Examining the utility and readiness of mobile and field transportable laboratories for biodefence and global health security-related purposes

Abstract

Mobile and field transportable laboratories have long been used by military and defence, intergovernmental inspections, health, and environmental monitoring agencies. Among the purposes of deploying such laboratories are early warning, forward reconnaissance, on-site investigation, verification, and response. With the advent of technology that has enabled the use of diagnostic equipment in the field and extended transportation capabilities to rapidly deliver these assets and services, mobile and field units have served to further extend networks of existing, fixed laboratories. Case histories of example mobile and field transportable laboratories are compared and discussed including those used by the United States military, Finnish Defence Forces, United Nations, and several mobile and transportable diagnostics laboratories used in response to the 2014 outbreak of Ebola virus in West Africa. Given the often-remote locations to which these laboratories are deployed, they must incorporate a high degree of self-sufficiency, particularly with regard to utilities, and integral biosafety and biosecurity measures. Experienced scientists performing similar technical tasks in fixed laboratories can be employed to support and refine the mobile and field laboratory operations. Mobile and field transportable laboratories are usually national-level assets that require ongoing funding for maintenance, equipping, resupply, and training of personnel in order to maintain a readiness posture for their intended missions. We also examine the cost estimates and sustainment challenges of operating and maintaining these laboratories to provide recommendations and lessons learnt for their practical use and deployment.

Build a Sustainable Vaccines Industry with Synthetic Biology

“…Given the large number of doses that are possible from small volumes of product, final production could happen in a variety of locations if they comply with regulations: adapted university laboratories; laboratories at university teaching hospitals; and small company facilities at science parks and medical campuses. As cold chain operations are especially challenging in remote locations, it may even be possible to manufacture in mobile laboratories ( Figure I ), extending their capabilities of early warning, reconnaissance, on-site investigation, verification and response that already exist [ 52 ]. German company CureVac is developing a mobile production unit, the RNA Printer ( https://www.curevac.com/en/technology/production/ ) that will be deployable to hospitals, potentially even into mobile laboratories.…”

“…A similar facility could be designed for local vaccine transportation to the point of immunisation. Any attempt to use mobile laboratories or production plants in multiple locations during a pandemic would require manufacturing best practices, like those outlined in good manufacturing practice (GMP) , harmonised standard operating procedures and certification [ 52 ]. Training of staff in the correct use of a mobile biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory has in past been sponsored by the WHO ( https://www.afro.who.int/news/who-supports-mobile-bsl-3-lab-re-qualification-and-training-experts ).…”

Bus Based Mobile Virus Diagnostic Laboratory for COVID-19 Sample Collection and Testing in Remote Areas

“…Parsons A, et al [6] have discussed in detail, utility and readiness of mobile and field transportable laboratories for bio-defence and global health security-related purposes.…”

COVID-19 and Beyond: Safety and Design Considerations for the Development of a Mobile Biocontainment Laboratory

“…5,6 Several descriptions of mobile laboratories and reports on the experiences to operate these in the field were published previously. [7][8][9][10][11] Here, we provide design suggestions for a mobile biocontainment laboratory based on widely available standard-sized trucks that can function as a diagnostic facility during outbreaks or support research activities when diagnostic capacity is sufficient. Our proposed setup allows for almost unrestricted mobility of the laboratory even in difficult terrain and makes time-and resourceconsuming sample transport obsolete.…”