General view of the Cyanamide Laboratory at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Fixed Nitrogen Research Laboratory facilities located in Washington, D.C. Assorted glassware and laboratory apparatus, including a microscope and balance, are visible in the photograph. The Cyanamide process, also known as the Frank–Caro process, was the first commercial process used to fix atmospheric nitrogen.

The Fixed Nitrogen Research Laboratory (F.N.R.L.) was established at American University in 1919 under the directorship of Arthur B. Lamb. Initially part of the War Department, the F.N.R.L. was the successor to several wartime initiatives to develop a secure domestic supply of nitrate compounds necessary for the manufacture of explosives during World War I. With a staff of about 110 individuals, including 35 to 50 chemists, the F.N.R.L. focused on the manufacture, production, and development of products of atmospheric nitrogen, including munitions and fertilizers.