P3 Brucellosis Laboratory

This Brucellosis laboratory provides scientific and technical support to research groups in the study of the epidemiology, diagnosis and prophylaxis of bacterial zoonoses, with an important specialization in swine brucellosis and salmonellosis.

Among other activities, it focuses its research on the development of new generation vaccines and associated diagnostic tests to solve problems of diagnostic interference, as well as on the study of epidemiological relationships between wildlife and domestic livestock. It is a biosafety level 3 laboratory, according to the classification established in Royal Decree 664/1997, and therefore qualified for handling infectious agents that require this level of containment.

It has the following work areas:

Serology laboratory: performance of serological tests.

• Dry block heating systems: QBD2. Grant Instruments™
• ELISA plate reader: Multiskan RC 351. Labsystem
• Nunc-ImmunoTM Wash (12 channels)
• Horizontal electrophoresis cuvette: Atom
• Culture oven: Heraeus
• Vacuum pump: Millipore
• Other equipment: Plate and tube shakers, thermostatted magnetoagitators, refrigerated centrifuges, refrigerators, standard laboratory equipment.

Laboratory for processing biological samples under P3 (negative pressure) conditions: preparation of buffers, gels and culture media, and cleaning and disinfection of the material used.

• WLD Tec burner
• Automata media preparer and autoclave AES 8. APS
• Sterile Acces System (SAS) E19690. Matachana
• Formalin/Ammonia Disinfector: Gteck
• Thermodisinfector: Mielabor G7783. Miele Professional
• Other equipment: Stirrers, water bath, refrigerated centrifuge, precision balances, pH meter, standard laboratory equipment.

Microbiological culture laboratory under P3 (negative pressure) conditions: handling and cultivation of microorganisms, inoculum preparation and processing of animal samples.

This laboratory is authorized for the handling of genetically modified organisms for confined use with level 3 (facilities and activity).

• Two BIO-II-A TELSTAR® biological safety cabinets.
• Three ovens: New Brunswick CO2 incubator, FormaTM water-jacketed CO2 incubator. Thermo ScientificTM, CO2 culture oven. Thermo-Heracell®. Thermo ScientificTM
• Bio QuestTM UV/VIS spectrophotometer
• 70 L Autoclave: Selecta
• Microscopy:
  • 208955 Labophot optical microscope. Nikon, with PFX module for taking photographs.
  • TMS inverted microscope. Nikon
  • Binocular magnifier and colony counting magnifier.
• Other equipment: homogenizers, freezers, thermosealing machine and standard laboratory equipment.

P3 (negative pressure) antigen collection laboratory: production and extraction of bacterial antigens.

• Telstar® BioIIB® biological safety cabinet
• High-speed refrigerated centrifuge (24,000 rpm): Centrikon T124. Kontrom Instruments
• High-speed ultracentrifuge: Centrikon T-2060. Kontrom Instruments
• Orbital incubator: New Brunswick™ Innova® 43/43R.
• Gas extraction cabinet
• Tangential filter: Pellicon Cassete System with 7518-60 pump. Millipore
• Vertical autoclave with drying: AE-75 Dry. Raypa
• Freeze dryer: Telstar® Lyoalfa6.
• Ultrasonic homogenizer: Labsonic® M. Sartorius
• -80ºC freezer
• Other standard laboratory equipment

This laboratory is part of a functional unit together with the registered animal house of the Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria ES502970012005 (link to animal house file) for virulence studies and protection studies against infection by different virulent strains of Brucella.