The Microbial Infections Reference Laboratory (MIRL) was established by Dr. Monto Ho, the founding director of the Division of Clinical Research, in July 1997 to help fulfill the mission of the Division to conduct surveillance and research on antimicrobial resistance and infectious diseases to assist in their control.
The goals of MIRL include surveillance, research, service, and advocacy. The Division of Clinical Research was renamed Division of Infectious Diseases in 2009 to better reflect its mission, and then merged with the Vaccine Research and Development Center in 2011 to become the present “National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology (NIIDV). The Taiwan Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance (TSAR), was implemented in 1998 to systematically document, store, and track pathogenic bacteria and their antimicrobial resistance. TSAR is a biennial multicenter surveillance program of clinical isolates from inpatient and outpatients. Under the support and guidance of the Division/Institute directors and MIRL Steering Committee, ten rounds of TSAR have been completed.
In addition to TSAR, several researchers of NIIDV have been conducting studies on the mechanism of and molecular epidemiology of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, and on virulence and pathogenesis of different pathogens. Many of these studies have been conducted in collaboration with researchers and infectious disease experts in Taiwan and abroad. The aim of the MIRL website is to share our research findings and resources with interested parties. We also hope to promote collaboration through interaction and exchange of information via this website.