Location: Zoonotic and Emerging Disease Research
Project Number: 3022-32000-027-046-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2026
End Date: Feb 29, 2028
Objective:
To incorporate feedback from ergonomic and user testing and to manufacture a test batch of positive pressure suits to for extended testing.
Approach:
ARS has been leading the interagency effort to address U.S. supply chain repercussions on critical biodefense research due to the discontinuation of the sole U.S. produced maximum containment fully encapsulated suit. Development of a new, ruggedized BSL-4 suit based on user input can protect researchers in maximum containment environments including ABSL-4 Ag. A new U.S. suit design will support sustainable procurement for all U.S. BSL-4 labs even during of times of emergencies where international supply chain is impacted. ARS had funded phase 1 and 2 of this this project via an interagency agreement with another agency to utilize the expertise and project management of the cooperator. Phase 1 focused on 1) identifying material options, evaluate options for BSL-4 suit design performers, ensure efficacy and a robust U.S. supply chain for materials and components 2) Establish suit design requirements, generate new suit conceptual designs and identify domestic manufacturers 3) update technical design packages and ensure completeness. Phase 2 which has just entered its performance period obectives include 1) selection of suit designer, production of full ensemble prototypes and conduct end-user touchpoints to gather feedback on prototypes. Phase 4 focused on prototype development and testing, garnering feedback from U.S. suit users, identification of a manufacturer and development of a sustainable manufacturing plan. This project will benefit other U.S. BSL-4 facilities and the U.S. Biodefense industry in general. In Phase 4: Feedback from previous user experiences and ergonomic testing will be reviewed and suit design modified to address feedback. A small batch of suits will be manufactured and distributed to select BSL4 laboratories. Feedback will be collected from all sites and compiled and shared with all test locations. Feedback will be used to modify the final suit design.