CINAR)
• Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute (OECI)
• The Cooperative Institute for Modeling the Earth System (CIMES)
• The Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies (CISESS)

University of Maryland, College Park

• Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES)
• The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA)
• Cooperative Institute for Earth System Research and Data Science (CIESRDS)
• Cooperative Institute for Marine Ecosystem Resources Studies (CIMERS)
• Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations (CIWRO)
• Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS)
• Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS)
• Northern Gulf Institute (NGI)

Mississippi State University

• Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH)
• Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR)
• Cooperative Institute for Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Systems (CIMEAS)

Cooperative Institutes

Cooperative Institutes are located at institutions whose geographic expanse extends from Hawaii to Maine and Washington to Florida. Currently, NOAA supports 16 Cooperative Institutes consisting of 80 universities, and research institutions across 33 states, the District of Columbia, US Territories, and Canada.

Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory Seattle, WA Visit Website >

Earth Systems Resource Laboratories Boulder, CO  Visit Website >

National Severe Storms Laboratory Norman, OK Visit Website >

Great Lakes Environmental Laboratory Ann Arbor, MI Visit Website >

Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Princeton, NJ Visit Website >

Air Resources Laboratory College Park, MD Visit Website >

NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory Miami, FL Visit Website >

NOAA Research Program Offices Silver Spring, MD

• Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO) >
• Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES) >
• Cooperative Institute for Marine Ecosystem Resources Studies (CIMERS) >
• The Cooperative Institute for Marine Resources Studies (CIMRS) >
• The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) >
• Cooperative Institute for Earth System Research and Data Science (CIESRDS) >
• The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA)>
• Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations (CIWRO) >
• The Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS) >
• Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) >
• Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR) >  
• Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH) >
• Northern Gulf Institute (NGI) >
• Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies >
• The Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies (CISESS) >
• The Cooperative Institute for Modeling the Earth System (CIMES) >  

Office of Research, Transition & Application

The  Office of Research, Transition, and Application (ORTA) fully leverages NOAA’s R&D enterprise to serve NOAA’s mission and benefit society by accelerating and facilitating the transition of R&D within NOAA to operations, applications, commercialization, and other uses. It also accomplishes this by working to develop and implement policies that guide and manage transition in NOAA. ORTA includes the Uncrewed Systems Research Transition Office , Technology Partnerships Office , and Quantitative Observing System Assessment Program . ORTA also provides direct support for R&D transition policies and guidance across NOAA.

NOAA Technology Partnerships Office

The  NOAA Technology Partnerships Office,  or TPO, serves the needs of both NOAA inventors and U.S. companies looking to partner with NOAA or license our technologies. Located in Silver Spring, MD, the NOAA TPO oversees both the  Small Business Innovation Research Program  and the  Technology Transfer Program  for NOAA.

Office of Science Support

The  Office of Science Support  maintains OAR and NOAA’s role as a leader in environmental observations and modeling by executing several functions that align research and development (R&D) to NOAA’s mission, and enhance the tracking and accountability of NOAA’s R&D to ensure the credibility of R&D outcomes. OSS encompases the  Cooperative Institute Office ,  NOAA Science Advisory Board,   Scientific Integrity ,  NOAA Central Library , and direct support for R&D analysis and policy.

Learn more about OAR Labs & Programs

Take a deep dive into how we achieve organizational excellence in our Labs & Programs. Our Scientific Reviews page provides granular detail in videos, documents, and webpages about each institution and the science they conduct to support the NOAA mission. 

Popup Call to Action

A prompt with more information on your call to action.

• Design Objectives
• Building Types
• Space Types
• Design Disciplines
• Guides & Specifications
• Resource Pages
• Project Management
• Building Commissioning
• Operations & Maintenance
• Building Information Modeling (BIM)
• Unified Facilities Guide Specifications (UFGS)
• Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC)
• VA Master Specifications (PG-18-1)
• Design Manuals (PG-18-10)
• Department of Energy
• General Services Administration
• Department of Homeland Security
• Department of State
• Course Catalog
• Workforce Development
• Case Studies
• Codes & Standards
• Industry Organizations

Research Laboratory  

by Daniel Watch and Deepa Tolat Perkins + Will

Within This Page

Building attributes, emerging issues, relevant codes and standards, additional resources.

Research Laboratories are workplaces for the conduct of scientific research. This WBDG Building Type page will summarize the key architectural, engineering, operational, safety, and sustainability considerations for the design of Research Laboratories.

The authors recognize that in the 21st century clients are pushing project design teams to create research laboratories that are responsive to current and future needs, that encourage interaction among scientists from various disciplines, that help recruit and retain qualified scientists, and that facilitates partnerships and development. As such, a separate WBDG Resource Page on Trends in Lab Design has been developed to elaborate on this emerging model of laboratory design.

A. Architectural Considerations

Over the past 30 years, architects, engineers, facility managers, and researchers have refined the design of typical wet and dry labs to a very high level. The following identifies the best solutions in designing a typical lab.

Lab Planning Module

The laboratory module is the key unit in any lab facility. When designed correctly, a lab module will fully coordinate all the architectural and engineering systems. A well-designed modular plan will provide the following benefits:

Flexibility —The lab module, as Jonas Salk explained, should "encourage change" within the building. Research is changing all the time, and buildings must allow for reasonable change. Many private research companies make physical changes to an average of 25% of their labs each year. Most academic institutions annually change the layout of 5 to 10% of their labs. See also WBDG Productive—Design for the Changing Workplace .

• Expansion —The use of lab planning modules allows the building to adapt easily to needed expansions or contractions without sacrificing facility functionality.

A common laboratory module has a width of approximately 10 ft. 6 in. but will vary in depth from 20–30 ft. The depth is based on the size necessary for the lab and the cost-effectiveness of the structural system. The 10 ft. 6 in. dimension is based on two rows of casework and equipment (each row 2 ft. 6 in. deep) on each wall, a 5 ft. aisle, and 6 in. for the wall thickness that separates one lab from another. The 5 ft. aisle width should be considered a minimum because of the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) .

