National Reference Laboratory for Marine Biotoxin Monitoring

1. NRL experts

• NRL coordinator

  Dr. Serafim Vlad, PhD in medical sciences, veterinary medicine specialty, post-university studies in veterinary laboratory diagnosis
  tel. 0374.322.029
  e–mail: serafim.vlad@idah.ro

• NRL deputy coordinator

  Dr. Costea Mihaela, PhD in medical sciences, veterinary medicine speciality; master in public administration

• Team working

  Dr. Popescu Alina, PhD candidate; post-university studies in veterinary laboratory diagnosis
  Ch. Nica Daniela, PhD in biology

2. Correspondent Community Reference Laboratory

• Community Reference Laboratory for Marine Biotoxins, María Luisa Rodríguez Velasco, CRLMB, AESAN, Estación Marítima s/n 36200 Vigo, Spain

3. Specific atributions

• The specialists working in this NRL have the responsibility for drawing up the handbook „Diagnosis Manual for Marine Biotoxins”.
• They also perform the changes and/or supplements for „Diagnosis Manual for Marine Biotoxins” in accordance with new provisions of Community law and new recommendations of the World Animal Health Organization, established in „Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals” and „Aquatic Animal Health Code”.
• NRL experts approve the results of validity studies proving the reliability of methods/assays used in Romania for marine biotoxin monitoring.
• The experts coordinate pre-taking and drawing up the standards and methods of marine biotoxin monitoring in Romania.
• They carry out researches activities, assimilate and draw up the new analytical methods for laboratory monitoring of marine biotoxins.
• They participate together with the others national reference laboratories for marine biotoxin monitoring from Member States, to the international inter-comparison and proficiency tests organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Marine Biotoxins.
• They participate to the quality assurance activities and method standardization for marine biotoxin monitoring, organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Marine Biotoxins.
• The NRL specialists collaborate with Community Reference Laboratory for Marine Biotoxins and benefit from training organized by this and supplying diagnostic standards, methods or reagents for marine biotoxin monitoring.
• The NRL experts collaborate with national reference laboratories for marine biotoxin monitoring from the others Member States and other international accredited organizations in the field, in order to improve the surveillance and diagnostic capacity of marine biotoxin monitoring.
• In accordance with provisions of Diagnosis Manual, they carry out the laboratory tests/assays for marine biotoxin monitoring.
• The NRL experts supply the diagnosis expertise for marine biotoxin monitoring in case of positive, suspect and inconclusive results obtained by the sanitary veterinary and food safety county laboratories, and of Bucharest, respectively.
• The NRL experts supply the diagnosis expertise for marine biotoxin monitoring in case of dispute settlement.
• The NRL experts check and certify the diagnosis value of all diagnosis reagent batches and diagnosis sets or kits for marine biotoxin monitoring and designate their use by state sanitary veterinary laboratories from Romania.
• In preparation for yielding certain diagnosis reagents for marine biotoxin monitoring, supplying them for all authorised sanitary veterinary and food safety laboratories.
• They coordinate the drawing up of diagnosis standards and methods for marine biotoxin monitoring used by all authorized sanitary veterinary and food safety laboratories.
• The NRL experts perform the annual inter-laboratory comparative tests for checking the diagnostic capability for marine biotoxin monitoring for all authorized sanitary veterinary and food safety county laboratories from county sanitary veterinary and food safety directorates.
• NRL also organize training and continuous training activities, in order to teach the specialists working in the authorized sanitary veterinary and food safety laboratories, on carrying out laboratory monitoring for marine biotoxin.
• The NRL experts carry out specific activities for identification and characterization the marine biotoxins produced by aquaculture animals in case of specific illness outbreaks.
• They characterize the marine biotoxins produced by aquaculture animals in case of specific illness outbreaks.
• They preserve, under maximum safety conditions, counter-samples in case of occurring specific illness outbreaks produced by marine biotoxins.
• The experts from NRL participate to the authorization of sanitary veterinary and food safety laboratories; they write down the checking files and assessment report and verify the achievement of quality insurance system conditions.
• Periodically, they communicate to the European Commission the list of authorized and accredited institutions or sanitary veterinary and food safety laboratories, having specific competences for monitoring marine biotoxin and also to notify any changes of the list.
• The NRL experts communicate, with the agreement of National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority; the information requested by European Commission, Community Reference Laboratory for Marine Biotoxins, World Animal Health Organization and national reference laboratories for monitoring marine biotoxin from other Member States and other international accredited organizations and institutions in the field.
• The NRL experts provide, to National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority and to sanitary veterinary and food safety county directorates, and of Bucharest, respectively, the official information on monitoring for marine biotoxin with the aim of establishing the national strategies and policies on monitoring for marine biotoxin.
• As a second or third part, they carry out advising activities, they grant technical advice and also they perform audit activities for institutions and organizations in aquaculture farm system or for those enterprises of which activities involve products or by-products derived from animals.
• Sometimes, the experts from NRL participate to inspection and control actions directed to monitoring for marine biotoxin, organized by National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority.
• In accordance with legislation in force, NRL promotes and implements the Good Laboratory Practice principles (GLP), to be used for applied research studies.
• They also participate to the drawing up, coordination, monitoring and carrying out some actions stipulated by “Programme for surveillance, prevention and control of animal diseases, those transmitted from animals to humans, animal and environmental protection”, yearly approved by National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority President’s order.
• They participate to the establishing of maximum number of samples which are to be sampled for laboratory exams, regarding monitoring for marine biotoxin and the maximum number of samples for laboratory exams done on pool samples.
• They participate to the elaboration of law drafts for monitoring for marine biotoxin.
• They also participate to design the technical programs, the national and international projects regarding monitoring for marine biotoxin.
• The NRL experts participate or manage the research activities of national or international research programmes.

4. Activity in relation with correspondent Community Reference Laboratory

• Attendance to workshops
  • –
• Attendance to trainings
  • 2009 - Biological assays for detection of marine biotoxins.
• Participation to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • –

5. Activity in relation with correspondent national reference laboratories from Member States

• Attendance to workshops
  • –
• Attendance to trainings
  • –
• Participation to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • –

6. Activity in relation with correspondent international reference laboratory

• Attendance to workshops
  • –
• Attendance to trainings
  • –
• Participation to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • –

7. Activity in relation with other international accredited institutions in the field

• Attendance to workshops
  • 2004 - NRLs annual meeting for marine biotoxins, organized by TAIEX
  • 2009 - Alternative methods and general information regarding the new strategy in marine biotoxins testing, organized by European Commission
• Attendance to trainings
  • 2008 - Rapid tests for marine biotoxins detection, organized by AOAC International
• Participation to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • –

8. Activity in relation with counties SVFSLs

• Workshop organization
  • –
• Training organization
  • –
• Performing inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • –

9. Activity in relation with other institutions than SVFSLs or legal and private person

• Workshop organization
  • –
• Training organization
  • –
• Performing inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • –