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    Labor Spiez (Spiez Laboratory)

    2. Where is it located (include both address and geographical location)?

    Labor Spiez, Bundesamt für Bevölkerungsschutz, Eidgenössisches Departement für Verteidigung, Bevölkerungsschutz und Sport, Austrasse, CH-3700 Spiez, Switzerland

    N 46° 41' 26.32", E 7° 38' 39.41"

    3. Floor area of laboratory areas by containment level
    BL 4 , 118.00 SqM
    Of note, the BSL4 unit is operational and holds a license as follows: “Development of methods to detect and analyze viral pathogens of risk group 4 (clinical samples, environmental samples, including samples suspect of bioterrorism origin) as well as evaluation of antiviral substances, neutralizing antibodies and decontamination solutions”.
    BL 3 , 126.00 SqM
    BL 2 , 483.00 SqM
    Total laboratory floor area (SqM): 
    727

    4. The organizational structure of each facility

    Personnel
    (i) Total number of personnel: 
    20

    (ii) Division of personnel

    Military: 
    0
    Civilian: 
    20

    (iii) Division of personnel by category

    Scientists: 
    12
    Engineers: 
    0
    Technicians: 
    8
    Administrative and support staff: 
    see below (iv)
    (iv) List the scientific disciplines represented in the scientific/engineering staff

    Virology, bacteriology, toxinology, biosafety and biosecurity.

    Of note, as of 1 January 2021 the total number of personnel at Spiez Laboratory amounts to 96, of which 18 in the Biology Division and 2 in the NBC Arms Control Staff Unit dealing with biological matters. Spiez Laboratory also employs a number of administrative and support personnel that cannot be attributed to a single division.

    (v) Are contractor staff working in the facility? If so, provide an approximate number.
    7
    Funding
    (vi) What is (are) the source(s) of funding for the work conducted in the facility, including indication if activity is wholly or partly financed by the Ministry of Defence?

    Swiss Confederation (Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports):

    CHF 5'000'000.-

    Research
    Development
    Test & Evaluation
    Analysis / Diagnosis
    Education & Training
    Other activities

    15 %
    10 %
    5 %
    15 %
    5 %
    50 % (costs for operation, maintenance and amortization)

    (vii) What are the funding levels for the following programme areas:

    Research: 
    15 %
    Development: 
    10 %
    Test and evaluation: 
    5 %
    (viii) Briefly describe the publication policy of the facility

    Publication in open literature.

    (ix) Provide a list of publicly-available papers and reports resulting from the work published during the previous 12 months. (To include authors, titles and full references)

    Tularemia in Children and Adolescents. 
    Imbimbo C, Karrer U, Wittwer M, Buettcher M.
    Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2020 Dec;39(12):e435-e438. doi: 10.1097/INF.0000000000002932.
    PMID: 33003104 No abstract available. 

    Author Correction: In vitro virucidal activity of Echinaforce®, an Echinacea purpurea preparation, against coronaviruses, including common cold coronavirus 229E and SARS-CoV-2. 
    Signer J, Jonsdottir HR, Albrich WC, Strasser M, Züst R, Ryter S, Ackermann-Gäumann R, Lenz N, Siegrist D, Suter A, Schoop R, Engler OB.
    Virol J. 2020 Nov 9;17(1):172. doi: 10.1186/s12985-020-01439-2.
    PMID: 33168000 Free PMC article. 

    Accuracy of serological testing for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies: First results of a large mixed-method evaluation study. 
    Brigger D, Horn MP, Pennington LF, Powell AE, Siegrist D, Weber B, Engler O, Piezzi V, Damonti L, Iseli P, Hauser C, Froehlich TK, Villiger PM, Bachmann MF, Leib SL, Bittel P, Fiedler M, Largiadèr CR, Marschall J, Stalder H, Kim PS, Jardetzky TS, Eggel A, Nagler M.
    Allergy. 2020 Sep 30:10.1111/all.14608. doi: 10.1111/all.14608. Online ahead of print.
    PMID: 32997812 Free PMC article. 

    In vitro virucidal activity of Echinaforce®, an Echinacea purpurea preparation, against coronaviruses, including common cold coronavirus 229E and SARS-CoV-2. 
    Signer J, Jonsdottir HR, Albrich WC, Strasser M, Züst R, Ryter S, Ackermann-Gäumann R, Lenz N, Siegrist D, Suter A, Schoop R, Engler OB.
    Virol J. 2020 Sep 9;17(1):136. doi: 10.1186/s12985-020-01401-2.
    PMID: 32907596 Free PMC article. 