Two-Directional Lab Module —Another level of flexibility can be achieved by designing a lab module that works in both directions. This allows the casework to be organized in either direction. This concept is more flexible than the basic lab module concept but may require more space. The use of a two-directional grid is beneficial to accommodate different lengths of run for casework. The casework may have to be moved to create a different type or size of workstation.

Three-Dimensional Lab Module —The three-dimensional lab module planning concept combines the basic lab module or a two-directional lab module with any lab corridor arrangement for each floor of a building. This means that a three-dimensional lab module can have a single-corridor arrangement on one floor, a two-corridor layout on another, and so on. To create a three-dimensional lab module:

• A basic or two-directional lab module must be defined.
• All vertical risers must be fully coordinated. (Vertical risers include fire stairs, elevators, restrooms, and shafts for utilities.)
• The mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems must be coordinated in the ceiling to work with the multiple corridor arrangements.

Lab Planning Concepts

The relationship of the labs, offices, and corridor will have a significant impact on the image and operations of the building. See also WBDG Functional—Account for Functional Needs .

Do the end users want a view from their labs to the exterior, or will the labs be located on the interior, with wall space used for casework and equipment?

Some researchers do not want or cannot have natural light in their research spaces. Special instruments and equipment, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) apparatus, electron microscopes, and lasers cannot function properly in natural light. Natural daylight is not desired in vivarium facilities or in some support spaces, so these are located in the interior of the building.

Zoning the building between lab and non-lab spaces will reduce costs. Labs require 100% outside air while non-lab spaces can be designed with re-circulated air, like an office building .

Adjacencies with corridors can be organized with a single, two corridor (racetrack), or a three corridor scheme. There are number of variations to organize each type. Illustrated below are three ways to organize a single corridor scheme:

Single corridor lab design with labs and office adjacent to each other.

Single corridor lab design with offices clustered together at the end and in the middle.

Single corridor lab design with office clusters accessing main labs directly.

• Open labs vs. closed labs. An increasing number of research institutions are creating "open" labs to support team-based work. The open lab concept is significantly different from that of the "closed" lab of the past, which was based on accommodating the individual principle investigator. In open labs, researchers share not only the space itself but also equipment, bench space, and support staff. The open lab format facilitates communication between scientists and makes the lab more easily adaptable for future needs. A wide variety of labs—from wet biology and chemistry labs, to engineering labs, to dry computer science facilities—are now being designed as open labs.

Flexibility

In today's lab, the ability to expand, reconfigure, and permit multiple uses has become a key concern. The following should be considered to achieve this:

Flexible Lab Interiors

Equipment zones—These should be created in the initial design to accommodate equipment, fixed, or movable casework at a later date.

Generic labs

Mobile casework—This can be comprised of mobile tables and mobile base cabinets. It allows researchers to configure and fit out the lab based on their needs as opposed to adjusting to pre-determined fixed casework.

Mobile casework

Mobile base cabinet Photo Credit: Kewaunee Scientific Corp.

Flexible partitions—These can be taken down and put back up in another location, allowing lab spaces to be configured in a variety of sizes.

Overhead service carriers—These are hung from the ceiling. They can have utilities like piping, electric, data, light fixtures, and snorkel exhausts. They afford maximum flexibility as services are lifted off the floor, allowing free floor space to be configured as needed.

Flexible Engineering Systems

Lab designed with overhead connects and disconnects allow for flexibility and fast hook up of equipment.

Labs should have easy connects/disconnects at walls and ceilings to allow for fast and affordable hook up of equipment. See also WBDG Productive—Integrate Technological Tools .

The Engineering systems should be designed such that fume hoods can be added or removed.

Space should be allowed in the utility corridors, ceilings, and vertical chases for future HVAC, plumbing, and electric needs.

Building Systems Distribution Concepts

Interstitial space.

An interstitial space is a separate floor located above each lab floor. All services and utilities are located here where they drop down to service the lab below. This system has a high initial cost but it allows the building to accommodate change very easily without interrupting the labs.

Conventional design vs. interstitial design Image Credit: Zimmer, Gunsul, Frasca Partnership

Service Corridor

Lab spaces adjoin a centrally located corridor where all utility services are located. Maintenance personnel are afforded constant access to main ducts, shutoff valves, and electric panel boxes without having to enter the lab. This service corridor can be doubled up as an equipment/utility corridor where common lab equipment like autoclaves, freezer rooms, etc. can be located.

B. Engineering Considerations

Typically, more than 50% of the construction cost of a laboratory building is attributed to engineering systems. Hence, the close coordination of these ensures a flexible and successfully operating lab facility. The following engineering issues are discussed here: structural systems, mechanical systems, electrical systems, and piping systems. See also WBDG Functional—Ensure Appropriate Product/Systems Integration .

Structural Systems

Once the basic lab module is determined, the structural grid should be evaluated. In most cases, the structural grid equals 2 basic lab modules. If the typical module is 10 ft. 6 in. x 30 ft., the structural grid would be 21 ft. x 30 ft. A good rule of thumb is to add the two dimensions of the structural grid; if the sum equals a number in the low 50's, then the structural grid would be efficient and cost-effective.

Typical lab structural grid.

Key design issues to consider in evaluating a structural system include:

• Framing depth and effect on floor-to-floor height;
• Ability to coordinate framing with lab modules;
• Ability to create penetrations for lab services in the initial design as well as over the life of the building;
• Potential for vertical or horizontal expansion;
• Vibration criteria; and

Mechanical Systems

The location of main vertical supply/exhaust shafts as well as horizontal ductwork is very crucial in designing a flexible lab. Key issues to consider include: efficiency and flexibility, modular design, initial costs , long-term operational costs , building height and massing , and design image .

The various design options for the mechanical systems are illustrated below:

Shafts in the middle of the building

Shafts at the end of the building

Exhaust at end and supply in the middle

Multiple internal shafts

Shafts on the exterior

See also WBDG High Performance HVAC .

Electrical Systems

Three types of power are generally used for most laboratory projects:

Normal power circuits are connected to the utility supply only, without any backup system. Loads that are typically on normal power include some HVAC equipment, general lighting, and most lab equipment.

