Biologics Regulation and ResearchThe People and Work of Buildings 29 & 29A

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Buildings 29 and 29A are nationally significant to the history of medicine and public health because within the laboratories of Buildings 29 and 29A, these buildings the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and then the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) staff helped to conquer some of the deadliest infectious diseases. In their regulatory role they , NIH and then FDA had the national responsibility to license vaccines, antitoxins, blood products, and other biologics to ensure their safety and effectiveness. To support this mission, they did scientific research which resulted in the development of important standards and even new vaccines. Some of the most well-known scientists of the 20th century worked in these buildings, as well as the key administrators and others who supported their work and the mission of biologics regulation and ; 22 of them are profiled in the biographies section. 

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Context within NIH Campus

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) NIH's Bethesda, Maryland Campus was established in 1936 after moving from downtown Washington, D.C. The historic core of NIH, which includes Buildings 1–6, was built from 1936 1937 to 1941 in a Georgian Revival style. This includes Buildings 1–6 and they The buildings are unified by their Flemish bond brick, rectangular massing, classical entrances, and gabled dormers. As the duties and responsibilities of the NIH grew, the campus quickly expanded beyond this historic core, and additional architectural styles were chosen, often for efficiency and economy. Buildings 29 and 29A were a dramatic step away from their Georgian Revival neighbors in terms of architectural style, but the scientific achievements within them changed the course of the 20th century public health. Aerial images below (from circa 1960, circa 1975, and 2014) show the progression and growth of the campus over time, with the historic core, the large clinical center NIH Clinical Center (hospital building), and then the expansion of specialized laboratory buildings like Buildings 29 and 29A.

In 1960, Building 29 was at the edge of the NIH Bethesda Campus. As see seen in the aerial below, the parking lot to the north of the building, and the parking garage that is today to the south of the building were not yet constructed. By 1975 (see aerial below), additional buildings had been built near Building 29 and 29A, expanding the campus south and west. There were parking lots to the north and south of Buildings 29 and 29A , as well as an expanded sidewalk system for pedestrian circulation. In the wake of September 11, 2001, Dr. Ruth Kirschstein, as Acting Director of NIH, would oversee oversaw the establishment of a variety of security measures such as installation of the Bethesda campus perimeter fence with more regulated access to the campus. Prior to this, the sprawling campus had been more open to the public and nearby residents, like a college or university campus. By 2014, the NIH campus had expanded even more, as seen in the aerial below.

Building 29B was constructed from 1993 to 1994 to serve as additional space for biologics regulation staff (now part of the FDA CBER). Building 29B was connected to 29A via pedestrian bridge, much like Building 29A was connected to Building 29. The FDA CBER left the NIH campus in 2014, moving to the FDA White Oak Campus and leaving Buildings 29 and 29A vacant. Until 2014, Buildings 29, 29A, and 29B represented the only facilities, not just on the NIH campus but in the entire United States, that have functioned since their construction for the primary purpose of regulating biologics.

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Within two years of finishing construction of Building 29, NIH began planning Building 29A as a laboratory annex. NIH's director at the time, Dr. James Shannon, described the quickening pace of vaccine development when he sought to justify to the Congress his request for funds for planning Building 29A so soon after Building 29 had been completed. The DBS at the time had just established standards governing the production and testing of oral polio vaccines developed by Albert Sabin, the development of measles vaccines was well underway, and a vaccine for infectious hepatitis was thought to be on the horizon. 

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