The Plant and Animal Agrosecurity Research (PAAR) Facility is a highly secure biocontainment building. It is required by federal law for conducting research with organisms that cause diseases in animals classified at biosafety level 3 (BSL-3 and/or BSL-3 Ag). It is also needed for working with plant diseases that could cause undue economic hardship on agriculture if released into the environment.
PAAR will be the only facility in Ohio and one of only two nationally with capacity for both plant and animal research at the BSL-3 and BSL-3 Ag safety levels. Another three facilities nationwide have the BSL-3 Ag safety level designation for animal-related research only. The Ohio State University operates several BSL-3 labs on its Columbus campus, but PAAR will be the first BSL-3 facility on the Wooster campus and the university’s first BSL-3 Ag facility.