InsideUF
Emerging Pathogens breaks ground
Filed under UF Voices on March 18, 2008.
Recently, the University of Florida broke ground on the Pathogens Research Facility, a state-of-the-art laboratory that will serve as home to UF’s Emerging Pathogens Institute.
This new building is the physical manifestation of an initiative President Bernie Machen began pursuing about two years ago, but which has roots in the university that go much deeper.
UF has a long history of research in many disciplines that we now collectively call emerging pathogens. For example, IFAS’ Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory in Vero Beach is one of the world’s leading mosquito research centers. Dr. Fred Southwick, chief of infectious diseases in the College of Medicine, is an international expert on anthrax. And Dr. Cynda Crawford and her colleagues in the College of Veterinary Medicine are often the first to spot new diseases in animals.
With its warm climate, huge number of visitors and intense trade with South America, Florida is probably more susceptible to new diseases than any other state in the country.
Rather than just waiting for these new threats to arrive, the UF Emerging Pathogens Institute is working to anticipate their arrival, take preventative measures and develop effective treatments.
J. Glenn Morris
Director, Emerging Pathogens Institute