The New York Times, Oct. 28, 2008 UTMB's Dr. James LeDuc is quoted in this article about the Galveston National Laboratory, a structure not yet operational that did not sustain any damage from Hurricane Ike. While the article quotes some people who still question locating the facility on a barrier island, the article also states that the lab is located here because UTMB has some of the best virologists in the country. And LeDuc notes just how strong the lab is: "The entire island can wash away and this is still going to be here. With Hurricane Ike, we had no damage. The only evidence the hurricane occurred was water that was blown under one of the doors and a puddle in the lobby."