Central Science Laboratory (CSL)
CSL is an Executive Agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), providing a range of scientific services, applied research and technical support to public and private customers. The Laboratory is a centre of excellence specialising in the sciences underpinning sustainable agriculture, safe food and a healthy environment. It offers a wide range of professional services and innovative products designed to benefit the international land-based and food industries. These include a unique food contaminant analysis capability, a range of cutting edge diagnostic products and services, and agrochemical efficacy and environmental toxicity testing.

www.csl.gov.uk

Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)
Dstl is the centre of scientific excellence for the UK Ministry of Defence, housing one of the largest groups of scientists and engineers in public service. It is based at several sites in southern UK and its principal site is at Porton Down. The Laboratory's talented and creative scientists deliver defence research, specialist technical services and have the ability to track global technological developments to ensure that the UK Armed Forces and Government are supported by world class scientific and technical advice. Dstl's intellectual property is commercialised in civil markets by a wholly owned company called Ploughshare Innovations Limited.

www.ploughshareinnovations.com

Health Protection Agency (HPA)
HPA is an independent body that was formed by bringing together the Centre for Applied Microbiology & Research (CAMR), the Public Health Laboratory Services (PHLS), the National Focus for Chemical Incidents, the National Poisons Information Service and the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB). The organisation has a network of local and regional teams providing an integrated approach to protecting public health and reducing the impact of infections, chemicals, poisons and radiation hazards on human health. HPA has world class expertise in many fields including microbiological research and testing and development of vaccines and therapeutics. It also prepares for new and emerging threats such as bioterrorist attach or new virulent strains of diseases.

www.hpa.org.uk

Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA)
VLA is an Executive Agency of Defra and is a regional network of 16 laboratories including one in Scotland, two in Wales, a central research and diagnostic testing facility near Weybridge in Surrey and two joint surveillance centres at the Liverpool and London veterinary schools. The Agency is one of the largest research establishments of its kind in the world and is internationally recognised as a centre of scientific excellence. It has close international links with research institutes, universities and commercial companies and acts as an International Reference Laboratory for a wide range of infectious and noninfectious diseases in farm animals. The aim of the Agency is to safeguard public and animal health through world class veterinary research and surveillance of farmed livestock.

www.vla.gov.uk