BIOSAFETY LABORATORY CONSTRUCTION EXPERIENCE

**NOTE: Due to strict security protocols, pictures of these facilities do not exist.**

THE MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
BSL-3 Plus / AG

This project consists of the construction of a new BSL-3 Plus (to AG standards) facility. The facility is being built to handle “select agents” such as SARS, and certain influenza. The facility will also be capable of functioning as an animal research facility—dealing with mice, ferrets, etc. Because of the wide variety of research anticipated to be performed at this BSL, the facility is being built to NIH, DEC, CDC, and USDA standards, which require much higher levels of containment than regular BSL configurations.

Requirements for this facility include higher air changes and extensive HEPA filtration for all moving air within the area. No items may protrude through walls; all exposed surfaces will be caulked to prevent contamination, bubble tight dampers have been added for sealing room ducting; zero duct leakage testing is rigorously performed as is pressure decay testing. All installed security systems will be spec’ed to meet new and changing Homeland Security requirements. Most importantly, the BSL has the ability to thoroughly and properly decontaminate the entirety of the space during the changing over of users.

THE MOUNT SINAI MEDICAL CENTER
GMP Facility & Gene Therapy Laboratory

This GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) facility was constructed specifically to be the Central Laboratory and Manufacturing facility for The Mount Sinai Medical Center’s new Gene Therapy Laboratory. This facility is for all intents and purposes a BSL-3 level lab, making it one of ONLY FOUR such laboratories on the East Coast. Morgan’s efforts towards this end have included:

A. Pre-Construction
B. Construction
C. Start-up, Commissioning and Turn-Over

The pre-construction process involved researching and applying numerous rules, regulations and recommendations from the various regulatory agencies within whose purview the facility falls. Working closely with the design team, the project proceeded into the Construction Phase wherein the facility was built. The walls were four layers deep, the ceiling has two separate chambers, the air balancing accounted for 4 levels of containment, even the electrical conduit was sealed at both ends. After the Construction Phase this facility underwent a lengthy Start-Up Phase in order to put it safely online. After the Start-Up Phase the facility was Commissioned and documented and thereafter turned over to the Owner’s Facilities Management personnel.

WEILL MEDICAL COLLEGE OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY
GMP Facility & Gene Therapy Lab Commissioning

MCE provided start-up, commissioning and turn-over services for this facility. Designed and constructed by others, this project was turned-over to our custody one full year after the official completion of its Construction Phase. Over a three-month period our personnel completed its outstanding punchlist items, started all of the equipment, performed a modified commissioning process and got the facility online, signed-off and accepted for operation by all of the applicable regulatory bodies.