National Reference Laboratory for GMO identification and DNA fingerprinting
Between the years 2002‒2003, the Reference Laboratory GMO Identification and DNA fingerprinting was established at Crop Research Institute which was in compliance with Article No. 33 of the Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the European Council, and the Decision of the Ministry of Agriculture designated as the National Reference Laboratory for GMOs (NRL GMO).
The laboratory has been accredited since 2005 (current accreditation valid from 19th April 2021 and its Appendix) by the Czech Accreditation Institute, o.p. according to ISO 17025:2018. It works on the basis of valid ISO standards and of the results obtained within research projects and has therefore been granted a flexible scope of accreditation (see Appendix to Accreditation certificate).
In compliance with the Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003, the NRL GMO has been included in a European-wide network of laboratories (European Network of GMO Laboratories). The NRL GMO cooperates with the European Reference Laboratory at JRC EC Ispra (Italy) and participates in the validation studies necessary for Approval of GM food and feed release on the European market. It is also a contract laboratory of JRC EC Geel (Belgium) participating in validation studies for new methods and reference materials.
The NRL GMO coordinates the activities of other GMO laboratories in the Czech Republic (SVI Jihlava, NIPH Brno, UCT Prague, CISTA Brno) within the National Network of GMO Laboratories. It serves as a training centre for the staff of these laboratories and assists in method validation and in developing standards and reference materials for these laboratories. NRL GMO members are the authors of new methodologies and utility models for GMO analyses.
The NRL GMO assists the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic in official controls of compliance with coexistence rules in the cultivation of agricultural crops, as its contracting laboratory, and cooperates with the Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic in GMO safety issues. The lab assists in ensuring the safety of food and feed by providing laboratory analyses and by other means. Its members prepare expert opinions for state administration and supervision authorities, and prepare lectures and seminars for the professional public.
For the needs of the public, the laboratory performs qualitative and quantitative analysis of GMOs in food and feed (see current price list).
Contacts
Head of Laboratory
Tereza Sovová, PhD.
Phone: +420 702 087 671
E-mail: tereza.sovova@nullcarc.cz
Deputy Head of Laboratory, Quality Manager
Lenka Drábková
Phone: +420 702 087 669
E-mail: lenka.drabkova@nullcarc.cz
Sample Delivery
- in person (by prior telephone arrangement):
Czech Agrifood Research Center, PGI building, 2nd floor, rooms 201, 233 or 234
Drnovská 507/73
161 00 Prague 6 – Ruzyně
Czech Republic - by mail
NRL GMO (Sovová/Drábková)
Czech Agrifood Research Center
Drnovská 507/73
161 00 Prague 6 – Ruzyně
Czech Republic