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Since the inception of the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS), the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures
Center (NBACC) has developed the science critical to defend
the nation against bioterrorism. The Department of Homeland
Security’s Science and Technology Directorate is proud to
have NBACC as the first laboratory built for DHS – a national
resource to understand the scientific basis of the risk posed
by biological threats and to attribute their use in bioterror
or biocrime events.
The President and Congress have charged NBACC with research
and development of technologies to protect the American public
from bioterrorism. In November 2002, Congress passed the Homeland
Security Act in part to coordinate and advance homeland security
research and development activities across the federal government.
President Bush issued government-wide directives on biodefense
research and development in April 2004.
NBACC fills critical shortfalls in our scientific knowledge
of the biological agents that could be used to cause harm
to the American public. As we look to the future, our scientists
are helping federal policy makers and leadership to answer
critical questions for our nation’s security. What new vaccines
or therapies should be developed based on the risk posed by
biological threats? Will existing countermeasures protect
the public? What procedures can be employed to detect a planned
or actual bioterror event and to identify the perpetrators
of such events? How should the government prioritize biodefense
research to ensure that countermeasures are in place and in
sufficient quantities to respond to bioterror events?
To answer these questions NBACC is focused on developing
the right science to identify perpetrators of biological events
and to help guide the nation’s investments in vaccines, drugs,
detectors, and other countermeasures.
NBACC’s National Bioforensic Analysis Center (NBFAC)
conducts bioforensic analysis of evidence from a bio-crime
or terrorist attack to attain a “biological fingerprint” to
identify perpetrators and determine the origin and method
of attack. NBFAC is designated by Presidential Directive to
be the lead federal facility to conduct and facilitate the
technical forensic analysis and interpretation of materials
recovered following a biological attack in support of the
appropriate lead federal agency.
On January 12, 2007, NBFAC achieved ISO 17025 accreditation,
the most rigorous international standard of testing and calibration
by which a laboratory can be assessed. Through this achievement,
NBFAC has established itself as a model for bioforensic laboratory
practices.
NBACC’s Biological Threat Characterization Center
(BTCC) conducts studies and laboratory experiments
to fill in information gaps to better understand current and
future biological threats; to assess vulnerabilities and conduct
risk assessments; and to determine potential impacts to guide
the development of countermeasures such as detectors, drugs,
vaccines, and decontamination technologies.
In January 2006, BTCC completed and delivered to the President,
the Bioterrorism Risk Assessment, the nation’s first comprehensive
evaluation of the risks posed from bioterrorism threat agents.
The BTCC also completed an all-inclusive literature review
of animal modeling studies, to develop our scientific understanding
of the impact of biological agents in humans.
The Science and Technology Directorate oversees the management
of the NBACC as a federally funded research and development
center. On December 20, 2006, DHS selected Battelle National
Biodefense Institute to conduct scientific programs and operate
the NBACC facility. Construction of the new facility is underway,
with completion planned by 2008.
NBACC scientists and administrators collaborate with federal
agencies in support of the nation’s biodefense efforts. The
research facility will be located within the National Interagency
Biodefense Campus at Fort Detrick, Maryland. Collectively,
NBACC works with campus partners in the U.S. Army, the Department
of Health and Human Services, and the Agriculture Department
toward complementary biodefense-related research. Collaborations
with another Fort Detrick resident agency – the National Cancer
Institute – occurs under the auspices of the National Interagency
Confederation for Biological Research.
NBACC is proud to join its agency partners throughout the
federal government in advancing science for homeland security.
NBACC’s research expands the nation’s understanding of the
scientific characteristics of biological agents and forensics
analyses for government leadership to develop policies and
to build technologies to protect the American public against
bioterror events.
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