The Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) is an American triservice research laboratory in

Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...

chartered by

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

in 1960 and formally established in 1961. It conducts research in the field of

radiobiology Radiobiology (also known as radiation biology, and uncommonly as actinobiology) is a field of clinical and basic medical sciences that involves the study of the action of ionizing radiation on living things, especially health effects of radiation. ...

and related matters which are essential to the operational and medical support of the

U.S. Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secur ...

(DoD) and the U.S. military services. AFRRI provides services and performs cooperative research with other federal and civilian agencies and institutions.

History

Department of Defense (DoD) interest in the health effects of exposure to radiological agents (

), born in the wake of the

Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was a research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the project w ...

, motivated a 1958

Bureau of Medicine and Surgery The Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) is an agency of the United States Department of the Navy that manages health care activities for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. BUMED operates hospitals and other health c ...

proposal that a bionuclear research facility be established to study such issues. On June 8, 1960, Public Law 86-500 authorized the construction of such a facility, including a laboratory and

vivarium A vivarium (Latin, literally for "place of life"; plural: ''vivaria'' or ''vivariums'') is an area, usually enclosed, for keeping and raising animals or plants for observation or research. Water-based vivaria may have open tops providing they a ...

under the Defense Atomic Support Agency (DASA, now the

Defense Threat Reduction Agency The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) is a combat support agency within the United States Department of Defense (DoD) for countering weapons of mass destruction (WMD; chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high explosives). Ac ...

(DTRA)); on December 2, 1960, DASA and the surgeons general of the Army,

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

, and

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...

approved a charter for the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFFRI). The institute was formally established on May 12, 1961, by DoD Directive 5154.16 as a joint agency of the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

, and

under the command and administrative control of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). Research at AFRRI began in January 1962, although the laboratory became fully operational only in September 1963. AFFRI included a Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics (TRIGA) Mark F nuclear reactor (uniquely allowing studies of

nuclear weapon A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bom ...

radiation characteristics facilities), laboratory space, and an animal facility. A high-dose

cobalt-60 Cobalt-60 (60Co) is a synthetic radioactive isotope of cobalt with a half-life of 5.2713 years. It is produced artificially in nuclear reactors. Deliberate industrial production depends on neutron activation of bulk samples of the monoisot ...

facility, 54-megaelectron volt (54,000,000

electron volt In physics, an electronvolt (symbol eV, also written electron-volt and electron volt) is the measure of an amount of kinetic energy gained by a single electron accelerating from rest through an electric potential difference of one volt in vacuum ...

)

linear accelerator A linear particle accelerator (often shortened to linac) is a type of particle accelerator that accelerates charged subatomic particles or ions to a high speed by subjecting them to a series of oscillating electric potentials along a linear ...

(LINAC), and low-level cobalt-60 irradiation facility were later added. In July 1964, AFRRI was moved to DASA, and the Chief of DASA became '' ex officio'' chair of AFRRI's Board of Governors. While nominally an operational field element of DASA, AFFRI functioned largely independently. In the 1960s, the institute's research was partitioned into five departments:

Experimental Pathology Experimental pathology, also known as investigative pathology, is the scientific study of disease processes through the microscopic or molecular examination of organs, tissues, cells, or body fluids from diseased organisms. It is closely related ...

, Behavioral Sciences,

Physical Sciences Physical science is a branch of natural science that studies non-living systems, in contrast to life science. It in turn has many branches, each referred to as a "physical science", together called the "physical sciences". Definition Phy ...

, Chemistry, and

Radiation Biology Radiobiology (also known as radiation biology, and uncommonly as actinobiology) is a field of clinical and basic medical sciences that involves the study of the action of ionizing radiation on living things, especially health effects of radiation. ...

; it also focused on biological responses, with an emphasis on high doses of external radiation. AFRRI conducted

animal testing Animal testing, also known as animal experimentation, animal research, and ''in vivo'' testing, is the use of non-human animals in experiments that seek to control the variables that affect the behavior or biological system under study. This ...

to determine the effects of radiation doses and opened collaborations with universities, government agencies, and corporations. In 1971, DASA ceased to exist and AFRRI passed to its successor, the Defense Nuclear Agency (later DTRA). To address growing DOD concerns about the correlation between radiation presence and cancer in service members, AFRRI helped establish the Nuclear Test Personnel Review (NTPR) program in January 1978. NTPR-which still operates today-estimated the absorbed radiation dose of veterans who participated in U.S. atmospheric nuclear tests or the postwar occupations of Hiroshima and

Nagasaki is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole Nanban trade, port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hi ...

immediately after the

atomic bombings The United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945, respectively. The two bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians, and remain the onl ...

and determined monetary compensation for long-term radiation-related illnesses accordingly. AFFRI's experience and expertise in

nuclear accidents A nuclear and radiation accident is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as "an event that has led to significant consequences to people, the environment or the facility. Examples include lethal effects to individuals, lar ...

hazardous materials Dangerous goods, abbreviated DG, are substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials ( syllab ...

