On 29th of May 2020, a new Chromatography Laboratory was launched at the University of Veterinary Medicine, which is the first facility of the soon to be established Central Laboratory. The development was carried out within the framework of the Thematic Excellence Program granted by NKFI. In addition to the formation of a new laboratory, a UHPLC-MS/MS mass spectrometer has been obtained, that meets the requirements of a cutting edge lab and which can detect the tested substances from samples in picogram quantities.

“The arrival of such a device is a great success and opportunity for the University, we are very proud of that. Besides research, we will be able to use it for educational and service purposes. For example, it is a great help for several of our current projects, tenders. One of our projects is to develop a material that can extract drug residues from wastewater. Our further development plans include the purchase of an ICP-MS spectrometer that can detect various elements – heavy metals, contaminants, minerals – from any kind of material (blood, urine, water, etc.). With this tool, we can for example quickly and reliably measure the adequacy of the mineral supply level from the blood of animals in any given farm.” – said Dr Ákos Jerzsele, Vice-Rector of Science and Research, Head of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology.

The Chromatography Laboratory – temporarily housed by the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology – is only the first step in the development of the future Central Laboratory that will meet all needs. According to the plans, the Central Laboratory will also include the following departments: Cell Laboratory, Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory, Feed Analysis Laboratory and a modernized Laboratory of Hematology and Biochemistry which already exists at the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest.