FRANKFORT, Ky. - Kentucky plans to compete to land a $50 million bioterrorism research laboratory, one of about 10 the federal government plans to put into operation, state officials said Tuesday.

        The University of Kentucky would be the site. UK President Lee Todd is to accompany Gov. Paul Patton next week to Washington, D.C., for a meeting with President Bush's science and technology adviser.

        Kevin Goldsmith, who staffs Kentucky's lobbying office in Washington, said a possible bioterrorism research lab is among a number of subjects to be raised in the meeting. The University of Louisville's acting president, James Ramsey, also is to take part, Mr. Goldsmith said.

        The federal government plans to announce 10 lab sites, funded through the National Institutes of Health.

        Mr. Goldsmith said University of Kentucky officials believe the institution is uniquely qualified to conduct bioterrorism research because of its pharmacy and agriculture colleges and the thinking by many that biological agents could be spread through livestock.

        For that same reason, the state Department of Public Health is trying to get federal funding to expand and upgrade two animal laboratories — one in Lexington, one in Hopkinsville — to be able to confirm suspected biologic agents.

        Kentucky is trying to compete for more federal research money in general, and part of the plan is to make the presidents of its two largest universities more visible in the nation's capital.

        Another part of the plan is to use a Republican consulting firm with connections to the Bush administration. The firm - Barbour Griffith & Rogers - is headed by Haley Barbour, former chairman of the Republican National Committee and a major fund raiser for Republicans in the U.S. Senate.

        News of the state's plan to compete came from Mr. Patton's general counsel, Denis Fleming, during a legislative committee's review of the Barbour firm's $256,000-a-year contract.

        In a subsequent interview, Mr. Goldsmith said the Patton administration discuss strategy with U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell.

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