, and radiological cleanup issues was later leveraged during AFRRI's joining of the International Chernobyl Site Restoration Assistance Team, which responded to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. AFFRI later assisted environmental cleanup efforts Semipatatinck Soviet nuclear test site in modern

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

. The late-70s saw AFRRI greatly increase its biomedical staff to address military radiation injury concerns. The Defense Nuclear Agency transferred control of AFRRI to the

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) is a health science university of the U.S. federal government. The primary mission of the school is to prepare graduates for service to the U.S. at home and abroad in the medical corps as ...

(USUHS) in 1993. The end of the Cold War saw AFRRI's funding and personnel levels diminish and its termination proposed. However, the lack of alternative research institutions led to military leaders' decision to keep AFRRI operational. American interest in nuclear preparedness resurged in the late-1990s as

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and Pakistan developed and tested nuclear weapons and suspicions grew that

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

and

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

sought to do the same. As private companies lacked the incentive to develop radioprotectants (drugs protecting against radiation damage) and

countermeasures A countermeasure is a measure or action taken to counter or offset another one. As a general concept, it implies precision and is any technological or tactical solution or system designed to prevent an undesirable outcome in the process. The fi ...

for the military, funding for AFRRI was increased in 2000. Post- 9/11 fears of terrorist threats also stimulated support for AFFRI. The attacks helped expand AFRRI's scope of work to include minimizing the effects of radiological dispersal devices (i.e. dirty bombs), terrorist access to radiation sources, and sabotage of nuclear reactors. Despite this, AFRRI remained limited by a lack of proper funding, facilities, and personnel. Extra support granted in 2003 and 2004 allowed for infrastructural upgrades and the development of a radioprotective drug, 5-androstenediol. As of the 2010s and 2020s, AFRRI is DOD's only medical research and development initiative dedicated to nuclear and radiological defense. It serves the military by performing medical research and development, education, and advisory and consultative functions to increase understanding of the effects and risks of ionizing radiation.

Mission

AFRRI is charged with executing DoD's Medical Radiological Defense Research Program. Its civilian and active duty military personnel conduct exploratory and developmental research to identify and develop medical countermeasures against ionizing radiation. Core areas of study include prevention, assessment, and treatment of radiological injuries. The program seeks to develop prophylactic (disease preventing) and therapeutic drugs, such as Ex-Rad, that prevent and treat radiation injuries and to develop rapid high-precision analytical methods that assess radiation exposure doses from clinical samples and thus aid in the

triage In medicine, triage () is a practice invoked when acute care cannot be provided for lack of resources. The process rations care towards those who are most in need of immediate care, and who benefit most from it. More generally it refers to prio ...

and medical management of radiological casualties. New drug candidates and biological dose assessment technologies are developed up to and through preclinical testing and evaluation. Primary research areas of the Institute include biodosimetry, combined injury (radiation with other medical insults), internal contamination and metal toxicity, medical countermeasure development, animal welfare, assessment of radiation injury, and radiation facilities.

Research Mission

AFRRI's research focuses on its goals to: * Develop methods of rapidly assessing radiation exposure to assure appropriate medical treatment * Pursue new drugs that will prevent the life-threatening and health-degrading effects of ionizing radiation and move those drugs from discovery through the

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...

approval process * Investigate the effects of radiation injury combined with other challenges such as trauma, disease, and chemical exposures * Contribute to the knowledge base that is useful in understanding, for example, the effects of space radiation on

astronauts An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...

Responsibilities

AFRRI is charged with the following: * Operating research facilities for and disseminate results from the study of

and ionizing radiation bioeffects and the development of medical countermeasures against ionizing radiation * Providing analysis, study, and consultation on the impact of the biological effects of ionizing radiation on the organizational efficiency of the U.S. military services and their members * Conducting cooperative research with military medical departments in those aspects of military and operational and medical support considerations related to nuclear weapons effects and the radiobiological hazards of space operations * Conducting advanced training in the field of

and the biological effects of nuclear and radiobiological weapons to meet the internal requirements of AFRRI, the military services, and other DoD components and organizations * Participating in cooperative research and other enterprises, consistent with the AFRRI mission and applicable authorities, with other federal agencies involved in

homeland security Homeland security is an American national security term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive" t ...

and emergency medical preparedness * Informing and appraising department, government, academic, corporate, and other nongovernmental organizations of its (AFRRI's) activities * Performing other such functions as may be assigned by the

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (ASD(HA)) is chartered under United States Department of Defense Directive (DoDD) 5136.1 in 1994. This DoDD states that the ASD(HA) is the principal advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Defense o ...

