As the coronavirus pandemic began to spread through China, scientists at BU’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, who conduct research in BSL-3 and BSL-4 level laboratories, began organizing themselves in collaboration with local and national colleagues to pivot all of their research (which normally includes Ebola, Marburg, and other highly lethal viruses) to focus entirely on researching the novel coronavirus: discovering its mechanisms of infection, finding new drugs, and developing new vaccines. As the first wave of cases began reaching the United States, researchers were already preparing their labs to begin working with live copies of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Since March 2020, the the lab's scientists have been wholly and completely dedicated to coronavirus research, sidelining all other projects in an all-out effort to stop the pandemic, and discover life-saving therapies. These five articles tell their stories, documenting their passion and perseverance in taking on the novel coronavirus inside the highest-level containment laboratories.
From the Judges
We appreciated how well this series on Boston University’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories tackled complex scientific concepts, and explained them—quickly, and in accessible ways. These collected articles are an example of how colleges and universities can cover breaking news in ways that advance their own missions, and also the greater good.
