The Laboratory is the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for plant health, for plant pathogens requiring quarantine (organisms that are harmful to plants such as bacteria, viruses, phytoplasmas, nematodes, insects, mites and fungi covered by regulations in the European Union), and for invasive plants (Ministerial Decree dated 21 May 2007).
It proposes methods for official adoption by the Ministry of Agriculture, and coordinates revision of analytical protocols. The laboratory's work is supported by a network of 19 accredited laboratories responsible for first-line detection analyses.
Official methods
Official methods, as defined by Decree 2006-7 dated 4 January 2006, are methods validated by the Ministry of Agriculture for use in the framework of official acts falling under the responsibility of the Ministry (control and surveillance plans, import and export controls, etc.). These methods concern the diagnosis, detection or identification of organisms that are harmful to crops, invasive organisms or genetically modified organisms, within the scope of application of the method.
These methods are used as "published methods" as per the description in the ISO 17025 Standard for the accreditation of laboratories by COFRAC (French Accreditation Committee).
They are published on the ANSES website and can be consulted in the Official Journal of the Ministry of Agriculture and are revised periodically on the initiative of ANSES.
Methods for public consultation
Official methods relating to plant health may be submitted to public consultation before publication, whether the methods are new or are undergoing revision. In this case, the working document is made available on the ANSES website for a period of two months.
Cross-functional units
The two cross-functional units of the Plant Health Laboratory, located in Angers, organise and coordinate the activities of the six specialised units.
Expert Appraisal - Biological Risk Unit
The Expert Appraisal - Biological Risk Unit coordinates the activities of the Expert Committee (CES) for biological risks for plant health, in liaison with the Risk Assessment Department of the Agency. Following international standards, the Unit carries out expert appraisals of biological, economic and other data concerning plant pathogens in order to provide plant health risk analyses.
Like the opinions issued by the CES, these risk analyses enable the national and international risk management authorities to determine whether a harmful organism should be regulated (or deregulated), and to define the possible corresponding plant health measures to be taken.
Methods and Analysis Development Unit
The Methods and Analysis Development Unit is responsible for harmonisation, optimisation and evaluation of analytical methods. It also organises regulatory analysis services assigned to the various specialised reference units of the Plant Health Laboratory.
The Unit actively coordinates a network of laboratories accredited by the Ministry based on the training and inter-laboratory proficiency tests it organises, thereby ensuring the quality and reliability of analytical activities.
It also fosters participation in national and international collaborative projects by the teams within the Plant Health Laboratory. The unit organises scientific meetings and coordinates scientific surveillance of emerging pathogenic organisms.
Specialised units
Bacteriology, Virology and GMO Unit (Angers)
The Bacteriology, Virology and GMO Unit participates in the development and revision of reference analytical methods and carries out analyses (mainly for confirmation), as well as expert appraisals in its field of expertise. Since 2009, the Unit has been equipped with a P3-level containment facility.
The Angers Unit is located within a specialised plant science campus active in research, development and higher education.
ANSES
Plant Health Laboratory
Bacteriology, Virology and GMO Unit
Site d'Angers
7, rue Jean Dixméras
49044 Angers Cedex 01
France
Tel: +33 (0)2 41 20 74 20
Fax: +33 (0)2 41 20 74 30
Mycology Unit (Nancy)
The Mycology Unit covers all pathogenic fungi and oomycota affecting cultivated and ornamental plants, and forest tree species. It is mainly involved in development and publication of reference analytical methods and of identification tools based on molecular biology techniques.
The Unit carries out expert appraisals and organises targeted training sessions and inter-laboratory proficiency and validation tests at the national and European levels.
It works with several scientific partners including the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), the Lorraine region federative research institute (IFR de Lorraine), and the European Mycological Network.
The Unit is also responsible for responding to regulatory analysis needs, either directly or via independent government-accredited laboratories.
ANSES
Plant Health Laboratory
Mycology Unit
Site de Nancy
Domaine de Pixérécourt
BP 90059
54550 Malzeville
France
Tel: +33 (0)3 83 29 00 02
Fax: +33 (0)3 83 29 00 22
Nematology Unit (plant parasites - Rennes)
The Nematology Unit focuses specifically on the Globodera, Meloidogyne, Ditylenchus and Bursaphelenchus genera. In its field of competence, the Unit has been ISO 17025 accredited since 2002, and is active in all the areas of accountability of the Plant Health Laboratory, i.e. analytical activities (morphological/morphobiometric analysis and molecular techniques), analytical method development, and expert appraisals.
