Texas A&M University scientists say they've developed a mobile diagnostic laboratory to test animals in the event of a disease outbreak.
The executive director of the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, Dr. Lelve Gayle, said a rapid, massive response by health officials is critical during a disease outbreak -- even if the patients are animals.
The lab -- housed in a trailer about the size of a recreational vehicle -- will enable the diagnostic laboratory to expand quickly its capability to respond to an animal disease outbreak such as avian flu or livestock diseases not presently in the United States, Gayle said.
The mobile lab can be ready to process blood and tissue samples for animal diseases within 24-48 hours. The samples are then sent to the main laboratory in College Station, Texas, for testing.
The trailer has biosafety level-three rating, which means it had to pass stringent standards to keep disease organisms from escaping into the environment.
If a disease is suspected, laboratory testing is required -- and Gayle's goal is to have the mobile laboratory ready to test samples within two hours, seven days a week.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
Related stories:
Smart alarm clock for mobile phones
Sleep disorders are very common in modern society. Mild forms are familiar to everyone and up to 10 – 20 per cent of adults suffer from related diseases (organic sleep disorders). Diagnosing sleep disorders often requires extensive and expensive sleep recording at a sleep laboratory. At the moment, there are hardly any good screening methods for detecting sleep disorders.
Scientists unveil draft sequence of corn genome
A team of scientists led by Washington University in St. Louis has begun to unlock the genetic secrets of corn, a crop vital to U.S. agriculture. The researchers have completed a working draft of the corn genome, an accomplishment that should accelerate efforts to develop better crop varieties to meet society's growing demands for food, livestock feed and fuel.
Nowhere to hide -- new ultra-powerful microscope probes atomic world
A unique electron microscope, the first of its kind in the world, was unveiled yesterday at the STFC Daresbury Laboratory in Warrington. It will enable scientists to study atoms within materials in a way that has never before been possible and will pave the way for pioneering research relating to every aspect of our lives, from research into liver disease, to the creation of the mobile phones and computers of the future. Sponsored by the EPSRC and led by the University of Liverpool, the SuperSTEM 2 has been created by a collaboration of leading scientists from the universities of Liverpool, Glasgow and Leeds and the Daresbury Laboratory.
New rapid Chlamydia test could enable 'test and treat' strategy
Wellcome Trust-funded researchers have successfully completed the clinical trial for a new rapid test for the sexually transmitted infection Chlamydia. The researchers believe the test, which is able to detect Chlamydia in less than 30 minutes – and often much faster – could be a valuable addition to screening programmes already in place, as well as providing a crucial diagnostic test in the developing world.
Cancer researchers add spice to research against rare neuromuscular disease
Scientists who focus on the molecular signaling that underlies prostate cancer have discovered a compound that shows promise against a debilitating neurodegenerative condition known as Kennedy's disease, which is caused by a mutant gene. Currently there is no treatment for the inherited disorder, which resembles a slowly progressive form of Lou Gehrig's disease and affects only men.
Fat kids linked to lack of sleep
Soaring levels of obesity might be linked to children sleeping fewer hours at night than they used to, claims Dr Shahrad Taheri of the University of Bristol.
Have Traits, Will Travel: Some Butterflies Travel Farther, Reproduce Faster
Researchers have uncovered physiological differences among female Glanville fritillary butterflies that allows some to move away from their birth place and establish new colonies. These venturesome butterflies are stronger fliers and reproduce more quickly compared to their less mobile female relatives.
'Coinage' of plankton -- viruses
Sea experiments show there's a constant shuffling of genetic endowments among tiny plankton, say Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers.