The importance of NRL Testing

The critical task of ensuring accurate patient diagnosis is often left to highly-specialised reference and confirmatory testing laboratories.

NRL is proud of its reputation as a screening and confirmatory laboratory for infectious disease testing, including services such as reference testing, screening of blood and tissue donors, and contract testing.

Utilising validated testing strategies, NRL Testing operates as a reference laboratory for HIV, HCV and HTLV specimens whose status cannot be resolved by routine screening or other diagnostic laboratories.

As a GMP-accredited laboratory, NRL performs TGA-licensed screening of blood aRelated Informationnd tissue donors for HIV, HBV, HCV, HTLV and Syphilis. Where IVDs are not validated for alternative sample types, NRL offers TGA-licensed testing of cadaveric samples for use in certain serology and molecular IVDs.

Images from the NRL Testing team, about how they ensure accurate patient diagnosis

Our team offers

  • Reference Testing

    NRL Testing serves as a reference point for HIV, HCV and HTLV samples whose status cannot be resolved. NRL has designed testing strategies that include selected tests not widely used by other laboratories.

    These testing strategies have been developed by collecting and testing large numbers of samples, carrying out follow-up studies on indeterminate samples, and assessing the most efficient means of combining tests to give the most satisfactory and accurate diagnoses.

    TGA licensed Donor Screening

    TGA-licensed screening for HIV, HTLV, HCV, HBV and Syphilis for specimens collected from both living and cadaver donors.

    NRL performs testing for blood-borne viruses for services and companies involved in cell and tissue banking for transplantation and cell therapies in Australia. Infection status of the blood product or tissue sample is confirmed via multiple assays (serology, NAAT) prior to release for transfusion, transplantation and cell and tissue banking.

    Contract Testing

    The NRL Testing team can also undertake contract testing in the form of projects, clinical trials and collaborations for epidemiological purposes and assessment of new IVDs.

    Batch Release Testing

    NRL provides Batch Release Testing Services for HIV and Syphilis rapid test kits for the Point-of-care testing (PoCT) sites.  When you receive a new kit batch and require it to be released, don’t hesitate to get in touch [email protected]

Important information

  • Turn Around Times (TAT)

    HIV and HTLV Confirmatory Testing

    • Turnaround time for urgent specimen is 3 days of specimen receipt.
    • Turnaround time for non-urgent specimen is 7 days of specimen receipt.

     

    Donor Screening for HIV/HCV/HBV/HTLV/TREP

    • Turnaround time for urgent specimens is 3 days of specimen receipt.
    • Turnaround time for non-urgent specimen is 7-10 days of specimen receipt depending on our contracts.
    Supervising Pathologist

    NRL has a Supervising Pathologist. Please contact NRL Testing via our email below if you require clinical advice.

Forms and Information

Request for Diagnostic Testing

NRL have 3 options for you to fill out the Request for Diagnostic Testing form:

  1. You can fill this form on your browser, save the file with your changes and email it to us via “[email protected]” and/or “[email protected]”
  2. You can download this form, print it and fill out manually and scan and send it back to us via “[email protected]” and/or “[email protected]”
  3. You can download this form, print, and fill out and send it back to us with the testing specimens that are being delivered.
Diagnostic Request
Specimen Collection & Transport Requirements
Specimen Collection & Transport Requirements