BU biolab delayed again

Residents sued in state and federal courts, arguing that a densely populated neighborhood is no place for a lab that specializes in deadly viruses and bacteria. While allowing construction on the project to continue -- and, eventually, be completed -- judges ordered further safety reviews, declaring earlier analyses inadequate.

Dr. Amy Patterson, acting director of the NIH Office of Science Policy, said in an interview today that the latest safety review will analyze the consequences of an accidental or malicious release of any of 13 infectious agents. Those germs were recommended for evaluation by a blue ribbon panel that the NIH director established to provide guidance.

"What we're looking at is a process that is longer than I think previous risk assessments have taken," Patterson said. "But it's an effort to make sure that we don't leave any stone unturned. We want to get this right, so it's going to take longer."

The saga of the lab, which BU leaders viewed as a coup that would catapult them into the top ranks of medical research institutions, has unfolded for more than six years. Its single most enduring opponent, community organizer Klare Allen, said she believed that this time, there is hope that with this review, the NIH is "finally doing it right."

"Let's hope so, anyway," said Allen, of the advocacy group Safety Net. "After nearly seven years of begging, pleading, they are finally realizing we are not going away."

BU spokeswoman Ellen Berlin said that training for scientists in the building, which also includes lower-security labs, will begin this spring, although no germs will be used. The university, she said, welcomes the further safety scrutiny.

"This is an important process," Berlin said, "and the time is necessary to ensure that it is done appropriately."