(ASD(HA)) * Overseeing DoD's Medical Radiological Defense Research Program

Organization

AFRRI is a joint entity of the three military departments and is subject to the authority and direction of the president of the

(USU),

, and

Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness The under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, or USD (P&R) is a high-ranking civilian position in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) within the United States Department of Defense responsible for advising the secretary an ...

. The institute is led by a Director and Scientific Director.

Director

The director of the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute is appointed by the surgeons general of the

, and

to a four-year term. Additionally, the director must hold a

doctoral degree A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...

in the life sciences and be a military officer. It is the director's responsibility to act as liaison to the heads of DoD's components and other governmental and nongovernmental agencies and to ensure that other DoD components are appraised of AFRRI's activities. All directors have been

captains Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

colonels Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

. The current director is

Col. Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Dr. Mohammed Naeem as of August 2021. Subordinate to the director are a deputy director, secretary, scientific advisor, radiation safety officer, director for administration, senior enlisted advisor, and chief of staff (overseeing a chief of finance and deputy chief of staff).

Scientific Director

AFRRI's scientific director exercises scientific leadership and the administration and supervision of the institute's research-oriented departments and the overall scientific and technical planning of the research program. He or she also serves as the scientific liaison to outside entities. There is also a scientific advisor who counsels the director and acts as a liaison with outside agencies but is not a part of the chain of command. Generally, scientific directors are civilian

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

-holders.

Board of Governors

AFRRI's Board of Governors, which once meet at least once every year, comprises the following members: * Chairman: Principal Deputy

(PDASD(HA)) * Executive Secretary: Director of AFRRI * The Surgeons General of the Army,

, and

* The Deputy Chiefs of Staff for Operations of the Army, Navy, and Air Force * The Joint Staff Surgeon * The president of

USUHS Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) is a health science university of the U.S. federal government. The primary mission of the school is to prepare graduates for service to the U.S. at home and abroad in the medical corps as ...

* A representative of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs (see

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical & Biological Defense Programs The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical & Biological Defense Programs, or ASD(NCB), is the principal adviser to the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainm ...

) * Any additional representatives of DoD Components or other federal agencies chosen by the

, ASD(HA)

Departments

As of 2014, AFRRI comprised the following departments, each headed by a department head or manager: * Radiation Sciences * Scientific Research * Military Medical Operations * Veterinary Sciences * Facilities Management * Good Laboratory Practice/Test Facility * Administration Support

Research components

AFFRI subdivides its laboratory research program into four area-specific laboratories and one center discussed in length in this page's Laboratories, center, and equipment section.

Outreach and support education components

AFFRI's Military Medical Operations (MMO) Team, staffed by

health physicists Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

and radiation trained physicians, exists to apply and make useful AFRRI's research. Education outreach is provided by the Medical Effects of Ionizing Radiation (MEIR) Course and operational support by the Medical Radiobiology Advisory Team (MRAT), both available at all times to assist with radiation education or provide emergency advice.

Medical Effects of Ionizing Radiation (MEIR) Course

The MEIR Course is a

post-graduate Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree. The organization and stru ...

instructional course concerning the biomedical consequences of radiation exposure, how the effects can be reduced, and how to medically manage casualties. The training includes combat and noncombat and

weapon A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, ...

and non-weapons nuclear incidents. Main focuses include

health physics Health physics, also referred to as the science of radiation protection, is the profession devoted to protecting people and their environment from potential radiation hazards, while making it possible to enjoy the beneficial uses of radiation. H ...

, biological effects of radiation, medical/health effects, and psychological effects. MEIR Courses are three-days in length and conducted at major U.S. military bases worldwide; intended students are military medical personnel such as physicians,

nurses Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

, medical planners, and

first responders A first responder is a person with specialized training who is among the first to arrive and provide assistance or incident resolution at the scene of an emergency, such as an accident, disaster, medical emergency, structure fire, crime, or terr ...

