Tree heath lab tests receive ‘gold standard’ accreditation
3 Feb 2025
Forest Research has been awarded the ISO/IEC 17025 certification by the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS).
“It’s the gold standard for laboratory tests in the UK,” said Dr Christine Wilson, Head of the Forest Protection at Forest Research. “It demonstrates our testing is accurate, robust and trustworthy.”
Being awarded the accreditation has been the culmination of over three years of hard work from the tree health lab team.
The accreditation process is rigorous and covers assessments of the tests themselves through to the management of the lab.
For example, all the lab’s equipment – from PCR machines to fridges and freezers – was calibrated and checked regularly to make sure that it was within the correct parameters.
Policies and processes were put in place for everything from data protection requirements to risk assessments to quality control measures.
“You’re building evidence over time,” said Christine, “it’s not a quick process.” But the results are worth it, “with this accreditation, decision-makers know that our results are reliable.”
The accredited tests are:
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New research recommends a joined-up European network to monitor forests.
Forest Research, alongside the University of York, Fera Science and The Tree Council, have developed a practical, new, robust resource to help local authorities effectively measure the social and cultural values of trees in their area.
New research to understand the existing provision of public access to woodlands in England, as well as opportunities for increasing access, has been published by Forest Research.
