We all remember the bird flu scare from a few years ago.  Experts continue to warn that the threat of a true worldwide infectious disease pandemic is real.  The means of monitoring for such outbreaks are still spotty and slow compared to the potential speed of disease spread in a highly connected world.  UCLA and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) have joined forces to begin developing the High Throughput Laboratory Network to provide a worldwide rapid response capability and surveillance system for infectious disease.  The LabMan talked to Tony Beugelsdijk (co-principal investigator together with Scott Layne of UCLA) and Torsten Staab (software architect) of LANL about the project and the technology they are using.

The High Throughput Laboratory Network (HTLN) will be designed and initial systems will be built at LANL and installed at the new UCLA California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) where a biological level 3 (BL3) testing lab is being built. When operational in 2009, the UCLA lab will be the first of many highly automated labs comprising HTLN and serve as a model. Additional laboratory nodes in the HTLN will be located throughout the world. The HTLN will become a key part of an international infrastructure for disease surveillance as well as pandemic response management.  In response mode, the HTLN will provide the rapid, accurate, and near real-time information needed to deal with infectious disease outbreaks and to safeguard public health in ways that are not available today.

Tony indicates that some specialized sampling technology developed at LANL will make field sampling faster and more reliable.  Inexpensive dipsticks have been developed by the LANL Bioscience division for quick and early field testing by minimally trained personnel.  Positive dipstick results in an area would trigger a more intensive sampling effort, using devices such as a sampling gun developed by LANL Applied Engineering that collects a vast array of field data related to the sample rapidly, including air quality, location, and more. Bar coded sample identifiers and information will be uplinked to remote data centers, enabling rapid collection of vital information related to epidemics and eliminating transcription errors.

Torsten described the effort to build a data framework that will ultimately span many labs worldwide and incorporate large amounts of heterogeneous data about the samples, including sample ID, location, and environmental conditions as well as laboratory test protocols and assay results.  The various HTNL nodes may have different database hardware, software or laboratory equipment, so the LANL focus has been to use XML to build a flexible data interchange capability.  Laboratory instruments or automation are treated as generic "plug & play" service providing modules, with each operating via their regular commercial control software and the XML shell serving to coordinate operations and exchange and store relevant data. 

According to Tony, the team is now looking to identify the location for the first international HTNL node and also seeking a technology providing partner to assist in global deployment and support.  A strategy for coordination, control and decision making among the HTNL nodes remains to be worked out once the technological underpinnings are established. 

The XML strategy for standardized data interchange and control will be open and public, so the team hopes to see interest in this standard among automation and instrument providers.  There will also be efforts to define standard lab ware, consumables and reagents that could involve various commercial providers. 

If you have further questions about HTNL, please contact Tony Beugelsdijk or Torsten Staab at Los Alamos National Laboratory.  You might also be interested in attending the short course on Applied Information Technology for the Laboratory to be given by Torsten Staab at LabAutomation 2009. 

Until next time,

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto!