We admit, there are many ways one could take the acronym LAL. Recently we’ve had a few readers ask, “What exactly does LAL stand for?”

So, could it be…?

Live a Life

Latitude and Longitude

Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate

Laugh a Little

Long Arm of the Law

Local Analog Loopback

Livonia, Avon and Lakeland Railroad

Law Abiding Life

Which do you think it is?

Betting on Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate, aren’t you?

We figured as much.

What does LAL stand for?

(Drumroll please…)

Lakeland.

It is also the city’s airport code (which to us, is our calling card.)

And in case you were wondering (as were we), limulus amoebocyte lysate is an aqueous extract of blood cells from the Atlantic horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus. LAL reacts with bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide, which is a membrane component of gram-negative bacteria. This reaction is the basis of the LAL test, which is widely used for the detection and quantification of bacterial endotoxins.

And, there is your random science fact for the day.

So now, after two months of arriving to your inbox in the wee hours of the morning, we’re glad we could clear the air.

And if you’re still pretty new to LAL (figuratively or quite literally), welcome to the conversation.

- Kristin