The Nematology Unit is a stakeholder in various international networks. It organises inter-laboratory proficiency testing with counterpart laboratories in the European Union and in other regions. The Rennes facility is located on the INRA site in Le Rheu, in a common scientific environment with the INRA nematology team, within the BIO3P Joint research unit (UMR).
ANSES
Plant Health Laboratory
Nematology Unit
Site de Rennes
Domaine de la Motte au Vicomte
BP 35327
35653 Le Rheu Cedex
France
Tel: +33 (0)2 99 30 90 35
Fax: +33 (0)2 99 30 90 36
Entomology and Invasive Plant Unit (Montpellier)
The Entomology and Invasive Plant Unit covers all regulated insect and mite species, as well as invasive exotic plants. It plays a major role in the discovery and assessment of risks to plant health related to new species introduced in France and Europe. Since 2010, the Unit has been located on the site of the Centre for Biology and Management of Populations (CBGP), along with other partner scientific research organisations such as the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), the Centre for Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), and the French Institute of Research for Development (IRD), and has access to exceptional insect collections and bibliographic resources.
ANSES
Plant Health Laboratory
Entomology and Invasive Plant Unit
Site de Montpellier
CBGP Campus International de Baillarguet
CS 30016
FR-34988 Montferrier-sur-Lez Cedex
France
Tel: +33 (0)4 67 02 25 10
Fax: +33 (0)4 64 02 00 70
Pests and Tropical Pathogens Unit (Saint-Pierre/Réunion)
The Réunion site was opened in July 2007 further to the establishment of the 3P or Pôle de Protection des Plantes centre, which brings together on a single site the Plant Health Laboratory, the Réunion Centre for Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), various development services (Departmental federation of defence groups against harmful organisms (FDGDON), Forum for sustainable agriculture and environmental protection (FARRE), etc.) and the State. The Réunion site includes the Pests and Tropical Pathogens Unit, which works on regulated and emerging organisms.
All the areas of accountability of the Plant Health Laboratory are covered by the unit. Its main activity is methodological research. Initial results were obtained thanks to the experience and knowledge of CIRAD, particularly concerning Xanthomonas bacteria (bacterial diseases of Anthurium) and Ralstonia solanacearum (Moko strain of banana), begomoviruses of Solanaceae, and the banana viruses (BBTV, BSV, CMV).
ANSES
Plant Health Laboratory
Pests and Tropical Pathogens Unit
Site de La Réunion
7, chemin de l'Irat
97410 Saint-Pierre/Ile de la Réunion
France
Tel: +262 (0)262 38 39 07
Laboratory: +262 (0)262 38 39 21
Fax: +262 (0)262 38 29 99
Quarantine Unit (Clermont-Ferrand)
The Quarantine Unit for plants introduced in France and Europe is located in Clermont-Ferrand.
The Unit is equipped with ultra-modern NS3-level containment facilities enabling it to safely perform a wide array of studies and analyses of propagative plant material introduced in the EU by waiver of general plant protection regulations.
The plant material is stored in quarantine until proof of compliance with EU requirements is obtained. The activities of the quarantine unit involve plants intended for scientific research or for the creation of cultivars, primarily for fruit trees (including citrus), vines and potatoes.
The Unit develops methods and carries out research on certain diseases (plum pox, also known as sharka, for example).
ANSES
Plant Health Laboratory
Quarantine Unit
Site de Clermont-Ferrand
6, rue Aimé Rudel
Marmilhat
63370 Lempdes
France
Tel: +33 (0)4 73 74 83 00
Fax: +33 (0)4 73 74 83 01
The Laboratory’s research activities cover all disciplines related to plant health:
The laboratory coordinates the VALITEST (Validation of diagnostic tests to support plant health) project funded by the HORIZON 2020 program for Research and Innovation of the European Union.
The laboratory is participating in the POnTE (Pest Organisms Threatening Europe) project funded by the HORIZON 2020 program for Research and Innovation of the European Union.