Gone are the days of mouth pipetting and eating lunch at the bench. But how can laboratories maintain quality assurance, quality control and general laboratory safety, as well as biosafety and biosecurity, in the era of machine diagnostics and artificial intelligence? Is it easier or harder to adhere to certifications and quality control as the human element is further eliminated from some testing procedures? And how are laboratorians protecting themselves from unintended exposures?
This issue explores how public health laboratories use a variety of practices to ensure their readiness to respond to natural and manmade threats—and keep staff members safe.