Exterior view of a chemical warfare research laboratory under construction at American University near Washington, D.C. American research concerning chemical warfare was initially organized under the Bureau of Mines, which operated several university and industrial laboratories to study the design of gas masks, physiological effects of toxic compounds, and the design and development of new toxic agents. As chemical research work expanded, the need for a large central laboratory to coordinate these activities led to the construction of a laboratory at American University, then located on the outskirts of Washington, D.C.