Scientists who handle some of the most deadly substances in the world have described the 'trepidation' they felt when starting to research coronavirus. The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) at the secretive Porton Down, near Salisbury, has been helping in the fight against the disease ever since the pandemic began. Founded in 1916, the unique and expansive high-security site in the middle of the Wiltshire countryside is the oldest chemical warfare research centre in the world. Its highly trained scientists are, with strict safety measures in place, used to handling some of the most dangerous known substances like Ebola, Anthrax, the nerve agent Novichok and plague - all of which are highly dangerous and deadly.