23 November 2010: A new Scientific Facility for Measurement and Standard Development has opened at the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) in Geel, Belgium, as part of the European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC). The Facility will develop and produce reference materials for complex measurements, such as the amount of genetically modified maize or the number of bacteria in a food sample.

The Facility will seek to bridge the gap between developing reference materials at laboratory and industrial scale. The new building also houses laboratories for the analysis of heavy metals and proteins and a special laboratory for the safe handling of biomaterials. Reference materials are a key component of comparable and harmonized testing in many areas, such as blood tests, measuring nanoparticles or checking shipments of foodstuffs for the presence of genetically modified organisms. They are used by laboratories to calibrate their instruments, to develop reliable testing methods and to perform regular quality controls. The JRC’s IRMM produces more than 670 reference materials particularly in the clinical, food and GMO application areas, which it provides to reference laboratories around the world. [JRC Press Release]