Containment
Until we have permission to release a new biocontrol agent, we have to keep it securely contained. To do that, we have special facilities designed to prevent escape− like a maximum security prison for bugs.
Our invertebrate containment facility at Lincoln has special climate controlled rooms where insects can be reared and studied. Only authorised staff are allowed inside. Different insects are kept separate from one another, and researchers wear protective clothing to avoid transmitting any pathogens between insects or out of the building. Even the rubbish and waste water is treated to kill any insects or pathogens it might contain. The facility and our procedures are regularly inspected by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) to ensure they meet the regulatory standards. The facility also has climate controlled rooms outside the containment section where biocontrol agents approved for release can be mass reared.
A pathogen containment facility is currently being built in Auckland, the first of its kind in New Zealand.