JULY 24 2011 Page 15

to deal with deadly virus every day

Suit room: Johanna Dupswith enough of the virus tokill millions; air suits usedduring the strictest level ofbiosecurity; the lab’sairtight doors.

transmissible. To me, scientifically,the key question is: What is differentthis year?’’

Reaching the top secret heart ofthe building requires passingthrough a series of securitycheckpoints and airlock doors,tightly sealing sterile sections.

Such is the security, no item takenin can leave without sterilisation. Noperson can leave without a fullshower and scrub-down.

Filtered air circulates the corri-dors and a complex computer sys-tem monitors up to 4000 signals at

once, regulating every small detail.It is here the team nicknamed the

‘‘Bat Pack’’ dwell. The name isembraced by its members with signscomplete with bat symbols hung onlab doors.

Far from a bunch of cashed-upstars, the Bat Pack’s 35 scientistswork away quietly in their labs ontheir holy grail – a breakthroughHendra virus vaccine for horses.

In the spaceship-like ‘‘suit room’’,scientist Glenn Marsh examinessamples as former Brisbane re-searcher Johanna Dups handles the

virus. Field researchers have col-lected samples of the virus from baturine in Queensland, which is thenfrozen and airlifted to Geelong.

The scientists are not only work-ing on an equine vaccine, butdeveloping a crucial early warningsystem alerting horse owners toimpending outbreaks.

Meanwhile, work continues at theUniversity of Queensland’s Institutefor Bioengineering and Nanotech-nology, producing an experimentaldrug to slow down the disease inpeople exposed to the virus.

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