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Authors: Jose Pino Johansson
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and aid the development of
countermeasures. The facility’s labs range from BioSafety Levels
1-4, with labs designated as “BSL-4” used to experiment and
quarantine the most dangerous agents, such as the Ebola virus. With
all this power at its disposal, it can be safely assumed that the
NBACC is the most advanced biodefense facility of its kind anywhere
in the world.
Many of the research projects assigned to CBEID come
directly from the Department of Homeland Security, and some are
collaborative work with NBACC. As such, Krishnan traveled to the
NBACC complex on two occasions. First, as a member of the NBACC
Oversight and Supervisory Committee, it was his duty to inspect the
lab when it was first opened. On his first visit he was taken aback
by the scale of the laboratory, the massive concrete walls and the
sheer quantities of cutting-edge technology and research space in
the building. The second visit was for the oversight a classified
project involving encephalitis countermeasures. Krishnan has never
worked inside one of the laboratories, even though he has toured
the entire building and knows the capabilities of NBACC. The NBACC
represented a resources-input increase of over 1000% for the United
States in the field of biodefense and biological weapons technology
when it first opened. Such a massive project naturally brought
criticism from many parties. One of the most stinging, yet potent
criticism was the accusation that the construction and funding of
NBACC violated the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention
(BWC). The US government acknowledged that the lab constituted a
“legal gray zone”, but re-stated its position that it is fully
legal within the parameters of the BWC and is purely defensive in
nature.
When the debate broke out, Krishnan remained neutral.
It was not his role to either criticize or support the NBACC. He
understood the reasons why it was built, but silently acknowledged
to himself that the US Administration was demonstrating its
paranoia by constructed the NBACC. Nonetheless, he suspected that
he would get access due to his long history of involvement with
government agencies, his expertise, his international renown, and
his extensive resume. Of course, his U.S. citizenship and high
security clearance didn’t hurt either. The chance to be able to
work in the NBACC’s labs, or even use them for his research, was
too good to pass. Before the NBACC came into operation Krishnan had
the fortune of being appointed to the Oversight and Supervisory
Committee through his connections to insiders in the Homeland
Security Department. One of the few naturalized citizens working
on this most secretive project. The exclusivity of the project
always made Krishnan feel lucky and privileged to be involved,
especially considering the number of applicants that were rejected
for posts and positions at the lab.
Krishnan got out of his laboratory at 5:03pm. He was
going home early today to see his old friend from UCLA, Viktor
Konovalov. Viktor. . .he would most certainly not get the post
that I have, what coming from Moscow and studying two years at
Moscow State University during the cold war. . . . At UCLA
Krishnan and Konovalov had been roommates since sophomore year.
Both had graduated Summa cum Laude in Biology, and both had gone on
to pursue Ph.D’s and become respected scientists in their fields.
Konovalov is one of the few people in the world that Krishnan has a
truly great deal of respect for. After college, however, their
paths divulged: Krishnan went into microbiology, while Konovalov
had gone into genetics. Konovalov studied at Baylor College in
Houston, Texas. Afterwards he choose to make his residency in Texas
as well. Konovalov was equally as adept in genetics as he himself
was in virology and microbiology. Viktor had written numerous
journal articles, done groundbreaking research, received many
public honors, and in general was known as a maverick in the
field.
Konovalov’s
countermeasures. The facility’s labs range from BioSafety Levels
1-4, with labs designated as “BSL-4” used to experiment and
quarantine the most dangerous agents, such as the Ebola virus. With
all this power at its disposal, it can be safely assumed that the
NBACC is the most advanced biodefense facility of its kind anywhere
in the world.
Many of the research projects assigned to CBEID come
directly from the Department of Homeland Security, and some are
collaborative work with NBACC. As such, Krishnan traveled to the
NBACC complex on two occasions. First, as a member of the NBACC
Oversight and Supervisory Committee, it was his duty to inspect the
lab when it was first opened. On his first visit he was taken aback
by the scale of the laboratory, the massive concrete walls and the
sheer quantities of cutting-edge technology and research space in
the building. The second visit was for the oversight a classified
project involving encephalitis countermeasures. Krishnan has never
worked inside one of the laboratories, even though he has toured
the entire building and knows the capabilities of NBACC. The NBACC
represented a resources-input increase of over 1000% for the United
States in the field of biodefense and biological weapons technology
when it first opened. Such a massive project naturally brought
criticism from many parties. One of the most stinging, yet potent
criticism was the accusation that the construction and funding of
NBACC violated the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention
(BWC). The US government acknowledged that the lab constituted a
“legal gray zone”, but re-stated its position that it is fully
legal within the parameters of the BWC and is purely defensive in
nature.
When the debate broke out, Krishnan remained neutral.
It was not his role to either criticize or support the NBACC. He
understood the reasons why it was built, but silently acknowledged
to himself that the US Administration was demonstrating its
paranoia by constructed the NBACC. Nonetheless, he suspected that
he would get access due to his long history of involvement with
government agencies, his expertise, his international renown, and
his extensive resume. Of course, his U.S. citizenship and high
security clearance didn’t hurt either. The chance to be able to
work in the NBACC’s labs, or even use them for his research, was
too good to pass. Before the NBACC came into operation Krishnan had
the fortune of being appointed to the Oversight and Supervisory
Committee through his connections to insiders in the Homeland
Security Department. One of the few naturalized citizens working
on this most secretive project. The exclusivity of the project
always made Krishnan feel lucky and privileged to be involved,
especially considering the number of applicants that were rejected
for posts and positions at the lab.
Krishnan got out of his laboratory at 5:03pm. He was
going home early today to see his old friend from UCLA, Viktor
Konovalov. Viktor. . .he would most certainly not get the post
that I have, what coming from Moscow and studying two years at
Moscow State University during the cold war. . . . At UCLA
Krishnan and Konovalov had been roommates since sophomore year.
Both had graduated Summa cum Laude in Biology, and both had gone on
to pursue Ph.D’s and become respected scientists in their fields.
Konovalov is one of the few people in the world that Krishnan has a
truly great deal of respect for. After college, however, their
paths divulged: Krishnan went into microbiology, while Konovalov
had gone into genetics. Konovalov studied at Baylor College in
Houston, Texas. Afterwards he choose to make his residency in Texas
as well. Konovalov was equally as adept in genetics as he himself
was in virology and microbiology. Viktor had written numerous
journal articles, done groundbreaking research, received many
public honors, and in general was known as a maverick in the
field.
Konovalov’s
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