The DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center highlights its accomplishments for 2023 in this edition of The Year in Review. In this document, you will read about our unwavering commitment to CBRNE defense research and engineering solutions supporting the warfighter and our nation. In these pages, you will find several examples of our enhanced partnerships with existing customers and new, groundbreaking collaborations with other research organizations, and examples of innovation including:

•  A new memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the U.S. Army’s military working dog program clearly indicates the Army’s commitment to shaping its future. We are proud to be a part of this agreement, which signals a promising future for the U.S. Army.
• Center technologies displayed at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency Joint Science and Technology Office Chemical and Biological Operational Analysis event. One of the primary technologies on display was an autonomous equipment decontamination system DEVCOM CBC is developing in conjunction with other DEVCOM laboratories and industry.
• The Deployable Microsensor System initiative which aims to improve how well sensors detect threat agents in the field, better position them on the battlefield by making them easier to distribute and improve how the sensors’ output is analyzed. The driving goal of the initiative is to increase the distance between a sensor’s detection of a threat and the warfighter.
• Using seed money from an internal fund designed to test new ideas, two DEVCOM CBC scientists developed a simple-to-use device that simultaneously tests for the presence of synthetic opioids and chemical and biological agents.

And much more!

Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD — Read about the DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center’s accomplishments for 2022 in this edition of The Year in Review. You will see how the Center built upon its 105-year history to maintain and enhance its unique position conducting innovative CBRNE defense research. The year saw many new initiatives that support the warfighter and help protect the nation.

• The Center began producing melanin in its one-of-a-kind biomanufacturing facility, an example of how the Center is at the forefront of synthetic biology.
• Center scientists held a field demonstration with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency showing how unmanned aerial vehicles combined with chemical biological sensors can automate decontamination on the battlefield.
• On the world stage, the Center contributed to the global elimination of chemical weapons by placing a senior scientist on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Scientific Advisory Board.
• In support of industry at home, Center experts created new technology transfer agreements which invigorate the economy and expand the nation’s chemical biological defense industrial base.
• In our surrounding communities, members of the Center workforce volunteered their time to provide STEM outreach in local schools, including using virtual reality to teach chemistry.