Scotland’s animal disease surveillance capacity took a leap forward yesterday with the opening of a new £1.6 million centre on the outskirts of Edinburgh.
The facility promises faster, more reliable and more efficient diagnosis of livestock animal diseases for the whole of Scotland through the use of new technology, robotics and human expertise.
Speaking at the opening, Scotland’s chief vet Sheila Voas said the lab had been a long time coming but its launch was important.
She added: “With Brexit looming, it is more important than ever that high health and welfare can be demonstrated in order to facilitate trade.”
The lab was opened by Minister for Rural Affairs Mairi Gougeon who said it would help to protect and develop the livestock sector and its contribution to the rural economy.
Based at the Moredun Research Institute (MRI) campus on the Pentlands Science Park, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) lab creates a closer working relationship between two of the Scottish agricultural research giants which aim to advance livestock health, welfare production, disease surveillance, and resilience through joint research.
It also brings together SRUC’s diagnostic and analytical teams from around the Midlothian area – as well as Perthshire and the Borders – into a single centre for the first time.
It is expected the lab will analyse more than a million samples a year and scientists say faster disease diagnosis should improve response times to potential outbreaks, which will safeguard animal and human health and protect the food chain.
SRUC chief executive Wayne Powell described animal health as a cornerstone of a thriving rural economy.
He added: “The new SRUC veterinary and analytical laboratory offers a step change in disease surveillance for the whole of the country. Working with the excellent team at the Moredun Institute, this centre of excellence offers us new opportunities for research and collaboration.
“Partnerships like ours are the future of rural technology research for Scotland.”
