Who we are
AGES, the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, is involved in preventing and containing possible risks for humans, animals, and plants in the sense of the One Health concept and thus ensuring greater safety for consumers in Austria. To achieve this, we analyze, monitor, evaluate, research, and communicate year-round.
At the Department for Plant Health and Reference Laboratories, we carry out phytomedical laboratory diagnostics to support control and enforcement tasks under the Plant Protection Act, Plant Propagation Material Act and Seed Act. Our work focuses on the detection and identification of quarantine pests, invasive alien species, and quality-reducing harmful organisms, primarily using molecular biology methods. As both the National Reference Laboratory for Plant Health and the EU Reference Laboratory (EURL) for insects and mites, we also perform reference activities. Our diagnostics cover phytosanitary and economically significant pests affecting fruit, wine, and other crops. In addition, we are actively involved in research projects and scientific activities.
Why/How are we going Green
Inspired and motivated by other teams in our company, we have started taking small but meaningful steps toward a more sustainable lab environment. We collect polypropylene (PP) and hand it over to Green Labs Austria, and we have increased the operating temperatures of our deep freezers to help reduce energy consumption. We also reuse polystyrene boxes from refrigerated reagent deliveries – another team repurposes them for sample shipments. When acquiring new lab or office equipment, we look for used furniture within the company. Even in our coffee corner, we have started collecting organic waste. It’s the beginning of our journey — and every small step counts.
