"The heart of the lab is a cluster of sealed chambers built to contain the world's deadliest bacteria and viruses. Here, scientists will spend their days simulating the unthinkable: bioterrorism attacks in the form of lethal anthrax spores rendered as wispy powders that can drift for miles on a summer breeze; common viruses turned into deadly superbugs that ordinary drugs and vaccines cannot stop.
"The work at this new lab could someday save thousands of lives - or, some fear, create new risks and place the United States in violation of international treaties. In either case, much of what transpires at the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC) may never be publicly known, because the Bush administration intends to operate the facility largely in secret."