MANHATTAN, KAS. — Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on May 27 broke ground to officially begin construction of the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility (N.B.A.F.) main laboratory structure in Manhattan.

“The N.B.A.F. laboratory will provide the nation with cutting edge, state-of-the-art, lab capabilities and help protect our food supply and the nation’s public health,” Mr. Johnson said. “N.B.A.F. addresses a serious vulnerability. The economic impact of a bio agricultural threat — deliberate or natural — could have a substantial effect on the food supply of this nation and have serious human health consequences. We will soon be able to ensure availability of vaccines and other rapid response capabilities to curb an outbreak. With the N.B.A.F., our nation will have the first Bio Level 4 lab facility of its kind — a state-of-the-art bio-containment facility for the study of foreign animal and emerging diseases.”

The N.B.A.F. is expected to be completed and fully operational in 2022. The $1.25 billion facility will feature a 570,000-square-foot biocontainment facility for the study of foreign animal and emerging zoonotic (transmitted from animals to humans) diseases that threaten animal agriculture and public health in the United States.

“This innovative new facility is capable of producing the research needed to protect our nation’s farmers, food supply, public health and the rural economy,” Mr. Vilsack said. “It has been a national priority for U.S.D.A., D.H.S., and our other partners as we work to replace aging facilities.”

In addition to Mr. Johnson and Mr. Vilsack, other individuals on hand for the groundbreaking were DHS Undersecretary for Science and Technology Reginald Brothers, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, Senators Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran of Kansas, Representatives Tim Huelskamp, Kevin Yoder and Lynn Jenkins of Kansas, Mayor of Manhattan Karen McCulloh, and Kirk Schulz, president of Kansas State University.

The N.B.A.F. will replace the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) in New York, providing capabilities that exceed those of PIADC. Specifically, the N.B.A.F. will feature a maximum biocontainment (ABSL-4) laboratory space. The first laboratory facility in the United States of its kind, the facility will allow researchers to study zoonotic diseases that affect livestock and other large animals.