Safeguarding public and animal health

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Interlab

Interlab was established in 2006 as the vehicle through which key public sector research establishments (PSRE) could develop and enhance the nation's capability in emergency response and disease control through sharing knowledge. Interlab has grown to include seven PSREs from five government departments:

• Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (Dstl)
• The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera)
• Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (CEFAS)
• Health & Safety Laboratory (HSL)
• Health Protection Agency (HPA)
• Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA)
• Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB)

Aims and Objectives

Through Interlab the laboratories aim to:

• Share best practice, facilities and expertise and so improve value for money
• Champion joint working and interchange
• Actively seek efficiencies in supporting functions, such as procurement, specialist career development and facilities management
• Provide mutual support in times of crisis for emergency response and business continuity.

Activities

The activities pursued through Interlab include, but are not limited to:

Identifying opportunities for aligning strategies, such as:

• Emergency response modes
• Scientific and technical strategies
• Infrastructure and facility development and sharing
• Joint working and/ or sharing of data

Sharing information and experience in areas such as:

• People and capability development, technical career structures & succession planning
• Relationships with, and funding of, universities and other research organisations
• Operations management
• Commercial exploitation

Support in the event of a disaster at any one of the laboratories with respect to facilities, equipment and staff.

Examples of high profile collaborative projects

• The 2009 Swine flu pandemic
  HPA led the UK response to the pandemic supported on the veterinary side by VLA. Emergency response support was provided by Cefas and Dstl.
  Read the full account of the swine flu pandemic (pdf 12kb).

• Highly pathogenic avian flu outbreak in a Suffolk turkey farm in February 2007
  VLA led on the emergency response with back-up investigation and high containment facilities provided by Fera and the HPA.

• Exposure/contamination of polonium 210 following the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in November 2006
  HPA led on the health implications of the poisoning, with an emergency testing capacity provided by Cefas and VLA.

• The Buncefield fire in 2005
  HPA and HSL provided large scale sampling of air quality, which confirmed minimal risk to public health and surrounding communities and Dstl provided gas modelling.

For further information on the Interlab, please contact Library Enquiries.