Biosafety panel backs E. coli lab permit
The Biosafety Committee voted to recommend a permit for a new E. coli lab at 200 Dexter Ave. The 5-0 roll call sends founder Zain Jafar to the Board of Health on Feb. 18. Jafar said the BSL-1 work involves no pathogens, no infectious agents and no select agents.
Biosafety Committee · Meeting of February 5, 2026
WATERTOWN — The Biosafety Committee voted to recommend a permit for a new E. coli lab at 200 Dexter Ave. The 5-0 roll call sends founder Zain Jafar to the Board of Health on Feb. 18. Jafar said the BSL-1 work involves no pathogens, no infectious agents and no select agents.
The committee also heard Parallel Biosystems' expansion into additional lab suites, which needed no Board of Health review. A third company agreed to treat human brain tissue as potentially infectious, using 40 percent bleach and incineration of waste. BioLabs' Adam said the building hosts 115 residents.
In the full story:
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- Watertown's community access TV: Biosafety Committee meeting, February 5, 2026
- The complete report: 830 words
Source: the Biosafety Committee meeting of February 5, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.
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