Wisconsin's new state-of-the-art Veterinary Diagnostic Lab is about twice the size of the current facility.
The lab's Interim Director, Peter Vanderloo, says the new building near the UW School of Veterinary Medicine, will provide staff with a safer place to work.
Their workload includes researching diseases such as chronic wasting, mad cow and the West Nile Virus. The lab features a level three bio-safety lab for surveillance of samples like avian flu.
It also has a tissue digester, which is a relatively rare device, but important for disposing the bodies of contaminated animals.
"One of Wisconsin's major industries is agriculture. We support animal agriculture to a great degree. That's a lot of our mission in this organization and this provides us the opportunity to continue that support," Vanderloo says.
Vanderloo says the lab will share some of its facilities, such as the necropsy room, where pathologists perform exams on deceased animals with the UW School of Veterinary Medicine.
He expects the lab's staff of about 70 people to move in, in early November.
