WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security named the Battelle National Biodefense Institute as operators of a new biological-threat analysis lab in Maryland.
Battelle received a five-year contract from the department to carry out both operations and scientific programs at the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center currently under construction at Fort Detrick, Md.
The facility on the grounds of the National Interagency Biodefense Campus will be completed next year and covers 160,000 square feet. It will employ 120 staffers and provide researchers with a secure bio-containment lab for work on potential biological threats.
A primary mission of the lab will be to quickly analyze, identify and characterize a biological threat. It will be under the authority of the Department of Homeland Security's Directorate of Science and Technology, which develops counter-terrorism technology for federal, state and local agencies.
"Scientific research is fundamental to reducing the high consequences of a biological attack," said science and technology Undersecretary Jay Cohen. "Our threat picture is ever-changing, and this state-of-the-art center will provide an enduring biodefense capability against the threats we face."
Battelle's initial five-year contract is valued at $250 million. It includes provisions for five one-year extensions that would bring the total potential value of the pact to $500 million.
