An innovation hub

The Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research is home to several national scientific initiatives focused on high-priority topics and research goals. We conduct scientific research, develop and leverage specialized technology, and provide project management and collaborator coordination to advance the effort. The National Cancer Institute tasks the Frederick National Laboratory to take on critical projects that others cannot readily do.  

These initiatives bring together experts from the Frederick National Laboratory, the National Institutes of Health, and academic partners. The efforts reflect a broader mission in advancing the biomedical sciences, whether responding to new epidemics, searching for new cancer therapies, or establishing and sharing best practices for research reproducibility.  

COVID-19 research and response

We collaborate with government, academic, and industry partners on multiple studies to learn more about the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. We have also contributed to the rapid development of treatments and a vaccine. 

We’ve leveraged our expertise and advanced technology to investigate the virus at the cellular and molecular levels.

  • Since March 2020, our scientists have been evaluating antibody tests for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and providing evaluation results. 

  • Alongside the National Cancer Institute, we helped launch the Serological Sciences Network to investigate immune response to SARS-CoV-2 and increase national antibody testing capabilities. 

  • We supported human clinical trials for investigational treatments such as the antiviral drug remdesivir. 

  • Using our screening library, we partnered with Argonne National Laboratory to identify compounds that could potentially provide new therapies against the novel coronavirus. 

  • We conduct basic research to investigate immune system genetics to identify variants in a person’s severity of infection, working alongside the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the National Human Genome Research Institute. 

  • Our researchers are producing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein for antibody testing studies after successfully increasing yield production for the challenging protein.