New accredited laboratory established at UCT Prague

The Forensic Laboratory of Biologically Active Substances (BAFA), led by Assoc. Prof. Martin Kuchař, has created a new laboratory in its recently extended and renovated workspace. The long-term efforts of the entire BAFA team have paid off by succeeding in completing a rigorous accreditation and certification process. The new BAFA Testing Laboratory thus has obtained accreditation, receiving the prestigious ČSN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018 standard certificate by meeting all the requirements imposed on the lab (i.e. top management credentials and high levels of expertise and technical competence for employees), ensuring international recognition for the BAFA Testing Laboratory.

The impulse for establishing such an accredited laboratory also came from the new national legal framework for control of psychomodulatory substances (Act No. 321/2024 Coll.). This framework aims to define the requirements for the quality of allowed psychomodulatory substances as well as standards for accredited analytical laboratories performing quality controls.

Research into psychoactive substances is BAFA’s main focus. Expertise in the analysis of samples containing these substances, as well as the experience of BAFA team members from the commercial-regulated environment, were fully utilized in establishing the BAFA Testing Laboratory.

“Obtaining accreditation is a great success for our laboratory. It opens up new possibilities for us, such as collaboration with other accredited laboratories not only at UCT Prague, but also internationally,” says Lucie Janečková, manager of the BAFA Testing Laboratory.

Currently, BAFA Testing Laboratory’s main work involves the analysis of kratom (Mitragyna speciosa leaves), which is classified as a psychomodulatory substance. The laboratory has been providing kratom analyses to its clients for a long time, and obtaining accreditation clearly confirms the credibility of the laboratory and the reliability of testing results.

The accreditation of another UCT Prague laboratory is an illustration of the aptness of the significant scientific, research, and educational institution in being a full-fledged partner with the commercial sphere.