Emergency power is created with generators that will back up equipment such as refrigerators, freezers, fume hoods, biological safety cabinets, emergency lighting, exhaust fans, animal facilities, and environmental rooms. Examples of safe and efficient emergency power equipment include distributed energy resources (DER) , microturbines , and fuel cells .

An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is used for data recording, certain computers, microprocessor-controlled equipment, and possibly the vivarium area. The UPS can be either a central unit or a portable system, such as distributed energy resources (DER) , microturbines , fuel cells , and building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) .

See also WBDG Productive—Assure Reliable Systems and Spaces .

The following should be considered:

• Load estimation
• Site distribution
• Power quality
• Management of electrical cable trays/panel boxes
• User expectations
• Illumination levels
• Lighting distribution-indirect, direct, combination
• Luminaire location and orientation-lighting parallel to casework and lighting perpendicular to casework
• Telephone and data systems

Piping Systems

There are several key design goals to strive for in designing laboratory piping systems:

• Provide a flexible design that allows for easy renovation and modifications.
• Provide appropriate plumbing systems for each laboratory based on the lab programming.
• Provide systems that minimize energy usage .
• Provide equipment arrangements that minimize downtime in the event of a failure.
• Locate shutoff valves where they are accessible and easily understood.
• Accomplish all of the preceding goals within the construction budget.

C. Operations and Maintenance

Cost savings.

The following cost saving items can be considered without compromising quality and flexibility:

• Separate lab and non-lab zones.
• Try to design with standard building components instead of customized components. See also WBDG Functional—Ensure Appropriate Product/Systems Integration .
• Identify at least three manufacturers of each material or piece of equipment specified to ensure competitive bidding for the work.
• Locate fume hoods on upper floors to minimize ductwork and the cost of moving air through the building.
• Evaluate whether process piping should be handled centrally or locally. In many cases it is more cost-effective to locate gases, in cylinders, at the source in the lab instead of centrally.
• Create equipment zones to minimize the amount of casework necessary in the initial construction.
• Provide space for equipment (e.g., ice machine) that also can be shared with other labs in the entry alcove to the lab. Shared amenities can be more efficient and cost-effective.
• Consider designating instrument rooms as cross-corridors, saving space as well as encouraging researchers to share equipment.
• Design easy-to-maintain, energy-efficient building systems. Expose mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems for easy maintenance access from the lab.
• Locate all mechanical equipment centrally, either on a lower level of the building or on the penthouse level.
• Stack vertical elements above each other without requiring transfers from floor to floor. Such elements include columns, stairs, mechanical closets, and restrooms.

D. Lab and Personnel Safety and Security

Protecting human health and life is paramount, and safety must always be the first concern in laboratory building design. Security-protecting a facility from unauthorized access-is also of critical importance. Today, research facility designers must work within the dense regulatory environment in order to create safe and productive lab spaces. The WBDG Resource Page on Security and Safety in Laboratories addresses all these related concerns, including:

• Laboratory classifications: dependent on the amount and type of chemicals in the lab;
• Containment devices: fume hoods and bio-safety cabinets;
• Levels of bio-safety containment as a design principle;
• Radiation safety;
• Employee safety: showers, eyewashes, other protective measures; and
• Emergency power.

See also WBDG Secure / Safe Branch , Threat/Vulnerability Assessments and Risk Analysis , Balancing Security/Safety and Sustainability Objectives , Air Decontamination , and Electrical Safety .

E. Sustainability Considerations

The typical laboratory uses far more energy and water per square foot than the typical office building due to intensive ventilation requirements and other health and safety concerns. Therefore, designers should strive to create sustainable , high performance, and low-energy laboratories that will:

• Minimize overall environmental impacts;
• Protect occupant safety ; and
• Optimize whole building efficiency on a life-cycle basis.

For more specific guidance, see WBDG Sustainable Laboratory Design ; EPA and DOE's Laboratories for the 21st Century (Labs21) , a voluntary program dedicated to improving the environmental performance of U.S. laboratories; WBDG Sustainable Branch and Balancing Security/Safety and Sustainability Objectives .

F. Three Laboratory Sectors

There are three research laboratory sectors. They are academic laboratories, government laboratories, and private sector laboratories.

• Academic labs are primarily teaching facilities but also include some research labs that engage in public interest or profit generating research.
• Government labs include those run by federal agencies and those operated by state government do research in the public interest.
• Design of labs for the private sector , run by corporations, is usually driven by the need to enhance the research operation's profit making potential.

G. Example Design and Construction Criteria

For GSA, the unit costs for this building type are based on the construction quality and design features in the following table   . This information is based on GSA's benchmark interpretation and could be different for other owners.

LEED® Application Guide for Laboratory Facilities (LEED-AGL)—Because research facilities present a unique challenge for energy efficiency and sustainable design, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has formed the LEED-AGL Committee to develop a guide that helps project teams apply LEED credits in the design and construction of laboratory facilities. See also the WBDG Resource Page Using LEED on Laboratory Projects .

The following agencies and organizations have developed codes and standards affecting the design of research laboratories. Note that the codes and standards are minimum requirements. Architects, engineers, and consultants should consider exceeding the applicable requirements whenever possible.

• 29 CFR 1910.1450: OSHA "Occupational Exposures to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories"
• ANSI/ASSE/AIHA Z9.5 Laboratory Ventilation
• ANSI/ISEA Z358.1 Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment
• Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) Standards
• Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) 5th Edition , Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health.
• GSA PBS-P100 Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service
• Guidelines for the Laboratory Use of Chemical Carcinogens , Pub. No. 81-2385. National Institutes of Health
• NIH Design Requirements Manual , National Institutes of Health
• NFPA 30 Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code
• NFPA 45 Fire Protection for Laboratories using Chemical
• Unified Facilities Guide Specifications (UFGS) —organized by MasterFormat™ divisions, are for use in specifying construction for the military services. Several UFGS exist for safety-related topics.

