The Pirbright Institute: A History of Breakthrough
Research, Training and Education
Each detail is designed to give access to building systems
for inspection, and to be expressive of its function.
How Pirbright Made a Difference
www.pirbright.ac.uk/viruses/rinderpest-virus
Game changer
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The air flow in the pass-through in the cafeteria assures that nothing escapes containment.
People like working in the building, which is really important for staff morale, retention, and recruitment. The reliability of the building, the way it’s been designed for human welfare, and the way it was designed so nearly all of the maintenance can be carried out while keeping the labs live is very advantageous for us.
We have older animal facilities that have to be closed on a regular basis for all the necessary planned/preventative maintenance; which is the same as many other high containment facilities. But it is very unusual for us to have to close even part of the Plowright Building. Having that facility there LIVE, all of the time—and working reliably—is absolutely key. You are no longer thinking about the facility; you’re just getting on with your work.
Looking up through the oculus, it is obvious that this is not an ordinary containment facility.
conventional
How Pirbright Made a Difference
Circular cutouts in the glass entrance door can be plugged with rubber disks to tweak the air-pressure.
Have you seen more collaboration since moving into the new building?
Global Impact
Has having access to daylight & sightlines through the atrium changed the experience for people working inside the building?
How Pirbright Made a Difference
Rinderpest
conventional
How does the Plowright Building help Pirbright respond to its global position in fighting diseases?
With the “virus” or labs consolidated at the center and “people” spaces pulled outside of containment, researchers are isolated either inside or outside containment.
Big Idea
Transitions
Researchers have to leave containment (showering in and out each time) multiple times during the course of the day.
Waste water through the sinks
is visible through glass traps.
Foot-and-Mouth Disease
The Pirbright Institute:
Global Impact
Transitions
Windows along the perimeter—part of the containment enclosure—are designed with exposed bolts that can be torqued to maintain the seal. Air-tight custom fumigation panels were designed to cover the windows for testing and fumigation.
Transitions
People go in, do their bit of work, and then come out. But in the Plowright Building, we see people in there all day. Which obviously tells you a lot about how they’re feeling about their workplace. It is also more efficient from a productivity standpoint.
Beyond that, the building—the flows and patterns of people movement and storage samples—works. We don’t get many grumbles or complaints about an awkwardness in the design. It works.
We’re really pleased with the building, genuinely – it’s been a great success. You all know as well as I the number of the high containment buildings that have been put up and have struggled to get working properly and efficiently. The Plowright Building has just worked – from Day 1.
GLOBAL IMPACT
The concrete containment envelope was poured around integral stainless-steel surrounds that are fitted with gaskets to maintain the air-tight seal, rather than relying on adhesives.
Game changer
In order to assure that the containment barrier in the lab wings would work, the concrete enclosure needed to be air-tight—and this required precision to an unheard of level of detail. Each penetration—including windows—needed to be sealed and tested for air-tightness.
Additionally, each penetration and the entire enclosure needed to be able to be tested to validate the seal. They were carefully detailed in order to be able to put panels over all of the openings—for testing and for fumigation in the future. Individual labs, lab suites and entire lab wings can be fumigated.
Transitions
Game changer
Big Idea
People at the center with lab wings radiating off of the central space naturally fosters interaction and collaboration. Inherent visibility also enhances safety.
Light
Game changer
RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT
All penetrations—over 2000 of them—through the concrete enclosure required setting stainless steel surrounds before the concrete could be poured, to within a millimeter of tolerance. After the special-mix, strengthened, steel-reinforced concrete was poured, it was sanded, and seven layers of containment coating applied. This required a new approach to construction, bringing in trades out of customary sequence.
Also, each penetration and the entire enclosure needed to be able to be tested to validate the seal. They were carefully detailed in order to be able to put panels over all of the openings—for testing and for fumigation in the future. Individual labs, lab suites and entire lab wings can be fumigated.
How Pirbright Made a Difference
People at the center
A Game-changing Idea
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Read Part 1 of the Interview
How Pirbright Made a Difference
Dr. Bryan Charleston:
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We are no longer solely focused on the virus or viruses or just in the diagnostic labs. And like all scientific endeavors—you need a multi-disciplinary approach. No problem is solved by somebody with one particular skillset.
We’ve got very sophisticated bio-imaging facilities that work extremely well – where people can visualize viruses and cells, etc. We’ve just installed the latest next generation sequencing facilities in containment. Samples will come into high containment and then they can be very rapidly sequenced without the need to undergo different protocols to get them out of high containment and carry out those procedures. That’s absolutely key for the high throughput of research.
We always collaborated a lot, but it has made it easier. There is certainly an increase in the expertise and a broader range of skills that’s available within the facility.
We’re also providing a lot of expertise to other organizations about how you run and maintain these buildings. So it’s not just around science – it’s around the engineering required to run a high containment facility, the bio-security required. We get asked about all of those issues and we provide help and advice.
It’s been absolutely key. Previously, our facilities were unreliable and we struggled to keep them running efficiently. From Day 1, the Plowright Building has provided us with a bio-secure, reliable facility that is there 24/7 for us to carry out important research functions.
