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UNIVERSITY PARK -- Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Pennsylvania State University College of Agricultural Sciences Dean Troy Ott broke ground on a $65 million, 46,000-square-foot, two-story addition to the university's Animal Diagnostic Laboratory.
On the heels of the recent groundbreaking on a $94 million new lab at University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, and the opening of the Keystone Animal Diagnostic Center on PSU's Beaver Campus in May, this is the third expansion of Pennsylvania's world-class veterinary lab system this year.
"Supporting cutting-edge research, diagnostic testing, and agricultural education at our land-grant universities like Penn State is critical to our nation's economy, food security, and public safety. It is one of America's most important and enduring public policies," Redding said.
Constructed in 1956 and last renovated extensively in 1999, ADL provides advanced diagnostic testing for animal health, disease surveillance, food safety and public health. The laboratory plays a critical role in Pennsylvania's preparedness and response to animal disease threats.
The new addition will increase lab capacity and provide modern diagnostic infrastructure, including new Biosafety Level Three space. The BSL-3 designation applies to labs with enhanced safety protocols and design that enables testing associated with infectious diseases such as highly pathogenic avian influenza and African swine fever.
The expansion also will connect the new and existing portions of the laboratory, creating a more cohesive and functional environment for faculty, diagnostic personnel and support staff. Improvements will address aging infrastructure while enhancing biosecurity, security, access and wayfinding throughout the facility. Additional space will allow the laboratory to accommodate future growth and evolving diagnostic needs.
PSU College of Agricultural Sciences, including ADL and the new KADC, is state-supported, with nearly $65.4 million invested in the 2026-27 budget.
"The Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System is a critical resource for Pennsylvania agriculture and for protecting the health of animals, people and the environment," said Troy Ott, Peter and Ann Tombros Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences. "This project represents a long-term investment in the infrastructure needed to support our ADL's broad diagnostic mission and its role in advancing a One Health approach. We are grateful to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture for its significant investment in this project and its continued partnership in strengthening animal health and protecting Pennsylvania's agricultural economy."
The expanded lab will increase research and testing capacity under the umbrella of the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System, which expanded earlier this year for the first time since the state established the system in 1991, adding a fourth lab in Western Pennsylvania. The four-lab system -- comprised of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory in Harrisburg, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences' Animal Diagnostic Laboratory in University Park, the new Keystone Animal Diagnostic Center at PSU's Beaver Campus, and the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the New Bolton Center at University of Pennsylvania College of Veterinary Medicine -- is a state-funded partnership to support and speed animal health and disease detection and prevention statewide.
All four labs are members of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network. PADLS holds the highest level of accreditation for animal health labs from the American Association of Veterinary Diagnosticians. The laboratory services the system provides are essential to ensuring animal health, the safety of the food supply, and protecting Pennsylvania's domestic and international trade.