Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a BCG based therapeutic agent using a BCG strain that overexpresses the STING agonist, c-di-AMP. This BCG strain, called BCG-disA-OE, enhances the elevated trained immunity of macrophages and promotes early anti-viral Type I interferon responses in a subject, providing protection against viral infections such as primary respiratory infections and SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Abstract: A biological safety system includes a life-support cell, a supply system fluidly connected to the life-support cell, and an exhaust system fluidly connected to the life-support cell. The life-support cell is structured to contain a laboratory animal infected with microorganism of a type that requires bio-safety level 3 (BSL-3) isolation, is transparent to at least one form of radiation to permit observation of the laboratory animal while in use, and the biological safety system contains the microorganism that infect the laboratory animal within the life-support cell while permitting the observations of the laboratory animal from a bio-safety level 2 (BSL-2) environment without the microorganism escaping from the life-support cell.