The publication is reproduced in full below:
AMERICAN TYPE CULTURE COLLECTION (ATCC)
______
HON. JENNIFER WEXTON
of virginia
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, July 27, 2022
Ms. WEXTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) located in Manassas, Virginia, which has provided biological research resources for decades. Over the past two years, ATCC played a critical role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by supporting the research community within the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Defense (DoD), and other partners.
Founded in 1925, ATCC is a diverse biological resource center, focusing on advancing global health initiatives within the U.S. government, academia, and research foundations. ATCC has assisted the government for over 50 years with research and development, innovative solutions, and biological products. During several recent pandemics, including COVID-19, SARS, Zika, and H1N1 influenza, ATCC was a provider of R&D services, reagents, detection and surveillance assays, and logistical support for the federal and global response. ATCC ensured the research community could conduct research, gather data, share insights, and advance critical countermeasures.
ATCC manages the Biodefense and Emerging Infections Resources (BEI Resources) Program for NIAID, which has received more than 140 variants of SARS-CoV-2 and propagated the virus to enable and support diagnostic, vaccine, and therapeutic development. BEI Resources has provided more than 105,000 vials of SARS-CoV-2 and related coronavirus strains and reagents to over 3,600 researchers at 1,700 institutions in more than 70 countries since 2020. BEI Resources continues to play a critical role in cross-agency initiatives to harmonize research methodologies, assess the impact of emerging variants, and evaluate new and existing countermeasures.
ATCC offers researchers a range of tools and resources to contain the impact and investigate the long-lasting effects of COVID-19, including monoclonal antibodies against the spike glycoprotein receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2, microbial strains for cross-reactivity testing, cell lines for vaccine development and immune research, and heat-
inactivated material for use in molecular assays. ATCC has also worked to advance molecular diagnostic testing and has provided the necessary array of clinically relevant materials for evaluating the limit of detection, inclusivity, and cross-reactivity of the virus.
As a non-profit, ATCC collaborates with many areas of the federal government including, the Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS), the CDC, the National Cancer Institute, the DoD, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to strengthen and improve public health initiatives.
Whether the challenge is COVID-19 or another infectious disease, ATCC has enabled the research community by providing high-quality, industry-
standard biological materials and services.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 125(1), Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 125(2)
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