Khalifa University’s Center for Biotechnology Becomes First Research Center in UAE to Receive EIAC Accreditation for ISO-15189:2012 Compliance
KU-BTC Now Eligible to Offer State-of-the-Art Scientific Research and Innovation in Molecular Biology
Khalifa University of Science and Technology announced the Khalifa University Center for Biotechnology (KU-BTC) has become the first research center in the UAE to receive accreditation from the Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC) for ‘‘Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)’, following its compliance with the ISO 15189:2012 requirements on quality and competence.
With this, KU-BTC will be conducting research in a high-quality standard environment to undertake medical research in molecular biology. This accreditation strengthens the credibility and quality of services of the KU-BTC to ensure international standards for training and scientific research with state-of-the-art technology.
Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University, said: “Our research centers focus not only on academic and scientific exploration, but also on complying with global criteria while offering top-of-the-range research services to stakeholders. We believe creditworthy recognitions such as this acknowledgement from EIAC for ISO 15189:2012 compliance will provide us further momentum to expand and strengthen our activities across many areas within the academic, research and services spectrum.”
Dr. Habiba Alsafar, Director, BTC, and Associate Professor, Molecular Biology and Genetics, said: “The ISO-15189:2012 accreditation from EIAC for NGS makes KU-BTC the first research center to receive such a certification. The ISO-15189 is a mark of confidence awarded to medical laboratories – an accreditation that proves an institution’s dedication to delivering a proficient and quality research service across all aspects of the operation.”
More recently, the KU-BTC became the first non-diagnostic research laboratory in the UAE to get accredited by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, for fulfilling a criteria of Approved Practice Setting (APS) that can currently be otherwise fulfilled only by diagnostics facility in hospitals or medical centers or diagnostics medical laboratories.
KU-BTC also remains proactive in engaging students and nurturing their core skills in healthcare. For the past five years KU-BTC trained students were empowered with technical competence and the confidence required to work in a molecular biology and genetics laboratory. More than 100 third- and fourth-year bachelor’s students in Biology and related sciences participated in various Molecular Biology projects and learnt invaluable skills like DNA extraction, PCR testing, Genotyping and NGS.
Clarence Michael
English Editor Specialist
25 November 2022