Publications

• Building Type Basics for Research Laboratories , 2nd Edition by Daniel Watch. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2008. ISBN# 978-0-470-16333-7.
• CRC Handbook of Laboratory Safety , 5th ed. by A. Keith Furr. CRC Press, 2000.
• Design and Planning of Research and Clinical Laboratory Facilities by Leonard Mayer. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1995.
• Design for Research: Principals of Laboratory Architecture by Susan Braybrooke. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1993.
• Guidelines for Laboratory Design: Health and Safety Considerations , 4th Edition by Louis J. DiBerardinis, et al. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2013.
• Guidelines for Planning and Design of Biomedical Research Laboratory Facilities by The American Institute of Architects, Center for Advanced Technology Facilities Design. Washington, DC: The American Institute of Architects, 1999.
• Handbook of Facilities Planning, Vol. 1: Laboratory Facilities by T. Ruys. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1990.
• Laboratories, A Briefing and Design Guide by Walter Hain. London, UK: E & FN Spon, 1995.
• Laboratory by Earl Walls Associates, May 2000.
• Laboratory Design from the Editors of R&D Magazine.
• Laboratory Design, Construction, and Renovation: Participants, Process, and Product by National Research Council, Committee on Design, Construction, and Renovation of Laboratory Facilities. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2000.
• Planning Academic Research Facilities: A Guidebook by National Science Foundation. Washington, DC: National Science Foundation, 1992.
• Research and Development in Industry: 1995-96 by National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Studies. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation, 1998.
• Science and Engineering Research Facilities at Colleges and Universities by National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Studies. Arlington, VA, 1998.
• Laboratories for the 21st Century (Labs21) —Sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, Labs21 is a voluntary program dedicated to improving the environmental performance of U.S. laboratories.

WBDG Participating Agencies

National Institute of Building Sciences Innovative Solutions for the Built Environment 1090 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 700 | Washington, DC 20005-4950 | (202) 289-7800 © 2024 National Institute of Building Sciences. All rights reserved. Disclaimer

Search Stanford:

Other ways to search: Map Profiles

Main Content

From Nobel Prize winners to undergraduates, all members of the Stanford community are engaged in the creation of knowledge.

The Research Enterprise

Stanford’s culture of collaboration drives innovative discoveries in areas vital to our world, our health, and our intellectual life.

Interdisciplinary Research

At the intersection of disciplines is where new ideas emerge and innovative research happens.

Stanford Research

Institutes, Labs & Centers

Fifteen independent labs, centers, and institutes engage faculty and students from across the university.

Independent Laboratories, Centers and Institutes

Other Research Centers & Labs

Academic departments sponsor numerous other research centers and labs.

Listing of Stanford Research Centers

Where Research Happens

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

SLAC is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory operated by Stanford, conducting research in chemistry, materials and energy sciences, bioscience, fusion energy science, high-energy physics, cosmology and other fields.

Hoover Institution

The Hoover Institution, devoted to the study of domestic and international affairs, was founded in 1919 by Herbert Hoover, a member of Stanford’s pioneer class of 1895 and the 31st U.S. president.

Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment

Working toward a future in which societies meet people’s needs for water, food and health while protecting and nurturing the planet.

Stanford Woods Institute

Stanford Humanities Center

Advancing research into the historical, philosophical, literary, artistic, and cultural dimensions of the human experience.

Stanford Bio-X

Biomedical and life science researchers, clinicians, engineers, physicists and computational scientists come together to unlock the secrets of the human body.

Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI)

Understanding problems, policies and processes that cross borders and affect lives around the world.

Freeman Spogli Institute

Stanford University Libraries

Stanford is home to more than 20 individual libraries, each with a world-class collection of books, journals, films, maps and databases.

Online Catalog

SearchWorks is Stanford University Libraries’ official online search tool providing metadata about the 8 million+ resources in our physical and online collections.

SearchWorks

Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate Advising and Research (UAR) connects undergraduates with faculty to conduct research, advanced scholarship, and creative projects.

Research Administration

The Office of the Vice Provost and Dean of Research, provides comprehensive information about the research enterprise at Stanford.

Find A Researcher

Search and read profiles of Stanford faculty, staff, students, and postdocs. Find researchers with whom you would like to collaborate.

Stanford Profiles

• United Kingdom
• Yorktown Heights

Since our first lab opened in 1945, we’ve authored more than 110,000 research publications.

Our researchers have won six Nobel Prizes, six Turing Awards, and IBM has been granted more than 150,000 patents.

• Laboratories

Narrow your search

• Areas of Research
• active Find a research lab with a name beginning with the letter A A
• Find a research lab with a name beginning with the letter B B
• Find a research lab with a name beginning with the letter C C
• Find a research lab with a name beginning with the letter D D
• Find a research lab with a name beginning with the letter E E
• Find a research lab with a name beginning with the letter F F
• Find a research lab with a name beginning with the letter G G
• Find a research lab with a name beginning with the letter H H
• Find a research lab with a name beginning with the letter I I
• No research labs names begin with the letter J J
• Find a research lab with a name beginning with the letter K K
• Find a research lab with a name beginning with the letter L L
• Find a research lab with a name beginning with the letter M M
• Find a research lab with a name beginning with the letter N N
• Find a research lab with a name beginning with the letter O O
• Find a research lab with a name beginning with the letter P P
• No research labs names begin with the letter Q Q
• Find a research lab with a name beginning with the letter R R
• Find a research lab with a name beginning with the letter S S
• Find a research lab with a name beginning with the letter T T
• No research labs names begin with the letter U U
• Find a research lab with a name beginning with the letter V V
• No research labs names begin with the letter W W
• No research labs names begin with the letter X X
• No research labs names begin with the letter Y Y
• Find a research lab with a name beginning with the letter Z Z
• Advanced Endoscopy Innovation Translation and Clinical Trials Group: Barham Abu Dayyeh
• Advanced Medical Imaging Technology: Richard L. Ehman
• Aerospace Medicine and Vestibular Research: Michael J. Cevette, Jan Stepanek
• Aging and Dementia Imaging Research (ADIR): Clifford R. Jack Jr.; Kejal Kantarci; Prashanthi Vemuri
• Aging and Immune Restoration: Jessica N. Lancaster
• Allergic Diseases: Hirohito Kita
• Anesthesia Outcomes: Juraj Sprung
• Anesthesiology Systematic Review: W. Michael Hooten
• Anticancer Drug Action: Scott H. Kaufmann
• Artificial Liver and Liver Transplantation: Scott L. Nyberg
• Artificial Pancreas: Yogish C. Kudva
• Assistive and Restorative Technology: Kristin D. Zhao
• Atherosclerosis and Lipid Genomics: Iftikhar J. Kullo

