ABLS

The Office of Applied Biochemistry and Life Sciences (ABLS) was the research and development agency responsible for the development of Caphiria's offensive biological warfare program during the Occidental Cold War. ABLS was organized under the Office of Advanced Research and Development (ORAD), which makes up part of the Department of Civilian Defense.

At its peak of operation, ABLS consisted of five major military-focused research institutes, numerous design and instrument-making facilities, three pilot plants and five dual-use production plants, and employed 40,000 personnel. ABLS pursued major offensive R&D programs which genetically engineered microbial strains to be resistant to an array of antibiotics. In addition, bacterial agents were created with the ability to produce various peptides, yielding strains with wholly new and unexpected pathogenic properties.

Due to its size and political importance, ABLS began to emerge as a major influence in the civil biopharmaceutical sector during the late-20th century, as it had control of domestic production of vaccines, antibiotics and other essential medicines. When ABLS was dissolved in 1979, it was divested of control of all R&D institutes and manufacturing facilities, and its operations were privatized, forming several pharmaceutical companies which exist today.