The Minnesota Poultry Testing Laboratory in Willmar celebrated its extensive remodeling with an open house last week.

The new construction expanded the 20-year-old space from a 3,665 square-foot building to an 11,900 square feet. MPTL is a collaboration among the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, and the Minnesota Board of Animal Health.

The public grand opening took place Sept. 22 and included building tours.

MORE SPACE: Renovations to the Minnesota Poultry Testing Laboratory more than tripled the building's space — to 11,900 square feet. MPTL is a collaboration among the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, and the Minnesota Board of Animal Health.

The MPTL serves and supports Minnesota’s poultry industry, performing all of the required disease testing for the state’s poultry industry and conducting full-range poultry testing for salmonella, influenza, mycoplasma and other poultry diseases. MPTL also serves as the authorized laboratory for the National Poultry Improvement Plan in Minnesota and is the center for management of Board of Animal Health poultry programs.

The 2015 avian influenza outbreak highlighted the need for additional surge capacity in the state to respond to time-sensitive testing requirements, such as those required by USDA for diagnosis and safe product movement out of control zones. This addition to the MPTL will provide the facilities needed to create a second accredited National Animal Health Laboratory Network laboratory that can perform the molecular diagnostic or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests required for USDA avian influenza diagnosis and product movement.

Tragedy turned to opportunity

THE COOP: As the building was being designed, a few whimsical design elements came into play, such as naming rooms. This one, called the Coop, is a small conference meeting room equipped with the latest in web conferencing technology — note the ceiling microphones. This room also will serve as an emergency operations center. Dale Lauer, MPTL director, said the staff learned the importance of having such a space during last year’s avian influenza outbreak. Another conference room, with a high-top table and yellow chairs, is called the Perch. The smallest conference room, on the lab side of the building, is called the Nest.

"What began as a tragedy for our poultry industry in 2015 has transformed into innumerable opportunities for education and advancement,” said Beth Thompson, state veterinarian. “This laboratory stands as a testament to the dedication our state partners have to the health of Minnesota's poultry. We don't want highly pathogenic avian influenza or any other illness to impact our birds.”

“This was a huge collaborative effort for the poultry industry, for the university and for the state,” said Dale Lauer, MPTL director. “I feel privileged to work here and be one of the first staff to do so.”

The 2015 Minnesota Legislature provided an appropriation of $ 8.5 million, which fully funded the project.

Improvements include:

•Additional space for laboratories, offices, conference rooms and a break room. The existing building was extensively remodeled for additional laboratory space.

HEART OF MPTL: The large bacteriology and serology lab room has ample shelving and space to do testing. Cabinets are on wheels, so technicians can move them around to suit their projects.

WELCOME: After entering the secured entrance, sample deliveries are dropped off at lab receiving. Dawn Hennen welcomes visitors and takes deliveries, preparing the samples for testing.

DEATH DIAGNOSIS: The new necropsy area will allow farmers to bring deceased animals to MTPL for necropsy, instead of traveling to the vet lab in St. Paul. Dale Lauer says a diagnostician has yet to be hired.

•A sample delivery room, necropsy lab, media prep lab, bacteriology and serology lab, sample process and extraction lab, PCR testing lab, master mix lab and autoclave room

SPECIAL ACCESS: The main entrance and certain rooms in the MTPL require special access cards into order to gain entry, Dale Lauer says.

•New equipment such as chemical fume hoods, biosafety cabinets, PCR machines, centrifuges, sample vortex machines, -80 degree and -20 degree freezers, and refrigerators. With PCR equipment and trained technicians, MPTL is now one of 57 labs in the U.S. that can do this testing.

The Minnesota Board of Animal Health contributed to this report.