ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. -- The U.S. Army Research Laboratory and the bioeffects division of U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory met at the Tri-Service Research Laboratory on Joint Base San Antonio - Fort Sam Houston, Texas, to discuss joint capabilities that better support Army research.
Heidi Maupin, ARL South regional director, toured the facility to learn more about its unique capabilities. The facility contains directed energy laboratory spaces to include laser research labs, anechoic chambers, an imaging lab, a radiation lab, BSL-2 biology labs, microbiology labs, biochemistry and biomolecular labs, tissue culture labs and a proteomic lab.
Maupin said the AFRL bioeffects division is a welcomed partner for ARL South.
"The laboratory has tremendous and rare capabilities that are beneficial to cutting edge research undertaken by the Army Research Laboratory. ARL employees are already taking advantage of the unique equipment and features of the laboratory," Maupin said.
Drs. Cameron Good and Thaddeus Thomas are using one of its laboratory spaces to advance ARL's future concepts program.
"Collaboration with TSRL has been a great experience," Thomas said. "Access to their state-of-the-art facilities and expert staff has opened up exciting new opportunities for studying novel incapacitation mechanisms."
Good added that having access to researchers with expertise in the "bioeffects of directed energy" has helped them pursue new research avenues not previously possible.
Stephanie Miller, chief of AFRL's bioeffects division said she is also looking forward to "enhancing true collaborations between the Army and Navy partners" in the directed energy bioeffects area.
"The goal is to truly engage in cooperative research to enhance the DOD mission that will be seen not just through sharing of equipment, but working on joint research projects, publishing as a team and multiplying the value of each service's research dollar," Miller said.
Maupin said she is excited about the addition of the laboratories and sees how this helps advance Army research.
"Our connection with the TSRL is the perfect example of why we are so committed to our open campus initiative," she said. "By combining expertise with other service research labs and taking advantage of complementary equipment and capabilities allows us to leverage resources, making the pie bigger for each organization."
Maupin plans to introduce TSRL leaders to key ARL South partners to expand coalitions throughout the region.
---
The U.S. Army Research Laboratory, currently celebrating 25 years of excellence in Army science and technology, is part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, which has the mission to provide innovative research, development and engineering to produce capabilities that provide decisive overmatch to the Army against the complexities of the current and future operating environments in support of the joint warfighter and the nation. RDECOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command.
Social Sharing