Do you give tours? What is the reaction of the public to seeing all that goes on in the building?
Natural light is limited to people spaces.
Big Idea
People at the Center
rinderpest
Dr. Bryan Charleston:
curtain wall
surround
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Uncompromised Safety
In 2011, rinderpest was declared eradicated, in large part due to the work of Walter Plowright and colleagues, who developed the vaccine and provided expertise on the epidemiology behind the disease.
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How Pirbright Made a Difference
conventional
Game changer
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
A category 4 containment lab with windows was unheard of at the time
the Plowright Building
was designed.
Collaboration & Visibility
The eradication of rinderpest has prevented the illness and death of millions of livestock, preventing losses in the production of beef, milk and animal traction (use of animals to assist with farming and related tasks). This has increased food security, confidence in food production, and trade in livestock and their products (UK AID).
HOW PIRBRIGHT IS
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
With the “virus” or labs consolidated at the center and “people” spaces pulled outside of containment, researchers are isolated either inside or outside containment.
www.pirbright.ac.uk/fmdv
Global Impact
Collaboration
& visibility
Precision & Testing
An Awe-inspiring Experience
conventional
flexibility
Global Impact
A History of Breakthrough Research, Training & Education
Global Impact
Researchers do not have to leave containment to write up their findings, meet with other researchers, or to have a bite to eat—limiting gowning in and showering out to once a day.
Light
Accessibility
Collaboration
& visibility
Air Pressure
Researchers have to leave containment (showering in and out each time) multiple times during the course of the day.
Collaboration
& visibility
Researchers do not have to leave containment to write up their findings, meet with other researchers, or to have a bite to eat—limiting gowning in and showering out to once a day.
Light
Game changer
containment
window
Warren Hendrickson:
Global Impact
Global Impact
People at the center with lab wings radiating off of the central space naturally fosters interaction and collaboration. Inherent visibility also enhances safety.
www.pirbright.ac.uk/our-science/rinderpest-holding-facility-pirbright
visibility
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The Plowright Building flips the conventional design for containment inside out.
www.pirbright.ac.uk/fmdv
www.pirbright.ac.uk/viruses/rinderpest-virus
www.pirbright.ac.uk/our-science/rinderpest-holding-facility-pirbright
Collaboration & Visibility
Light
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Foot-and-Mouth Disease
Air Flow
Warren Hendrickson:
How Pirbright Made a Difference
Warren Hendrickson:
Rinderpest
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conventional
Natural light is limited to people spaces.
Exterior windows provide light to the labs and lab corridors. Curtain wall along the exterior and interior perimeter of the atrium floods the entire facility with light.
In Part 2 of our interview with Dr. Bryan Charleston, Director of the Pirbright Institute, he discusses how the Plowright Building has helped facilitate robust research to help prevent and control zoonotic diseases.
Transitions
Precedent-setting
HOW PIRBRIGHT IS
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
People at the Center
Composite Metal
panel surround
extension
In 2011, rinderpest was declared eradicated, in large part due to the work of Walter Plowright and colleagues, who developed the vaccine and provided expertise on the epidemiology behind the disease.
Exterior windows provide light to the labs and lab corridors. Curtain wall along the exterior and interior perimeter of the atrium floods the entire facility with light.
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Labs accommodate varying levels of risk while maintaining the containment barrier and visibility.
GLOBAL IMPACT
Global Impact
conventional
Global Impact
How Pirbright Made a Difference
You can’t put a price on natural light.
It just makes people feel happier. And people go inside containment and stay inside for the day. I know other facilities that are a box within a box design—and they do struggle a bit to get people to
stay inside.
def. an infectious disease of ruminants, especially cattle, caused by a paramyxovirus. It is characterized by fever, dysentery, and inflammation of the mucous membranes.
The eradication of rinderpest has prevented the illness and death of millions of livestock, preventing losses in the production of beef, milk and animal traction (use of animals to assist with farming and related tasks). This has increased food security, confidence in food production, and trade in livestock and their products (UK AID).
Virus at the center
Game changer
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The Pirbright Institute: A History of Breakthrough
Research, Training and Education
Yes, we regularly give tours – our range of visitors includes everyone from senior people of funding bodies to senior government agencies to the Royal Family.
Rinderpest
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We have pictures of Princess Anne who viewed the building in 2016. It is an amazing experience for visitors to walk into the atrium for the first time and hear about the functionality of the building. It is truly an impressive facility.
Also of note, the United Kingdom is currently cataloging all of their science infrastructure. In all that they are cataloging, we are unique. We’re the only one that has this capacity.
Dr. Bryan Charleston:
Dr. Bryan Charleston:
Warren Hendrickson:
conventional
Light
We’re in a position to help other countries follow their outbreaks and give them advice on control. With FMDV – for example – a sample comes into us and we’ll have it fully sequenced in 24 hours. That would be quite challenging if you didn’t have all of that capacity in high containment. That greater range of expertise being brought into the building is a key benefit.
Virus at the Center