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Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted. The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov. Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov.

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Special Procedures Lab (Hot Lab)

The Special Procedures Lab is available for any NIH researcher who is performing an iodination, tritiation​, or any procedure involving volatile materials. The Hot Lab is also accessible to those who need to perform procedures that are not related to research, such as splitting a shipment that is too large for delivery to a laboratory.

Despite the availability of the Hot Lab, DRS encourages researchers to set up a facility within their own laboratory which does not require the use of the DRS Special Procedures Lab. For more information about setting up a Protocol Lab, contact your Area Health Physicist. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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​Special Procedures Laboratory Policies and Procedures ​

The Special Procedures Lab is located in Building 21 and is currently open Monday through Friday, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Please note that researchers using the Hot Lab will have to provide some of their own equipment. DRS recommends visiting the hot lab prior to your appointment.​

Special Procedures Lab users must: 

  • Be trained and registered with DRS 
  • Have a baseline bioassay 
  • Have a set of typed or hand-written procedures 
  • Be accompanied by an experienced Special Procedures Lab user if using the Hot Lab for the first time
  • Have an appointment (no walk-ins) 

To schedule an appointment, researchers can call (301) 496-5774 Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. ​Appointments will be cancelled for any researcher who is more than 30 minutes late and who has not notified the Special Procedures Lab personnel. ​

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