ATCC, a biological materials management non-profit headquartered in Manassas, was awarded a $1.1 million five-year contract by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to a release, the ATCC will be providing support to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) program, which is a program that assesses the health and nutritional status of United States children and adults.
The NHANES program began back in the 1960s, according to a release. “The specimens and data collected by NHANES help researchers learn more about genetic variation in the U.S. population and predisposition to chronic diseases as well as identify risk factors,” stated a release.
ATCC will be getting more than 50,000 blind DNA samples from the NHANES program from between 1988 and 2012, which they will assess.
“As a global leader in biological materials production, characterization, preservation and distribution, ATCC is uniquely qualified to support the NHANES biospecimen program. We understand the importance of quality control and proper handling of these one-of-a-kind samples to ensure continued availability to the research community. This program strengthens our commitment to supporting government-funded research programs in public health and chronic diseases,” stated ATCC’s Federal Solutions Vice President Dr. Joseph Leonelli in a release.
