Plans are now underway for the construction of a new bat research facility that will go up on the Foothills campus of Colorado State University.
The school is internationally known for its Center for Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, which was founded in 1984 and houses a captive breeding colony of bats for research purposes.
In the fall of 2021 the National Institutes of Health awarded the school just under $7 million for the further study of bats. At the time of the NIF award, a press release from CSU noted that “sometimes animals carry pathogens that cause diseases that harm humans, also known as zoonotic diseases.”
The press release continued: “Bats can harbor corona viruses, so proper care and study of bats and pathogens is critical to protect global public health.”
Work on the new 14,000 square foot facility could begin sometime this summer and will go up on the south side of the campus, adjacent to the existing main Center for Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases.
A rough completion date is anticipated for the fall of 2024.
By Garry Boulard