    Associations of the intestinal microbiome with the complement system in neovascular age-related macular degeneration. 
    Zysset-Burri DC, Keller I, Berger LE, Largiadèr CR, Wittwer M, Wolf S, Zinkernagel MS.
    NPJ Genom Med. 2020 Sep 1;5:34. doi: 10.1038/s41525-020-00141-0. eCollection 2020.
    PMID: 32922859 Free PMC article. 

    Reduced maximal aerobic capacity after COVID-19 in young adult recruits, Switzerland, May 2020. 
    Crameri GAG, Bielecki M, Züst R, Buehrer TW, Stanga Z, Deuel JW.
    Euro Surveill. 2020 Sep;25(36):2001542. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.36.2001542.
    PMID: 32914744 Free PMC article. 

    Social distancing alters the clinical course of COVID-19 in young adults: A comparative cohort study. 
    Bielecki M, Züst R, Siegrist D, Meyerhofer D, Crameri GAG, Stanga ZG, Stettbacher A, Buehrer TW, Deuel JW.
    Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Jun 29:ciaa889. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciaa889. Online ahead of print.
    PMID: 32594121 Free PMC article. 

    Evaluation of Viral RNA Recovery Methods in Vectors by Metagenomic Sequencing. 
    Akello JO, Leib SL, Engler O, Beuret C.
    Viruses. 2020 May 19;12(5):562. doi: 10.3390/v12050562.
    PMID: 32438629 Free PMC article. 

    T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin (TIM) contributes to the infection of human airway epithelial cells by pseudotype viruses containing Hantaan virus glycoproteins. 
    Mayor J, Torriani G, Rothenberger S, Engler O.
    Virology. 2020 Apr;543:54-62. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2020.02.002. Epub 2020 Feb 9.
    PMID: 32056847 

    Antimicrobial resistance classification using MALDI-TOF-MS is not that easy: lessons from vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. 
    Brackmann M, Leib SL, Tonolla M, Schürch N, Wittwer M.
    Clin Microbiol Infect. 2020 Mar;26(3):391-393. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2019.10.027. Epub 2019 Nov 1.
    PMID: 31682986 No abstract available. 
     

    Notes
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    5. Briefly describe the biological defence work carried out at the facility, including type(s) of micro-organisms(9) and/or toxins studied, as well as outdoor studies of biological aerosols.

    Spiez Laboratory, which is part of the Federal Office for Civil Protection, is the Swiss Center of Expertise in NBC Protection. Its Biology Division has a range of activities including research, development, test & evaluation, training, as well as diagnosis in the fields of virology, bacteriology, toxinology and biosafety. The tasks include analysis of unknown samples, diagnostics and identification of potential biological warfare and bioterror agents, food and water analysis for the Swiss Armed Forces, and research & development in coordination with contractors. Spiez Laboratory deals with many different biological agents and toxins known to be pathogenic for humans.

    Spiez Laboratory is also a National Reference Center mandated by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health and a National Reference Laboratory mandated by the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office as follows:

    • National Reference Center for Anthrax
      • Bacillus anthracis (anthrax)
      • Francisella tularensis (tularemia)
      • Yersinia pestis (plague)
      • Brucella spp. (brucellosis)
      • Burkholderia pseudomallei (melioidosis)
      • other bacterial pathogens according to requirements of the national coordination committee of the Regional Laboratory Network
    • National Reference Center for Tick-Transmitted Diseases
      • Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBE)
      • Coxiella burnetii (Q fever)
      • Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. (Lyme disease)
      • Other rare / emerging tick-transmitted pathogens
    • National Reference Laboratory for Staphylococcus enterotoxins
      • Staphylococcus enterotoxin B
      • other Staphylococcus enterotoxins

    In addition, Spiez Laboratory supports the National Reference Center for Emerging Viral Infections responsible for the detection of emerging and reemerging viruses of all biosafety levels, especially hemorrhagic fever viruses and variola virus.

    Spiez Laboratory's Biology Division holds an accreditation by the Swiss Accreditation Service as "Testing laboratory for the detection of biological agents" (STS 0054) according to the international standard ISO/IEC 17025:2017.

    For additional information please visit:
    https://www.labor-spiez.ch/enindex.htm

    (9) Including viruses and prions.

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