The Rutgers Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (RBL) on the campus of New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) in Newark, NJ is one of thirteen national facilities designated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for research on biosafety level 3 (BSL3) infectious agents. The RBL is a highly secure facility designed to provide an ultra-safe work environment for scientists and support staff, as well as the public at large. The RBL advances the national biomedical research agenda by addressing a basic understanding of pathogen biology and promoting the development of new vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics against existing and emerging infectious agents. Finally, the RBL is a specialized resource that can aid public health laboratories in the event of an infectious disease emergency.