Manhattan lab secures agriculture for the future

The center of the country may seem an odd choice for the bio- and agro-defense lab, but it anchors the so-called Animal Health Corridor between Manhattan and Columbia, Mo.

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May 24, 2023 - 3:36 PM

The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility construction site in February. HARVEST PUBLIC MEDIA/BRIAN GRIMMETT/KCUR.ORG

The official dedication and ribbon cutting for the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan on Thursday is very welcome news. It also makes me feel old since the process to get here has taken nearly the entirety of my adult life.

Also known as NBAF, the facility is a state-of-the-art lab that will research animal diseases that can also infect humans and develop vaccines and anti-virals for some very nasty bugs. The facility is the replacement of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center off the coast of New York, which is more than six decades old. NBAF will investigate…

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