Leprosy and tuberculosis have plagued the human condition for thousands of years. Caused by bacterial pathogens, these diseases have stayed in the public health arena as major issues, particularly for developing countries. Every year nearly 9 million new cases of tuberculosis arise and over 250,000 cases of leprosy are documented. Beyond the human health aspect, other bacterial pathogens in the same species cause severe disease in livestock and resulted in significant economic losses in the United States.

The Mycobacterial Research Laboratories of Colorado State University have earned international recognition for their advancement in drug discovery, diagnostics, vaccine development, physiology of the pathogen, and elucidation of the pathogenesis of tuberculosis, leprosy and other mycobacterial diseases. It is one of only a few centers in the world where the efficacy of anti-mycobacterial drugs and vaccines can be tested by exposing experimental animals to pathogenic mycobacteria, including multiple drug resistant tuberculosis.