More about research at Mayo Clinic

• Research Faculty
• Core Facilities
• Centers & Programs
• Departments & Divisions
• Clinical Trials
• Institutional Review Board
• Postdoctoral Fellowships
• Training Grant Programs
• Publications

Mayo Clinic Footer

• Request Appointment
• About Mayo Clinic
• About This Site

Legal Conditions and Terms

• Terms and Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Notice of Privacy Practices
• Notice of Nondiscrimination
• Manage Cookies

Advertising

Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization and proceeds from Web advertising help support our mission. Mayo Clinic does not endorse any of the third party products and services advertised.

• Advertising and sponsorship policy
• Advertising and sponsorship opportunities

Reprint Permissions

A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.org," "Mayo Clinic Healthy Living," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Covering a story? Visit our page for journalists or call (773) 702-8360.

New Certificate Program

Top Stories

• Inside the Lab: A first-hand look at University of Chicago research
• Scav reflections: “for the love of the pursuit and the joy in the attempt”

W. Ralph Johnson, pre-eminent UChicago critic of Latin poetry, 1933‒2024

‘inside the lab’ series provides a unique look at uchicago research, through videos and q&as, scholars discuss the impact of their groundbreaking work.

The world today is facing unprecedented, complex challenges, and the need to address them through research is more important than ever. 

As a leading global research university, the University of Chicago is home to hundreds of the world’s most advanced research facilities and laboratories. Through the support of federal and private funding as well as collaboration with corporate and academic partners, UChicago scholars are making breakthrough discoveries that are shaping fields of study and tackling some of these complex problems.

To help illustrate the impact of research, as well as how UChicago scholars’ groundbreaking work is conducted, a new series called “Inside The Lab” provides a first-hand look at these labs and allows us to hear from the scholars themselves.

Through dynamic videos and Q&As, audiences will have an opportunity to meet UChicago faculty and students and better understand how they conduct their research. Whether they’re working in small research groups at a greenhouse on campus or in large-scale scientific experiments at Argonne National Laboratory and Fermilab, each lab is addressing important global problems—from how to address food security amid climate change to preserving some of the world’s oldest objects —while providing student transformative experiences for the next generation of scholars.

“From answering fundamental questions through basic research to applying new technologies to new discoveries, scholars at UChicago are pushing the boundaries of knowledge. Their work in diverse fields such as medicine, biology, public policy, computing, physics and business has the potential to transform our future,” said Erin Adams, vice provost for research at UChicago. “As a scientist, I’ve realized over my career that many people don’t understand what research entails—or the critical impact that university research has on society. Through ‘Inside the Lab,’ we’re excited for the world to learn more about how research happens, who conducts this pioneering work and how it is helping transform our world.”

Visit the “Inside the Lab” website to learn more about the series, and explore some of the labs at UChicago.

Explore the Inside the Lab series

• Inside the Lab homepage
• Visit the He plant biology lab
• Visit the ISAC Conservation Lab

Discover Inside the Lab

He Lab: Using the science of RNA to feed the world

Conservation Lab: Preserving the world’s oldest objects

Get more with UChicago News delivered to your inbox.

Related Topics

Latest news.

Mavis Staples, legendary singer and activist, returns to UChicago to inspire next generation

Geophysical Sciences

Scientists find evidence that meltwater is fracturing ice shelves in Antarctica

Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering

UChicago scientists use machine learning to turn cell snapshots dynamic

Where do breakthrough discoveries and ideas come from?

Explore The Day Tomorrow Began

Pulitzer Prize

Trina Reynolds-Tyler, MPP'20, wins Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting

Around uchicago, uchicago to offer new postbaccalaureate premedical certificate program.

Carnegie Fellow

UChicago political scientist Molly Offer-Westort named Carnegie Fellow

National Academy of Sciences

Five UChicago faculty elected to National Academy of Sciences in 2024

Laing Award

UChicago Press awards top honor to Margareta Ingrid Christian for ‘Objects in A…

Winners of the 2024 UChicago Science as Art competition announced

Six UChicago scholars elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2024

Biological Sciences Division

“You have to be open minded, planning to reinvent yourself every five to seven years.”

UChicago paleontologist Paul Sereno’s fossil lab moves to Washington Park

artificial intelligence

human-machine interaction

learning + teaching

architecture

consumer electronics

human-computer interaction

wearable computing

bioengineering

machine learning

environment

social science

entertainment

computer science

storytelling

engineering

prosthetics

developing countries

civic technology

social media

social robotics

communications

computer vision

augmented reality

public health

urban planning

neurobiology

virtual reality

synthetic biology

biotechnology

affective computing

social networks

climate change

biomechanics

transportation

social change

data visualization

fabrication

behavioral science

data science

cognitive science

zero gravity

agriculture

prosthetic design

manufacturing

racial justice

sustainability

neural interfacing and control

3d printing

banking and finance

electrical engineering

cryptocurrency

human augmentation

civic action

construction

microfabrication

performance

open source

language learning

marginalized communities

natural language processing

microbiology

social justice

internet of things

autonomous vehicles

mental health

collective intelligence

interactive

visualization

mechanical engineering

clinical science

nanoscience

nonverbal behavior

long-term interaction

sports and fitness

biomedical imaging

orthotic design

gender studies

pharmaceuticals

mechatronics

soft-tissue biomechanics

open access

autism research

assistive technology

member company

real estate

digital currency

womens health

decision-making

• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

• Virtual Tour
• Staff Directory
• En Español

You are here

Research & training, research in nih labs & clinics.

