The laboratory was initiated in 1957 after a donation to the University of Bergen and is co-localizaed and integrated with the Department of Microbiology and Immunology (Clinical Institute 2). Internationally the unit is one of the leading groups on experimental, clinical and genetic studies of Sjögren's syndrome.

The core financial support comes from the Broegelmann Foundation. Other major funding agencies have been the EU (six contracts, five as coordinator), the Research Council of Norway ("miljøstøtte" and GLOBVAC), the Foundation Health and Rehabilitation, the Cancer Foundation and Bergen Forskningsstiftelse. Between 1962 and 2009, BRL has contributed to the finalization of greater than 60 PhD / doctoral and 14 Masters degrees. BRL has been the organizer of three international immunology meetings in Bergen 1997, 2001 and 2002. Since 1999 the unit is the main editorial office for the Scandinavian Journal of Immunology with Prof R. Jonsson as Editor-in-Chief.