The National Biocontainment Laboratories (NBLs) and Regional Biocontainment Laboratories (RBLs) provide BSL4/3/2 and BSL3/2 biocontainment facilities, respectively, for research on biodefense and emerging infectious disease agents.  

NIAID’s Diagnostics Development Services program offers reagents, platform testing, and planning and design support to accelerate product development of in vitro diagnostics (IVD) for infectious diseases, from research feasibility through clinical validation.

Artificial intelligence (AI), in its many forms, is applied to infectious disease research at the IRF-Frederick. Primarily focused on medical imaging of preclinical models, state of the art methods are developed, applied to ongoing research and translated to human studies of disease.

The virology team focuses on gaining a deeper understanding of viral pathogenesis and advancing clinical approaches to assist in managing diseases. The team works with a range of high-consequence viral pathogens.

The team leverages fundamental methodologies, such as: 

The pathology and histology teams work together to conduct morphologic assessments and molecular assays using in-life and postmortem samples attained during research studies that develop and use established animal models of high-consequence emerging human viruses. The clinical pathologic and histopathologic data are interpreted by the pathologists using historical controls, or within-study controls, to generate reports that address specific pathology-associated aims of each study.

The Clinical Studies Support Team (CSST) develops and fosters overseas relationships through continuous support of research studies and clinical trials involving pathogens of high consequence. When deployed, the team provides in-person training and assistance with assays, equipment, and project management.

The immunology team interrogates immune responses against pathogens requiring maximum containment by use of a variety of capabilities. These include but are not limited to cytometry (e.g., immunophenotyping), Luminex multiplex protein/cytokine arrays, cartridge-based cell- sorting (MACSQuant Tyto), ELISAs, serology, in vitro functional assays, intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) enzyme-linked immune absorbent spot (ELISPOT; e.g., T cell and B cell).

The IRF-Frederick is equipped with a one-of-a-kind multi-modality imaging suite, containing both clinical and pre-clinical imaging scanners, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and computed tomography (CT).

The electron microscopy (EM) laboratory team uses transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), negative staining techniques and assays, immunogold labeling, quantitation of biological samples, and other specialized methods. The EM team at the Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick (IRF Frederick) uses these varied capabilities for the analysis of biological samples at an ultrastructural level.

The drug screening team tests and characterizes novel compounds, drugs, and antibodies against numerous viruses in multiple cell lines under a variety of conditions. Compounds are evaluated in cell-based assays for inhibition of viral replication and reduction of virus yields, plaques, or cytopathic effect. In addition, recombinant reporter gene viruses are available as tools for antiviral screening.