U.S. DOE launches National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory

By The Science Advisory Board staff writers

July 15, 2020 -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched the National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory (NVBL) to unite the efforts of its 17 laboratories around the country in the fight against COVID-19.

The NVBL brings together capabilities across the department for tackling COVID-19 and creates a new front door for the broader research community to work with the laboratories on this challenge, according to the DOE.

The DOE said that it has identified seven major areas where the national labs can provide unique contributions in the effort against COVID-19:

Molecular structure determination

Computational modeling and simulation

Epidemiological and logistics support

Knowledge discovery infrastructure/scalable protected data

Large-scale genomic science capabilities

Testing of clinical and nonclinical samples

Supply chain bottleneck

The DOE said it hopes the NVBL can serve as a model for the future by helping the department increase coordination across its labs and leverage its proficiencies and tools for common national needs.

If you like this content, please share it with a colleague!

Related Reading

Highlights from the AACR virtual meeting II
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting in virtual format featured a broad array of sessions, discussing many aspects of cancer...

Unveiling bat secrets of immunity could offer clues to treating COVID-19
Bats' longevity and capacity to tolerate viruses may stem from their ability to control inflammation, according to a review article published in Cell...

How has SARS-CoV-2 evolved from bat coronavirus?
Structural comparison between a bat coronavirus and SARS-CoV-2 reveals specific characteristics that make the new virus more pathogenic, according to...

AGC Biologics, Molecular Partners develop COVID-19 protein therapy
AGC Biologics has partnered with clinical-stage biotechnology company Molecular Partners to create a protein therapy against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that...

DOE awards Danforth Plant Science Center $2.7 million for sorghum research
The Department of Energy through the Office of Biological and Environmental Research, launched a new initiative to develop bioenergy crops through genomics-based...