• Research on the NIH campuses
• NIH Clinical Center
• Research in Action
• Commercializing Inventions
• News and Events
• Office of Intramural Research

This page last reviewed on January 18, 2017

Connect with Us

• More Social Media from NIH

Masks Strongly Recommended but Not Required in Maryland, Starting Immediately

Due to the downward trend in respiratory viruses in Maryland, masking is no longer required but remains strongly recommended in Johns Hopkins Medicine clinical locations in Maryland. Read more .

• Vaccines  
• Masking Guidelines
• Visitor Guidelines  

Find a Research Lab

Featured research topics.

• Clinical Trials
• Neurological Disorders
• Brain Science Institute
• Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences (IBBS)
• Institute for Cell Engineering (ICE)
• Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR)
• Institute for Computational Medicine (ICM)
• Institute for Genetic Medicine (IGM)

Participate in a Clinical Trial at Johns Hopkins

• Search all Clinical Trials
• Search Cancer Clinical Trials

• Research Labs

• Psychology Research Areas
• Affiliated Research Facilities
• Getting Involved as an Undergraduate

University of California, Davis 135 Young Hall  One Shields Avenue Davis ,  CA   95616

[email protected] 530-752-1880

© 2000-2024 by the Regents of the University of California, Davis Campus. All Rights Reserved.

• Science & Technology Strategy
• Air Force Vanguards
• Aerospace Systems
• Information
• Materials & Manufacturing
• Directed Energy
• Human Performance
• Artificial Intelligence
• Hypersonics
• Basic Research
• Digital Capabilities
• Integrated Capabilities
• Cross Domain
• Higher Education
• AFRL Regional Network
• Career Employment
• AFRL Careers Brochure
• Students and Faculty
• AFRL Internship Programs
• Lab Life Podcast
• AFRL Inspire
• AFRL Fellows
• 100 Years of History
• AFRL TECH VLOG
• Not Another Acryonym
• Basic Research Chatter
• Collaboration Programs
• AFRL Fights On!
• 01 TECHNOLOGY
• 02 PARTNER WITH US
• 03 CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITIES
• Partner With Us
• Careers and Opportunities

Air Force Research Laboratory

• AFRL INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS ›
• AFRL CAREERS ›
• AFRL TECHNOLOGY ›

LEAD | DISCOVER | DEVELOP | DELIVER

AFRL enhances workforce through STEM outreach programs

AFRL engineer to be recognized at ASME national meeting

AFRL researchers pave the way to lighter, faster additively manufactured rocket engines

SpaceWERX, The Aerospace Corporation collaborate to guide technologies

USAF Test Pilot School and DARPA announce breakthrough in aerospace machine learning

AFRL-developed physiological monitoring system undergoes flight tests

Explore careers, find your path.

Advertisement

Supported by

U.S. Tightens Rules on Risky Virus Research

A long-awaited new policy broadens the type of regulated viruses, bacteria, fungi and toxins, including those that could threaten crops and livestock.

• Share full article

By Carl Zimmer and Benjamin Mueller

The White House has unveiled tighter rules for research on potentially dangerous microbes and toxins, in an effort to stave off laboratory accidents that could unleash a pandemic.

The new policy, published Monday evening, arrives after years of deliberations by an expert panel and a charged public debate over whether Covid arose from an animal market or a laboratory in China.

A number of researchers worried that the government had been too lax about lab safety in the past, with some even calling for the creation of an independent agency to make decisions about risky experiments that could allow viruses, bacteria or fungi to spread quickly between people or become more deadly. But others warned against creating restrictive rules that would stifle valuable research without making people safer.

The debate grew sharper during the pandemic, as politicians raised questions about the origin of Covid. Those who suggested it came from a lab raised concerns about studies that tweaked pathogens to make them more dangerous — sometimes known as “gain of function” research.

The new policy, which applies to research funded by the federal government, strengthens the government’s oversight by replacing a short list of dangerous pathogens with broad categories into which more pathogens might fall. The policy pays attention not only to human pathogens, but also those that could threaten crops and livestock. And it provides more details about the kinds of experiments that would draw the attention of government regulators.

The rules will take effect in a year, giving government agencies and departments time to update their guidance to meet the new requirements.

“It’s a big and important step forward,” said Dr. Tom Inglesby, the director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and a longtime proponent of stricter safety regulations. “I think this policy is what any reasonable member of the public would expect is in place in terms of oversight of the world’s most transmissible and lethal organisms.”

Still, the policy does not embrace the most aggressive proposals made by lab safety proponents, such as creating an independent regulatory agency. It also makes exemptions for certain types of research, including disease surveillance and vaccine development. And some parts of the policy are recommendations rather than government-enforced requirements.

“It’s a moderate shift in policy, with a number of more significant signals about how the White House expects the issue to be treated moving forward,” said Nicholas Evans, an ethicist at University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Experts have been waiting for the policy for more than a year. Still, some said they were surprised that it came out at such a politically fraught moment . “I wasn’t expecting anything, especially in an election year,” Dr. Evans said. “I’m pleasantly surprised.”

Under the new policy, scientists who want to carry out experiments will need to run their proposals past their universities or research institutions, which will to determine if the work poses a risk. Potentially dangerous proposals will then be reviewed by government agencies. The most scrutiny will go to experiments that could result in the most dangerous outcomes, such as those tweaking pathogens that could start a pandemic.

In a guidance document , the White House provided examples of research that would be expected to come under such scrutiny. In one case, they envisioned scientists trying to understand the evolutionary steps a pathogen needed to transmit more easily between humans. The researchers might try to produce a transmissible strain to study, for example, by repeatedly infecting human cells in petri dishes, allowing the pathogens to evolve more efficient ways to enter the cells.

Scientists who do not follow the new policy could become ineligible for federal funding for their work. Their entire institution may have its support for life science research cut off as well.

One of the weaknesses of existing policies is that they only apply to funding given out by the federal government. But for years , the National Institutes of Health and other government agencies have struggled with stagnant funding, leading some researchers to turn instead to private sources. In recent years, for example, crypto titans have poured money into pandemic prevention research.

