New Plant, Animal, and Insect Laboratory for Maine

UMaine Animal Health Lab; photo by Edwin Remsberg, USDASince the passage of a bond issue during November 2014, meetings have been held several times monthly to design a new diagnostic lab, including optimizing the layout to facilitate biosecure and efficient use of space by a combination of animal, plant, and insect control professionals and technical staff. As well as conducting daily operations of the current labs, self-studies are ongoing to identify and prioritize areas that can be expanded and improved in the new facility. As available, plans for the new facility will be posted on this website and at the Plant, Animal, and Insect Laboratory website. We welcome comments and requests regarding the new Plant, Animal, and Insect Laboratory for Cooperative Extension.

The new Plant, Animal, and Insect Laboratory will allow biosecure, safe, and easy unloading of animal cadavers (up to 2000 lbs) and manipulation onto the necropsy table. The necropsy suite will allow observation of necropsies from an adjacent viewing room, with a sound system and a separate air system to facilitate teaching, while avoiding exposure of students to pathogens. A suite of related labs will allow efficient and biosecure processing of animal samples.

The site will have adequate proximity to campus to allow students to travel for demonstration necropsies and for work-study jobs where appropriate. The site will have adequate parking for our current UMaine Animal Health Lab staff, and expected expansion (up to 20 vehicles). The new lab will allow access of vehicles including trailers (horse, livestock, utility) and stock trucks, and will be in close proximity to I-95 with minimal routing through neighborhoods. The UMaine Animal Health Lab staff are looking forward to working in the new diagnostic lab facility.

https://youtu.be/E5Gelu2eN5Y