Food Safety & Security at Kansas State University

Biosecurity Research Institute

Facility and Capabilities

The Biosecurity Research Institute, currently under construction on the KSU campus, is a comprehensive biosecurity level 3 facility that will provide K-State scientists a secure location in which to study pathogens that threaten humans, livestock and crops, and to develop intervention strategies to minimize impacts on the nation's food supply and economy.

"Construction of the Biosecurity Research Institute marks another chapter in K-State's long history of dealing with endemic threats to our food supply. K-State offers numerous programs in pre- and post-harvest food safety and we have more than 130 faculty scientists working on research with relevance to this issue. This facility will allow us to heighten and expand our efforts."
Jon Wefald, K-State President

Work at the Biosecurity Research Institute will include the following:

• Infectious diseases, especially diseases that affect or could threaten the state's livestock industry
• Research on pathogens that harm the state's food crops
• Exploring food and meat processing methods to bring safer foods and meats to consumers
• General research on mechanisms animals use to ward off infectious diseases
• Education and training capabilities in both agricultural and human health fields on containing a disease outbreak, either from an unintentional source or from a terrorist

Research Suites