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Research & Specialist Services Division

The Research & Specialist Services Division provides research and consultancy services and some specialist diagnostic testing.  It also provides animal services needed to support VLA's research.

The Division is organised into departments, based on disciplines, although the research is delivered via projects in the science programmes.  

The Division is led by Chris Thorns, the Science Director.

Department Role of the Department
Bacteriology

Supports the eradication of notifiable endemic bacterial diseases and the prevention of exotic notifiable bacterial diseases in the UK.

Also provides research, surveillance and consultancy on microbiology and toxicology related to food and the environment.

For further information, see our web pages on food safety and bacteriology.
Pathology & Host Susceptibility Provides an integrated pathology service and diagnostic and consultancy support for the science programmes.
Specialist Scientific Services

Provides specialist scientific services, to VLA, Defra and a growing portfolio of commercial customers.

  • Provides a central point for animal services through VLA.
  • Make reagents, biological products and media, and have expertise in GMP.
  • Responsible for the VLA Biological Archive.
  • Provides a test trouble shooting service and undertake research development and validation projects.
  • Offers expertise in test development and validation especially for rapid, molecular, multiplex and array based technologies.
  • Offers high quality sequencing including a routine service and deep sequencing and have expertise in proteomics and bio-imaging.

For further information, see our web page on using animals in research and the VLA Scientific website.

Virology

Provides research, surveillance, laboratory services and consultancy on animal viral diseases.

For further information, see our web pages on virology.