Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute

Department of Defense (DoD) interest in the health effects of exposure to radiological agents (radiobiology), born in the wake of the Manhattan Project, motivated a 1958 Bureau of Medicine and Surgery 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 under the Defense Atomic Support Agency (DASA, now the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)); on December 2, 1960, DASA and the surgeons general of the Army, Navy, and Air Force 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, Navy, and Air Force 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 radiation characteristics facilities), laboratory space, and an animal facility. A high-dose cobalt-60 facility, 54-megaelectron volt (54,000,000 electron volt) linear accelerator (LINAC), and low-level cobalt-60 irradiation facility were later added. 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 and medical management of radiological casualties. New drug candidates and biological dose assessment technologies are developed up to and through preclinical testing and evaluation. Its most recent Strategic Plan (2023–2027) describes how AFRRI aligns with the National Defense Strategy. 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 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 ==Organization==

AFRRI is a joint entity of the three military departments and is subject to the authority and direction of the president of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, and Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. The institute is led by a Director and Scientific Director. 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). 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 Medical Effects of Ionizing Radiation (MEIR) Course The MEIR Course is a post-graduate 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 and non-weapons nuclear incidents. Main focuses include health physics, 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, medical planners, and first responders. 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, 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 response teams. as well as journal articles, books, and scientific and technical reports. ==Facilities and infrastructure==

Headquarters Construction at AFRRI's main headquarters/facility in Bethesda, Maryland 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 cobalt-60 facility, a 54-megaelectron volt linear accelerator (LINAC), and a low-level cobalt-60 irradiation facility. 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. This involved the operation of the reactor, at low power, using a new control console, without completing all necessary safety evaluations for the replaced equipment. Laboratories, center, and equipment AFRRI is a fully equipped research facility capable of state of the art molecular, cellular, 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 flow hoods, microwaves, refrigerators, −80 °C and −20 °C freezers, micro-weight scales, pH meters, electrophoresis stations, HPLC equipment, thermo cyclers, iQ5, Experion, Millipore pure water systems, DNA synthesizers, DNA sequencers, spectrophotometers, micro-centrifuges, liquid nitrogen storage, electroporator, vacuum transfer systems, light microscopes, inverted microscopes, incubators, a Coulter Particle Counter, slide stainer, cytospin, luminometers, Western blot imagers, sonicators, plate readers, plate washers, chemical hoods, flammable cabinets, acid solvent cabinets, wash stations and water baths. • Cytogenetic Laboratory: Used for cytogenetic biodosimetry analyses. Equipped with TECAN Evo 200 (robotic platform), HANABHI Harvester PII & PIII (chromosome 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 equipment, and flammable cabinets. • Instrumentation Laboratories: Equipped with an autoclave, TaqMan real-time PCR, FACScan (automated flow cytometer), FACSCalibur, luminometer, spectrophotometer, densitometer, Luminex 100 (flow cytometry analyzer) and BioRobot 8000 (automated handler for reactions or purification of DNA, RNA, and recombinant proteins). • 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, and electron microscopes. ==Awards, recognition, and accomplishments==

In 2004, AFRRI was awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Award 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 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, Neupogen, Neulasta, Nplate, and Leukine, a series of drugs treating or preventing radiation injuries. ==References==