NBFAC
Definition
National Bioforensic Analysis Center, Fort Detrick, Maryland. Established 2004 as the US federal government's primary bioforensics reference laboratory for biological evidence in law enforcement and counterterrorism investigations.
- Full name
- National Bioforensic Analysis Center
- Location
- Fort Detrick, Maryland, US
- Established
- 2004
- Role
- Primary US federal bioforensics reference laboratory
Common questions
What kind of casework does NBFAC handle?+
It analyses biological evidence tied to law enforcement and counterterrorism investigations, work that grew out of the need seen after the 2001 anthrax letter attacks for a dedicated federal capability to attribute biological agents to a source rather than only detect and identify them.
How does NBFAC's role differ from a public health laboratory analysing the same pathogen?+
A public health lab focuses on identifying an agent and guiding a clinical or containment response, while NBFAC's bioforensic mission is attribution, tracing a biological agent back to its likely production method or source, work that supports a criminal or national security investigation rather than patient care.
Related terms
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- RMR-1029
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- Select Agent
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