The new policy does not give the government direct regulation of privately funded research. But it does say that research institutions that receive any federal money for life-science research should apply a similar oversight to scientists doing research with support from outside the government.

“This effectively limits them, as the N.I.H. does a lot of work everywhere in the world,” Dr. Evans said.

The new policy takes into account the advances in biotechnology that could lead to new risks. When pathogens become extinct, for example, they can be resurrected by recreating their genomes. Research on extinct pathogens will draw the highest levels of scrutiny.

Dr. Evans also noted that the new rules emphasize the risk that lab research can have on plants and animals. In the 20th century, the United States and Russia both carried out extensive research on crop-destroying pathogens such as wheat-killing fungi as part of their biological weapons programs. “It’s significant as a signal the White House is sending,” Dr. Evans said.

Marc Lipsitch, an epidemiologist at Harvard and a longtime critic of the government’s policy, gave the new one a grade of A minus. “I think it’s a lot clearer and more specific in many ways than the old guidance,” he said. But he was disappointed that the government will not provide detailed information to the public about the risky research it evaluates. “The transparency is far from transparent,” he said.

Scientists who have warned of the dangers of impeding useful virus research were also largely optimistic about the new rules.

Gigi Gronvall, a biosafety specialist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said the policy’s success would depend on how federal health officials interpreted it, but applauded the way it recognized the value of research needed during a crisis, such as the current bird flu outbreak .

“I was cautiously optimistic in reading through it,” she said of the policy. “It seems like the orientation is for it to be thoughtfully implemented so it doesn’t have a chilling effect on needed research.”

Anice Lowen, an influenza virologist at Emory University, said the expanded scope of the new policy was “reasonable.” She said, for instance, that the decision not to create an entirely new review body helped to alleviate concerns about how unwieldy the process might become.

Still, she said, ambiguities in the instructions for assessing risks in certain experiments made it difficult to know how different university and health officials would police them.

“I think there will be more reviews carried out, and more research will be slowed down because of it,” she said.

Carl Zimmer covers news about science for The Times and writes the Origins column . More about Carl Zimmer

Benjamin Mueller reports on health and medicine. He was previously a U.K. correspondent in London and a police reporter in New York. More about Benjamin Mueller

• Affiliated Faculty
• Exchange Program
• Summer Scholarship
• Highlighted Publications

INFORMATION FOR

• Residents & Fellows
• Researchers

Niki Katsara Antonakea

Contact information.

• Email [email protected]

Related Links

• Linkedin Profile

Research & Publications

Appointments.

• Radiology & Biomedical Imaging

Niki Katsara is an MD candidate at Charité Medical University in Berlin, Germany. She was born and raised in Athens, Greece, where she graduated from the German School of Athens (DSA). Currently, she serves as a Postgraduate Research Fellow at the esteemed Yale Interventional Oncology Lab, where she aims to improve the detection, characterization, and treatment of neoplastic disease in the liver using machine learning to combine imaging and clinical parameters to create powerful predictive algorithms and upgrade the imaging quality during minimal-invasive treatments. Her main medical interests include Gynaecology/Oncology and Interventional Radiology/Oncology. Driven by a profound fascination for cancers and women's health, she actively seeks opportunities for collaboration, research engagement, and clinical electives.

Beyond her academic pursuits, Niki Katsara is deeply committed to combining her future clinical work with global health and advocacy for patients' needs. With experiences spanning medical programs in Tanzania (ROAD2IR) and Japan, coupled with her European background and active involvement in pan-Arabian initiatives (PARSGO) and Canadian-based organizations (HPV Global Action), she seeks a deeper understanding of diverse healthcare systems. She upholds the ethos of inclusive healthcare delivery, firmly believing in the provision of medicine without barriers, irrespective of socio-economic, cultural, or geographical backgrounds. She is deeply committed to ensuring equitable access to medical care for all individuals in the future, embodying a steadfast dedication to addressing healthcare disparities and fostering a healthcare landscape that is universally accessible and compassionate.

Joining the Yale School of Medicine community represents the realization of a long-standing dream. Her ultimate goal is to harness the extensive resources offered by the Yale School of Medicine to further her journey as an excellent physician-scientist. Together, she envisions a collaborative effort to combat cancers and enhance the quality of life for patients worldwide.

Education & Training

• MD Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany (2026)
• Researcher HPV Global Action / VPH Action Globale (2026)
• Researcher Pan-Arabian Research Society for Gynecologic Oncology PARSGO (2026)
• Clinical Elective Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine (2023)
• Clinical Elective Center for Endometriosis of the Gynecology Department of Charité Virchow Klinikum (2021)
• Clinical/ Global Health Elective Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) (2021)
• Oral Presentation on Online Multidisciplinary tumor boards in low-and-middle-income-countries to achieve health equity: a PARSGO initiative. Amsterdam, NH, Netherlands 2022 30th World Congress on Controversies in Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Infertility (COGI)

Honors & Recognition

Departments & organizations.

• Yale Interventional Oncology Research Lab

Featured Topics

Featured series.

A series of random questions answered by Harvard experts.

Explore the Gazette

Read the latest.

What is ‘original scholarship’ in the age of AI?

Complex questions, innovative approaches

Early warning sign of extinction?

Epic science inside a cubic millimeter of brain.

Six layers of excitatory neurons color-coded by depth.

Credit: Google Research and Lichtman Lab

Anne J. Manning

Harvard Staff Writer

Researchers publish largest-ever dataset of neural connections

A cubic millimeter of brain tissue may not sound like much. But considering that that tiny square contains 57,000 cells, 230 millimeters of blood vessels, and 150 million synapses, all amounting to 1,400 terabytes of data, Harvard and Google researchers have just accomplished something stupendous.   

Led by Jeff Lichtman, the Jeremy R. Knowles Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology and newly appointed dean of science , the Harvard team helped create the largest 3D brain reconstruction to date, showing in vivid detail each cell and its web of connections in a piece of temporal cortex about half the size of a rice grain.

