The Biological Threat Characterization Center (BTCC) is responsible for: conducting threat and risk assessments on both traditional and engineered agents; and performing experiments to close major scientific gaps that could have a large impact on how this nation structures its defenses.  The projects in the BTCC primarily fall in the categories of basic knowledge discovery and research and development and represent an enduring capability in the scientific personnel, facilities, and tools needed to better characterize the bio-terrorism risks confronting this nation.

   The National BioForensics and Analysis Center (NBFAC) is the Nation’s lead facility for technical analysis of samples from potential acts of bio-crimes or bio-terrorism.  NBFAC conducts operational forensics analysis in support of attribution following a bioterrorist attack; providing the tools to examine the biological agent, and the other non-biological materials in the sample for characteristic attributes (“fingerprints”) that could provide insight to where, when and how the sample was produced thereby helping in identifying, stopping, and prosecuting the perpetrator(s).

    NBFAC provides secure, state-of-the art, contamination free, bio-containment space for the analysis of evidentiary material; validated protocols for the biological, chemical and physical ‘fingerprints’ that those samples may contain; rigorous ‘chain of custody’ and quality control procedures to ensure the integrity of the sample and its analysis; and a network of  “spoke laboratories” to provide specialized capabilities.