Why was Dr.Ian Sussman initially asked to shut down his research?
In the film Contagion, Dr. Ian Sussman played by Elliott Gould is asked by Dr. Ally Hextall (Jennifer Ehle) to stop his research, which he later defies and ends up developing the virus in a special kind of cell. Why is that?
Best Answer
As I recall it was because Sussman was not working in a secure enough lab.
Research such as this has levels of bio-containment
A biosafety level (BSL) is a set of biocontainment precautions required to isolate dangerous biological agents in an enclosed laboratory facility. The levels of containment range from the lowest biosafety level 1 (BSL-1) to the highest at level 4 (BSL-4). In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have specified these levels.
Dr. Ellis Cheever: From here on out I want no one working on this except the BSL-Four.
The CDC had declared that research in levels less than BSL-4 should be curtailed and Sussman's facility did not have that level assigned...it was BSL-3 (I believe).
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Who is Dr Sussman in Contagion?
Elliott Gould: Dr. Ian Sussman. Jump to: Photos (3)How true is the movie Contagion?
Our experts think it's a realistic story \u2014 so realistic that Rebecca Katz, director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University, says she often shows the film's ending to the students in her class on emerging infectious diseases.What is the pathogen in the movie Contagion?
Nipah virus inspired the film "Contagion." We're testing a vaccine. Nipah virus has pandemic and bioterrorism potential. A vaccine candidate is undergoing Phase 1 trial. In an interconnected world, viruses aren't limited by borders.What did Dr Cheever do in Contagion?
Ellis Cheever is responsible for protecting the U.S. public, though he's recently gotten in trouble for showing favoritism towards his own loved ones, and telling them to evacuate before the city of Chicago was officially quarantined.Contagion (2011) - Ending Scene | Infection scene | Gwyneth Paltrow | Matt Damon | Best Clips
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Answer 2
When the CDC realized how dangerous the pathogen was, Ellis Cheever—played by Laurence Fishburn—made the decision that only labs accredited at Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) could research the pathogen. Sussman’s lab was only accredited at BSL-3.
Apparently, those levels are real https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosafety_level
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