UNIVERSITY Park, Pa. — Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences received a $6 million state grant to establish a new location for the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System in western Pennsylvania at Penn State Beaver in Monaca.
The Animal Diagnostic Lab-West will provide critical resources to enhance animal health, ensure food safety and support the agricultural industry across the western region of the commonwealth, benefiting farmers, veterinarians and local communities.
Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced the funding last week, noting that it was made possible through the Shapiro Administration’s 2024-25 state budget.
“Establishing a western animal health lab has been part of our long-term vision for decades,” Redding said in a press release. “Today, that vision becomes reality, thanks to Gov. Shapiro’s leadership and continued investment in Pennsylvania agriculture. Pennsylvania’s food supply is safe and secure due to swift, aggressive response to animal diseases like avian influenza.”
The western lab will join the system’s three current labs: the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences’ Animal Diagnostic Laboratory at University Park, the state Department of Agriculture’s Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory in Harrisburg and the New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in Kennett Square.
Ernest Hovingh, clinical professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences and director of the University Park laboratory, explained that the Animal Diagnostic Lab-West will enable livestock and poultry owners and veterinarians in that part of the commonwealth to have greater access to diagnostic services. This will ensure better animal health while reducing travel time and improving convenience for the region’s agricultural community.
The Animal Diagnostic Lab-West will offer critical diagnostic services, including tests for avian influenza, ruminant pregnancy and equine infectious anemia. It also will expand its testing services and make a significant investment in necropsy services to meet the needs of veterinarians and producers in western Pennsylvania. In addition, the facility will play a key role in disease surveillance, monitoring threats such as avian influenza in both poultry and dairy cattle.
Hovingh noted that the facility, while an independent member of the state laboratory system, will benefit from collaboration with the Animal Diagnostic Lab at University Park and Penn State Extension, adding that this partnership will enhance animal health and support the agricultural community in western Pennsylvania.
“Reliable laboratory diagnostic services are essential to safeguarding animal health, ensuring food safety and maintaining Pennsylvania’s competitiveness in the agricultural sector,” he said. “This collaboration aligns with Penn State’s land-grant mission and the expertise of Penn State Extension, which has long been committed to advancing research and outreach that supports the vitality of local communities and the agricultural industry.”
In addition to diagnostic testing, the lab’s faculty, in concert with extension veterinarians and faculty from the Animal Diagnostic Lab at University Park, plan to deliver workshops and continuing education programs for veterinarians and producers, empowering the agricultural community with science-based knowledge and essential resources.
Regional Chancellor Carey McDougall, who oversees Penn State Beaver, said she is pleased that besides the substantial benefits to the agricultural community, the lab will offer educational opportunities for Penn State Beaver students, enabling them to gain hands-on experience while exploring career paths in animal health.
“Animal diagnostic services are essential to the prosperity of agriculture and animal health in the western part of the state, and our biology, chemistry and agriculture students are eager to be part of that important work,” McDougall said. “We are ready to integrate the lab into the campus community so that the region’s farmers come to see Penn State Beaver as a resource to help them succeed, and our students come to see the campus as the trifecta of agriculture excellence, with the diagnostic lab, Penn State Extension and our science programs.”
Troy Ott, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences, said the project represents a significant investment in the future of Pennsylvania's animal agriculture and food safety.
“By expanding our diagnostic capabilities in western Pennsylvania, we are enhancing animal health and productivity and safeguarding the integrity of our food supply,” Ott said. “This initiative strengthens our commitment to directly support the agricultural community with these essential diagnostic services and innovative science and education. We thank the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the Shapiro Administration for their support.”
Plans call for the Animal Diagnostic Lab-West to begin offering some diagnostic services in the fall of 2025, with all the required diagnostic testing available by mid-2026. The on-site necropsy suite is projected to be operational in 2027.
In the near term, the plan is to have a drop-off location available at the Beaver campus as soon as possible, in collaboration with the newly relocated Penn State Extension office, to provide clients with a convenient service.