The Galveston National Laboratory provides research space and instrumentation to safely develop therapies, vaccines and diagnostic tests for naturally occurring emerging diseases. “We have several main thrusts — it’s all about bringing the academic community into the response for both national security, in terms of biodefense, as well as emerging infectious diseases,” explained James LeDuc. “Through that, we strive to really harness the research capabilities of the academic community to really understand how these unique diseases cause illness in humans.”