 The early organisations were the State Serum Laboratory (1911–1947; provisional 1911–1914), the State Serum Institute (1947–1970) and the Public Health Laboratory (1970–1981).The new Act in 1982 paved way for its transformation from a practical microbiological and clinical chemistry laboratory towards a research institute specializing in public health and prevention of diseases.This development was also seen in the organisation structure; new departments in Epidemiology and Environmental Health (originally Toxicology and Environmental Hygiene) were founded.