The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of being able to exchange novel pathogens quickly and comprehensively. Such an exchange is crucial for the effective characterization and monitoring of the pathogens as well as for the timely development of medical countermeasures, in particular diagnostic tools, therapeutics, and vaccines.
Spiez Laboratory has again been designated as a collaborating center for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from January 2021. The two organizations have already worked together successfully between 2017 and 2020.