Scientists can move from room to room 
within the unit without showering, be- 
cause infectious material is never han- 
dled here. 
Units for Regulatory Work 
The seven units for regulatory activi- 
ties contain the same built-in safety fea- 
tures as those for research. In this 
part of the main laboratory, one group 
of scientists works to standardize and 
evaluate animal biologics; another group 
provides diagnostic services to support 
Federal animal disease control programs. 
For the first time, the Department of 
Agriculture is able to test a wide variety 
of veterinary biologics before or after 
they have left the production plant. 
These products, which are used to pre- 
vent or control disease, are gathered 
from many sources—warehouses, farms, 
or regular channels of trade. They are 
spot checked for safety, purity, and po- 
tency at the Ames laboratory. Related 
studies seek to improve methods for 
standardizing veterinary biologics. 
More than 100 different types of prod- 
ucts are marketed by about 65 US. 
firms licensed to produce biologics. 
Products are carefully tested before l- 
aim i. | 8 
: nay | al aS 
4 
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N—40806 
Loading materials in autoclave for decontamination. 
10 
censes are issued, and further tests are 
conducted during and after production. 
Although development of modified live- 
virus vaccines in the 1940’s and 1950’s 
created a need for more Federal checking 
of such products, this service was not 
previously available. 
A pilot plant for the production of 
veterinary biologics is built into the reg- 
ulatory area. As improved biological 
standards, tests, and production methods 
are developed, they are given trial runs 
in the pilot plant. Findings that prove 
practical will be adopted for use in com- 
mercial laboratories as well as in the 
National Animal Disease Laboratory. 
Several regulatory units provide diag- 
nostic services for Animal Disease Erad- 
ication Division programs. When con- 
trol workers discover evidence of disease, 
they send specimens to this laboratory. 
Diagnoses are routinely conducted for 
such diseases as tuberculosis, brucellosis, 
scrapie, and anthrax. Many of the live- 
stock diseases that occur in the United 
States require differential diagnosis be- 
cause they resemble dangerous foreign 
diseases. The staff also supphes bru- 
eellosis antigen and tests tuberculin 
for Federal programs. 
N—40803 
Transferring cultures in inoculation booth. 
