Reach for the Elements!
What is the chemical symbol for oxygen?
100
O
This scientist discovered penicillin in 1928 after noticing that mold had killed bacteria growing in a Petri dish.
200
Alexander Fleming
In a laboratory, this acronym is a written set of instructions for performing a task consistently.
300
SOP
A newborn has an elevated phenylalanine level on their screening test. If untreated, accumulation of this amino acid can lead to intellectual disability and other neurological complications. What inherited metabolic disorder is this screening designed to detect?
500
Phenylketonuria (PKU)
Contracts, purchasing, budgets, personnel actions, supplies, and the many behind-the-scenes details required to keep a laboratory functioning may never involve a pipette, but without this area, the science would have a hard time happening.
200
Business Operations
Which element is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature?
500
Mercury (Hg)
This female scientist conducted groundbreaking research on radioactivity and was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.
300
Marie Curie
This acronym refers to a nationwide network of laboratories that helps respond to biological and chemical threats.
400
LRN
This bacterium is commonly associated with contaminated poultry and eggs and is a frequent cause of bacterial gastroenteritis.
100
Salmonella
A meal, a glass of water, or a carton of milk may look perfectly safe, but this section looks beyond appearances to detect hazards that could turn an everyday necessity into a public health concern.
200
Milk, Food & Water
What element has the chemical symbol Au?
200
Gold
This scientist developed the first successful vaccine against rabies in 1885 and also made major contributions to the germ theory of disease.
500
Louis Pasteur
This acronym refers to an organization that represents public health laboratories and supports their role in protecting public health.
500
APHL
This slow-growing bacterium has a waxy, lipid-rich cell wall that makes it acid-fast and is the causative agent of the disease responsible for millions of infections worldwide each year and sometimes know as causing Consumption.
400
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
A specimen that begins its journey as a few drops of blood on a filter paper card can help identify conditions in an otherwise healthy-appearing infant before symptoms ever have a chance to develop.
200
Newborn Screening
What is the atomic number of carbon?
300
6
This scientist's famous experiment with a microscope helped establish that microorganisms could cause disease and earned him the nickname "Father of Microbiology."
400
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
This acronym refers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
100
CDC
This virus causes a highly contagious respiratory illness and is one of the pathogens included in seasonal respiratory surveillance with multiple variants that we routinely test for.
200
Influenza virus
From biological hazards and chemical exposures to emergency procedures and the equipment designed to contain them, this branch's ultimate goal is to ensure everyone goes home at the end of the day.
200
QCS
Which element has the atomic number 26?
400
Iron (Fe)
This scientist is famous for developing the theory of evolution by natural selection and wrote On the Origin of Species.
100
Charles Darwin
This three-letter acronym refers to the equipment designed to provide personnel, environmental, and product protection when working with potentially infectious materials by moving air and keeping biologicals trapped inside.
200
BSC
This bacterium is the cause of whooping cough and is particularly concerning in infants and young children.
300
Bordetella pertussis
Rather than simply asking “What organism is this?”, this section can look deeper into an organism's genetic code to determine how closely related it is to others and potentially connect seemingly unrelated cases.
200
Sequencing