United States Army Biological Warfare Laboratories

The U.S. Army Biological Warfare Laboratories (USBWL) was a suite of research laboratories and pilot plant centers operating at Camp (later Fort) Detrick, Maryland, United States, beginning in 1943 under the control of the U.S. Army Chemical Corps Research and Development Command.

The USBWL undertook research and development into biocontainment, decontamination, gaseous sterilization, and agent production and purification for the U.S. offensive biological warfare program.

The USBWL was created after Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson requested the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 1941 to review the feasibility of biological warfare (BW).

After that, the official policy of the United States was first to deter the use of BW against U.S. forces and secondarily to retaliate if deterrence failed.

They consisted of a diverse group of USBWL participants ranging from animal caretakers to top scientists.

Researchers working with Class III cabinets at the USBWL, Camp Detrick , Maryland (1940s). Cabinet air was filtered and drawn by negative pressure from the room and cabinet systems.