$500,000 State Grant to Upgrade Hofstra Biology Labs

New York State Assemblymember Charles Lavine presented Hofstra University’s Department of Biology with a check for $500,000 on September 9 to support laboratory upgrades in Gittleson Hall.

According to Dr. Jessica Ward, chair of the Biology Department, the funding will help the department renovate laboratories that currently operate at biosafety level 1 (BSL1) so they can meet biosafety level 2 (BSL2) standards. Those improvements will allow students and faculty to work safely with a broader range of microorganisms, cell cultures and research tools, expanding opportunities in microbiology, biotechnology, cancer research and other health-related fields.

“We are so grateful to Assemblymember Lavine for supporting scientific research at Hofstra University. By upgrading the infrastructure in our biology laboratories, this investment provides the opportunity for faculty to expand their research in biology, and for undergraduate and graduate students to participate in that research,” said Hofstra President Susan Poser. “The value of these opportunities will reverberate out to New York’s economy as Hofstra students step into careers in science, medicine, and other healthcare professions.”

“The importance of higher education, particularly the life sciences, has never been greater. It’s with that in mind that it gives me great ‘pride’ to have secured this grant for Hofstra University to upgrade the lab ventilation systems in Gittelson Hall,” said Assemblymember Lavine. “We are so fortunate to have one of the leading institutions of higher learning right here in our own backyard and for it to be led by such an innovative leader in Dr. Poser.” 

During his visit, Lavine met with President Poser, Dr. Ward, and Biology Professors Michael Dores, Matthew Fisher, Javier Izquierdo, Alex Little, and Brittany Miller. Hofstra premed student Ryan Murphy ’27 and graduate student Melodie Duran also talked to Lavine about how the upgrades will benefit students preparing for careers in medicine, nursing, and physician assistant studies.

Dr. Miller serves as chair of Hofstra’s Environmental Health and Safety Committee and helps coordinate health and safety on this campus. “BSL2 laboratories will provide additional safeguards for working with organisms and cell cultures that require greater containment than materials used in BSL1 spaces,” she said. The planned renovations include improvements to the laboratories’ air-handling systems, including negative air pressure designed to prevent laboratory air from circulating into adjoining spaces.

Hofstra students are already trained to conduct their studies and research as if the facilities were already operating at BSL2. They learn the proper use of protective equipment, biosafety cabinets and pipetting techniques that minimize airborne particles.

“We teach students to use those techniques, because that allows us to have students who are trained to work at an advanced level,” said Dr. Izquierdo. “With the upgrades, it’s going to be great to teach students how to work directly with a greater variety of organisms and biological materials.”