Laboratory Response Network
The Laboratory Response Network (LRN) is a collaborative effort within the US federal government involving the
bioterrorist
attack or other bio-agent incident. The LRN was established in 1999.
Levels
The LRN consists of a loose network of government labs at three levels:[1]
Sentinel Laboratories
These laboratories, found in many hospitals and local public health facilities, have the ability to rule out specific bioterrorism threat agents, to handle specimens safely, and to forward specimens to higher-level labs within the network.
Reference Laboratories
These laboratories (more than 100), typically found at
BSL-3 practices and can often conduct nucleic acid amplification and molecular typing studies
.
National Laboratories
These laboratories, including those at CDC and
BSL-4 practices and serve as the final authority in the evaluation of potential bioterrorism specimens. They provide specialized reagents to lower level laboratories and have the ability to bank specimens, perform serotyping, and detect genetic recombinants and chimeras
.
References
- Washington, DC: The Borden Institute, pg 457.