Medical Radiobiology Advisory Team (MRAT)

MRAT provides health physics, medical, and radiobiological advice to military and civilian

command and control Command and control (abbr. C2) is a "set of organizational and technical attributes and processes ... hatemploys human, physical, and information resources to solve problems and accomplish missions" to achieve the goals of an organization or en ...

operations worldwide in response to nuclear and radiological incidents requiring coordinated federal responses. MRATs are deployable team responsible for providing expert advice to incident commanders and staff during radiological incident. Each MRAT is a two-person team, usually consisting of one health physicist and one

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

, both specializing in the health effects of radiation, biodosimetry, and treatment of radiation casualties. Through what the AFRRI terms "reachback," deployed MRAT responders can call on the knowledge and skills of radiobiologists, biodosimetrists, and other research professionals at AFRRI and other

Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...

response teams.

Other

AFRRI has a Radiation Biodosimetry Division. Additionally, AFRRI publishes various guidebooks and manuals regarding

nuclear accident A nuclear and radiation accident is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as "an event that has led to significant consequences to people, the environment or the facility. Examples include lethal effects to individuals, lar ...

response and treatment, as well as journal articles, books, and scientific and technical reports.

Facilities and infrastructure

Headquarters

Construction at AFRRI's main headquarters/facility in

began in November 1960, preceding the organization's official charter and establishment dates. It was occupied by January 1962 and fully operational by November 1963. Facilities include a Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics (TRIGA) nuclear reactor, laboratory space, an animal facility. a high-dose

facility, a 54-megaelectron volt

(LINAC), and a low-level cobalt-60 irradiation facility. AFRRI's Bethesda TRIGA reactor is still operational and has a power level of 1,100 kW.

TRIGA NRC violation

An April 2019 followup investigation by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which oversees nuclear facilities such as those operated by AFRRI, found a Severity Level IV violation.

Laboratories, center, and equipment

AFRRI is a fully equipped research facility capable of state of the art molecular,

cellular Cellular may refer to: *Cellular automaton, a model in discrete mathematics * Cell biology, the evaluation of cells work and more * ''Cellular'' (film), a 2004 movie *Cellular frequencies, assigned to networks operating in cellular RF bands *Cell ...

, microbiology, genetic and biochemical research. Its four laboratories and one center are: * Cellular/Molecular Laboratory: Used for the manipulation and analysis of biological samples. Equipped with cell culture incubators,

laminar Laminar means "flat". Laminar may refer to: Terms in science and engineering: * Laminar electronics or organic electronics, a branch of material sciences dealing with electrically conductive polymers and small molecules * Laminar armour or "band ...

flow hoods,

microwaves Microwave is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from about one meter to one millimeter corresponding to frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz respectively. Different sources define different frequency rang ...

refrigerators A refrigerator, colloquially fridge, is a commercial and home appliance consisting of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump (mechanical, electronic or chemical) that transfers heat from its inside to its external environment so th ...

, -80 °C and -20 °C

freezers A refrigerator, colloquially fridge, is a commercial and home appliance consisting of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump (mechanical, electronic or chemical) that transfers heat from its inside to its external environment so th ...

, micro-weight scales,

pH meter A pH meter is a scientific instrument that measures the hydrogen-ion activity in water-based solutions, indicating its acidity or alkalinity expressed as pH. The pH meter measures the difference in electrical potential between a pH elect ...

s, electrophoresis stations, HPLC equipment, thermo cyclers, iQ5, Experion, Millipore

pure water Purified water is water that has been mechanically filtered or processed to remove impurities and make it suitable for use. Distilled water was, formerly, the most common form of purified water, but, in recent years, water is more frequently puri ...

systems, DNA synthesizers, DNA sequencers,

spectrophotometers Spectrophotometry is a branch of electromagnetic spectroscopy concerned with the quantitative measurement of the reflection or transmission properties of a material as a function of wavelength. Spectrophotometry uses photometers, known as spec ...

, micro-centrifuges, liquid nitrogen storage, electroporator, vacuum transfer systems, light microscopes,

inverted microscope An inverted microscope is a microscope with its light source and condenser on the top, above the stage pointing down, while the objectives and turret are below the stage pointing up. It was invented in 1850 by J. Lawrence Smith, a faculty membe ...

s, incubators, a Coulter Particle Counter, slide stainer, cytospin, luminometers,

Western blot The western blot (sometimes called the protein immunoblot), or western blotting, is a widely used analytical technique in molecular biology and immunogenetics to detect specific proteins in a sample of tissue homogenate or extract. Besides detect ...

imagers, sonicators, plate readers, plate washers, chemical hoods, flammable cabinets, acid solvent cabinets, wash stations and water baths. * Cytogenetic Laboratory: Used for

cytogenetic Cytogenetics is essentially a branch of genetics, but is also a part of cell biology/cytology (a subdivision of human anatomy), that is concerned with how the chromosomes relate to cell behaviour, particularly to their behaviour during mitosis an ...

