On Dec. 10, 2017, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL), which is part of the Veterinary Services (VS) Science, Technology & Analysis Services business unit within the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, underwent a reorganization of three of the current laboratory units in Ames, Iowa: the Diagnostic Bacteriology Laboratory, the Pathobiology Laboratory and the Diagnostic Virology Laboratory.

According to a Dec. 29 update, in 2015, NVSL began to look at how it was organized and where efficiencies could be gained to meet future internal needs and the needs of NVSL's stakeholders. The structure of every NVSL-Ames unit was reviewed, specifically looking for opportunities to place similar functions in the same laboratories while also creating a more even distribution of work and personnel across the laboratory units. VS said the reorganization places existing laboratory sections into two new laboratories: the Diagnostic Bacteriology & Pathology Laboratory and the Diagnostic Bioanalytical & Reagent Laboratory (DBRL). The Diagnostic Virology Laboratory retains three testing sections, with a reagents unit moving to DBRL.

Dr. Suelee Robbe-Austerman, formerly the mycobacteria-brucella section head, has been selected as director of the new Diagnostic Bacteriology & Pathology Laboratory, and Dr. Gleeson Murphy, formerly with the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, has been selected as director of DBRL. Dr. Sabrina Swenson will remain director of the Diagnostic Virology Laboratory.

VS noted that some phone numbers have changed; the new organizational structure and corresponding contact numbers may be found at: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/lab_info_services/downloads/OrgChartNVSL_current.pdf.