The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston has received US$5 million in federal funds to expand its biosafety-training programme and facility. The university's course has trained 1,200 infectious-disease researchers and others since it started in May 2005.

The new training centre, one of only a few in the United States, is slated for completion within two years. It will include a more comprehensive biosafety level-4 component as well as more extensive facilities, and will offer training for biosafety support staff and engineers as well as researchers. Trainees from outside the federal government are eligible to apply.