biodosimetry analyses. Equipped with TECAN Evo 200 (robotic platform), HANABHI Harvester PII & PIII (

chromosome A chromosome is a long DNA molecule with part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells the most important of these proteins are ...

harvesters), HANABI Spreader, Auto Stainer & Auto Image capture digital microscope, and LIMS. * Microbiology Laboratory: Used for the manipulation of pathogenic microorganisms. Equipped with laminar flow hoods, refrigerators, incubators, water baths, a Vitek analyzer for bacterial identification, spectrophotometers, traditional

bacterial culture A microbiological culture, or microbial culture, is a method of multiplying microbial organisms by letting them reproduce in predetermined culture medium under controlled laboratory conditions. Microbial cultures are foundational and basic diagn ...

equipment, and flammable cabinets. * Instrumentation Laboratories: Equipped with an

autoclave An autoclave is a machine used to carry out industrial and scientific processes requiring elevated temperature and pressure in relation to ambient pressure and/or temperature. Autoclaves are used before surgical procedures to perform sterilizati ...

, TaqMan real-time PCR, FACScan ( automated flow cytometer), FACSCalibur, luminometer, spectrophotometer,

densitometer A densitometer is a device that measures the degree of darkness (the optical density) of a photographic or semitransparent material or of a reflecting surface. The densitometer is basically a light source aimed at a photoelectric cell. It determ ...

, Luminex 100 (flow cytometry analyzer) and BioRobot 8000 (automated handler for reactions or purification of DNA, RNA, and

recombinant proteins Recombinant DNA (rDNA) molecules are DNA molecules formed by laboratory methods of genetic recombination (such as molecular cloning) that bring together genetic material from multiple sources, creating sequences that would not otherwise be fou ...

). * Biomedical Instrumentation Center: Core facility staffed with trained personnel to assist with flow cytometry, imaging and proteomics/ genomics. Equipped with an EPICS ELITE ESP cell sorter, EPICS XLMCL cell analyzer, Amnis ImageStream imaging flow cytometer, LSR II, Luminex 100, and confocal,

fluorescence Fluorescence is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation. It is a form of luminescence. In most cases, the emitted light has a longer wavelength, and therefore a lower photon energy, tha ...

, and

electron microscopes An electron microscope is a microscope that uses a beam of accelerated electrons as a source of illumination. As the wavelength of an electron can be up to 100,000 times shorter than that of visible light photons, electron microscopes have a hi ...

Awards, recognition, and accomplishments

In 2004, AFRRI was awarded the

Joint Meritorious Unit Award The Joint Meritorious Unit Award (JMUA) is a US military award that was established on June 4, 1981, by Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and was implemented by Department of Defense Directive 1348.27 dated July 22, 1982. The Joint Meritor ...

for "exceptionally meritorious achievements" between September 11, 2001, and February 17, 2004, in response to acts of terrorism and nuclear/radiological threats worldwide. In August 2009, the

American Nuclear Society The American Nuclear Society (ANS) is an international, not-for-profit organization of scientists, engineers, and industry professionals that promote the field of nuclear engineering and related disciplines. ANS is composed of three communities: ...

designated AFRRI a nuclear historic landmark as the U.S.'s primary source of medical nuclear and radiological research, preparedness, and training. AFRRI has contributed significantly to the development of

Amifostine Amifostine (ethiofos) is a cytoprotective adjuvant used in cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy involving DNA-binding chemotherapeutic agents. It is marketed by Clinigen Group under the trade name Ethyol. Indications Amifostine is used therapeuti ...

Neupogen Filgrastim, sold under the brand name Neupogen among others, is a medication used to treat low neutrophil count. Low neutrophil counts may occur with HIV/AIDS, following chemotherapy or radiation poisoning, or be of an unknown cause. It may ...

Neulasta Pegfilgrastim, sold under the brand name Neulasta among others, is a PEGylated form of the recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF) analog filgrastim. It serves to stimulate the production of white blood cells ( neutrophi ...

Nplate Romiplostim, sold under the brand name Nplate among others, is a fusion protein analog of thrombopoietin, a hormone that regulates platelet production. Indications and Marketing The drug was developed by Amgen through a restricted usage program ...

, and Leukine, a series of drugs treating or preventing radiation injuries.

References

External links

Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute website

DoD Mishaps
{{authority control Radiobiology * United States Department of Defense agencies Bethesda, Maryland Military in Maryland