Interim NELAP Accreditation Granted to TAMU-CC Environmental Microbiology Lab.

Pursuant to authorization from the Executive Director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Program Manager of the Quality Assurance Section has granted interim NELAP accreditation to the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Environmental Microbiology Lab for the requested Fields of Accreditation for up to one year. The Laboratory is headed by Dr. Joanna Mott, Professor and Chair of the Department of Life Sciences, and Amanda Smith, Research Specialist, as the Technical Director.

NELAP (National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program) is a committee housed in the NELAC (National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference) Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the generation of environmental data of known quality.

The application for accreditation was developed over the last year by the members of the TAMU-CC EML through performance of proficiency testing, completion of a quality assurance manual, and composition of detailed standard operating procedures for all aspects of lab activity. 

The lab accreditation is for analysis of three fecal indicator bacteria groups: E. coli, Enterococcus and fecal coliforms which are widely used to evaluate surface water and recreational beach quality by state and national agencies.

- Joanna Mott, Ph.D

Pictured are Science & Technology students Megan Hoch (top), and Jessica Akins & Summer Shi (bottom).