Pfiesteria Lab a Go at NC State
Plans are moving along quickly to build a pfiesteria study lab at North Carolina State University. Researchers have been pressuring administrators to build the high-tech lab for months. The University has come up with big ways to study the toxic organism.
The University has agreed to build a 5,000 square foot lab for researcher JoAnn Burkholder. Right now, Burkholder's labs are scattered across campus. According to the University, the new lab will likely be located at Centennial Campus.
WRAL is told high estimates for the lab are about $200 a square foot. That would put the price tag at one million dollars. Friday morning, NC State's Vice Chancellor for research said "we will find space for it."
Pfiesteria has been linked to fish kills in the Neuse River and other fish kills in North Carolina and neighboring states. With a new research lab, scientists may be able to find out how to put the brakes on the fish-killer.
University leaders and scientists will meet in the next few weeks to finalize plans for the lab, including who's going to pay for it and where to build it.