Published in Science, the study is the latest development in a nearly 10-year collaboration with scientists at Google Research, combining Lichtman’s electron microscopy imaging with AI algorithms to color-code and reconstruct the extremely complex wiring of mammal brains. The paper’s three first co-authors are former Harvard postdoc Alexander Shapson-Coe, Michał Januszewski of Google Research, and Harvard postdoc Daniel Berger.

The ultimate goal, supported by the National Institutes of Health BRAIN Initiative , is to create a comprehensive, high-resolution map of a mouse’s neural wiring, which would entail about 1,000 times the amount of data the group just produced from the 1-cubic-millimeter fragment of human cortex.  

“The word ‘fragment’ is ironic,” Lichtman said. “A terabyte is, for most people, gigantic, yet a fragment of a human brain — just a minuscule, teeny-weeny little bit of human brain — is still thousands of terabytes.”  

Jeff Lichtman.

Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer

The latest map contains never-before-seen details of brain structure, including a rare but powerful set of axons connected by up to 50 synapses. The team also noted oddities in the tissue, such as a small number of axons that formed extensive whorls. Because the sample was taken from a patient with epilepsy, the researchers don’t know whether such formations are pathological or simply rare.

Lichtman’s field is connectomics, which seeks to create comprehensive catalogs of brain structure, down to individual cells. Such completed maps would unlock insights into brain function and disease, about which scientists still know very little.

Google’s state-of-the-art AI algorithms allow for reconstruction and mapping of brain tissue in three dimensions. The team has also developed a suite of publicly available tools researchers can use to examine and annotate the connectome.

“Given the enormous investment put into this project, it was important to present the results in a way that anybody else can now go and benefit from them,” said Google collaborator Viren Jain.

Next the team will tackle the mouse hippocampal formation, which is important to neuroscience for its role in memory and neurological disease.

Share this article

You might like.

Symposium considers how technology is changing academia

Seven projects awarded Star-Friedman Challenge grants

Fossil record stretching millions of years shows tiny ocean creatures on the move before Earth heats up

How far has COVID set back students?

An economist, a policy expert, and a teacher explain why learning losses are worse than many parents realize

Excited about new diet drug? This procedure seems better choice.

Study finds minimally invasive treatment more cost-effective over time, brings greater weight loss

We've detected unusual activity from your computer network

To continue, please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot.

Why did this happen?

Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy .

For inquiries related to this message please contact our support team and provide the reference ID below.

Texas Tech Now

Texas tech researchers help confirm first case of avian influenza transmitted from cow to human.

May 13, 2024

Researchers from the Biological Threat Research Laboratory played a critical role in testing for the virus.

Texas Tech University 's Biological Threat Research Laboratory (BTRL) played a critical role in confirming the first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza transmission from a mammal (dairy cow) to a human. 

The case was made public in an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Steve Presley , the director of The Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH) and the BTRL, and Cynthia Reinoso Webb , the biological threat coordinator at TIEHH, were co-authors on the journal publication.

The journal article explains that in March a farm worker who reported no contact with sick or dead birds, but who was in contact with dairy cattle, began showing symptoms in the eye and samples were collected by the regional health department to test for potential influenza A. 

The concern stemmed from recent testing results on dairy farms across the region. Dairy cattle, some showing signs of illness but others asymptomatic, had tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). 

Given the HPAI outbreak in dairy cattle, Reinoso Webb increased the precautions with all the raw milk testing, moving dairy sample testing into the biosafety level three (BSL-3) lab, a high-containment laboratory, where the work could be done with minimal risk of exposure to themselves and the environment. 

“We have a milk and dairy product quality assurance lab we test dairy products, from raw milk to ice cream, for the region. That's part of the state health services contracts we have,” Presley said. “That work is typically done in a BSL-1 level lab, which is like a kitchen. Dr. Reinoso Webb was very on her toes, for lack of a better term, to say ‘Hey, we've got people testing raw milk in a BSL-1 and there's avian influenza virus in dairy herds confirmed.' 

“This was even before the human case was determined. In a risk assessment, she decided to move into BSL-3 if there is potential for the virus to be present and infectious in the unpasteurized milk that was being tested.”

So, when the concern of a human case came up, the BSL-3 lab was ready for the challenge.

“Before we tested the human case in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Laboratory Response Network-Biological (LRN-B) facility located with the Texas Tech BTRL, we had already established communications with the CDC,” Reinoso Webb explained. 

“Being part of the CDC LRN-B, we have the standing capability to test for a lot of biological threats and some that are considered emergent.”

Reinoso Webb and the team at TIEH

H responded quickly to the need

s of the regional public health authority knowing the potential dangers of the virus. Having received the samples in the early evening, within hours results were being reported back to the regional, state and federal levels. By the next day the samples were on their way to CDC for further testing. 

“We were on the phone with the CDC until around midnight discussing different scenarios and follow up requirements,” Reinoso Webb said. “There is a lot of federal reporting. It was a very complicated case, even though it was two samples and one patient.

“But we had this wonderful communication with the CDC and made sure we did everything by the book. This is how it's been structured, and this is how the communication was supposed to happen.”

While the transmission of HPAI to humans is concerning, the ability of places laboratories like the BTRL at TIEHH to get answers to protect public health in a timely and accurate manner is immensely helpful in containing potential biological threats. 

“We had never received a request for this testing before,” Reinoso Webb explained.

The request for testing came on a weekend and the team had to quickly prepare and put together a risk assessment specific to the incoming samples. 

“There's so much continued maintenance and competency tests that may not be used for years,” Reinoso Webb said. “But when they are needed, we are prepared and competent to run the test.”

With the human case presenting as eye inflammation rather than any type of upper respiratory infection, the likelihood of it spreading quickly decreased. Although it was one case, the information from the test results and clinical presentation provided insight into the threat posted to public health by this virus. 

“It's a huge thing that the virus has jumped from birds to mammals, dairy cows in this case, and then to humans,” Presley said. “That's why this paper in the New England Journal of Medicine is, I think, very significant. It's going to lay the foundation, I believe, for a lot of research in the future of how the virus is evolving.”

You may also like

Collaborative project could one day open new treatment possibilities, naïma moustaïd-moussa named director of institute for one health innovation, texas tech researchers are working to find low-cost energy options.