The scientists handling coronavirus to help keep the country safe Updated: 10/03/2021, 1:32 am Virologist Amanda Phelps preparing solutions in a lab inside The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Ben Birchall/PA) 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 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.