Microbiological agents as well as bio‐threats show some distinguishing and unique features if compared to other agents of mass destruction. For certain agents, lethality can be expected at concentrations far below the threshold of the conventional field detection capabilities. Their ability for multiplication instead of decomposition is very characteristic leading rather to the expansion than the attenuation of the consequences afterwards.

These specificities underline the importance of and need for a deployable bio‐laboratory equipped with very rapid and sensitive methods. Until recently, when the development of recent molecular biological sciences gave an opportunity to introduce fast and very sensitive laboratory techniques, we have had only immunochemical techniques for these purposes.

To meet the requirements and as a first step, Hungarian Defence Forces developed and introduced a fieldable (molecular) biological‐laboratory using up‐to‐date technology. The system is easily transportable and has all the parts needed for a complex molecular biological laboratory except housing. Readiness is reached 1.5 hours after deployment, and the first results are possible to get even in 3 to 6 hours depending on the number and characteristics (quality) of the samples. The whole staff consists of 4 persons. The mobile laboratory has been developed to detect hazardous agents from environmental and biological samples, and was successfully tested in several field exercises. In order to improve its bio‐sampling and identification capabilities, as well as to become entirely independent from the hosting environment, the development of a mobile and fully containerized version has been initiated.