Five people died in the anthrax attacks that occurred just weeks after the terrorist destruction of the World Trade Center, setting off alarms about the United States’ readiness to cope with a bioterrorist attack. Although exposure to the anthrax spores was relatively contained, medical professionals, government officials, and much of the public wondered whether health authorities were ready to handle a large-scale bioterrorist attack, should one occur.

Clinical laboratories, which were responsible for identifying the source of exposure, found themselves near the center of a national security crisis and, consequently, as part of the post-incident analysis. Despite pre-September 11th discussions about ways to improve the network of laboratories across the country in the event of another public health crisis, the Laboratory Response Network, as it is called, clearly was not ready.

The federal government has responded with anti-terrorism legislation that has earmarked millions of dollars to upgrade laboratories’ ability to respond in the event of an attack. This article explores how the Laboratory Response Network works and how it is being improved to ensure that a working system is in place in the event of a biological or chemical attack in this country.