2023 Public Health Laboratory Annual Report
Ongoing Projects for the Public Health Laboratory

Sample Receiving Improvements

A major remodel improved the rooms devoted to accessioning, the process by which the Environmental Laboratory, the Infectious Disease Laboratory, the Newborn Screening Program, and the Agricultural Laboratory receive samples from outside sources. More than 15 people work full-time in the space to process hundreds of samples every day. 

The new open-floor concept removes obstacles to workflow and allows for greater flexibility in the event of a drastic change in sample volume, as occurred during the height of the pandemic. A key addition was a room in which clients can drop off samples in a refrigerator or freezer without interrupting the receiving process.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Collaborative 

The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) collaborative spans all sections of the Public Health Laboratory. The group focuses on building a foundation of DEIB principles throughout the division. 

In such efforts, engaging employees and empowering them to drive the discussion is more effective and meaningful than top-down approaches. The DEIB collaborative has also provided resources to supervisors and managers, such as inclusive language for position descriptions and evaluations of potential interview questions.

Education Outreach Program

A new Education Outreach Program is conducting science-based interactive programming with Minnesota’s youth. The goals are to spark interest in public health career pathways and to increase awareness of the valuable work done by the Minnesota Public Health Laboratory. The initiative is focused on inclusion and equity, creating a bridge to the sciences for underserved communities and individuals.

PFAS in Non-Potable Water

The Environmental Laboratory is significantly expanding its testing capabilities for a class of human-made chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). At this writing, their scientists are starting to test lakes, streams, and other non-potable water sources for PFAS, using a new method provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The lab is also examining the tissue of fish for PFAS and testing for new analytes (types) of PFAS through a sophisticated technique called high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Infectious Disease Projects

Led by the Public Health Laboratory, the Minnesota Department of Health and its partners – the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic – were named one of the country’s five Pathogen Genomics Centers of Excellence by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The program aims to improve the ability to detect and respond to future infectious disease threats and emergencies. 

One project is working to address the higher rate at which children in under-served and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities contract COVID-19 and related illnesses. Another is developing new methods for quickly and efficiently identifying the sources of foodborne disease outbreaks. 

Tracking cCMV Screening Effectiveness

Thanks to a grant from the CDC, the Newborn Screening Program has established a surveillance program to measure the effectiveness of screening newborns for cCMV. Because screening does not identify every case, it is crucial to track how many children are missed during screening but diagnosed at a later time. Metrics will also show how well the program helps children access the necessary monitoring and treatment.

Data and Quality in Newborn Screening

Data and Quality, affectionately known as “DQ” or “the ice cream team,” is a new unit in the Newborn Screening Program. It brings together the epidemiologists, data analysts, quality specialists, and interoperability specialists who work with data. The unit is looking for new ways to use the data points the program has collected to seek out new data and improve the program’s current data-based operations.

Additions to Minnesota Newborn Screening Panel

In August 2023 and January 2024, Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Brooke Cunningham approved the Newborn Screening Advisory Committee’s recommendations to add new conditions to the Minnesota Newborn Screening Panel, the list of conditions screened for at birth: 

• Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II) 
• Guanidinoacetate methyltransferase (GAMT) deficiency 
• Krabbe disease 
• Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Together, these conditions cumulatively impact about one in 100,000 children born each year. Early diagnosis and treatment may help prevent or delay some of the severe health outcomes. 

Return to the main 2023 Annual Report page.