Defence Science and Technology Laboratory

DTSL was officially formed in July 2001 with the goal of carrying out and retaining work related to science and technology better done within the UK government rather than the private industry. DTSL was split out of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA). In April 2018, the Home Office's Centre for Applied Science and Technology (CAST) was absorbed into DTSL and DTSL assumed responsibility of all tasks previously performed by CAST related to its operations, frontline delivery, policy support, and regulatory functions.

DSTL manages their customer work through several programs that use external suppliers when possible. Program of work offered by DSTL include: Above Water Systems Programme, Air Systems Programme, Autonomy Programme, CBR Services Programme, Contested Electromagnetic Environment Programme, Cyber Systems Programme, Emerging Technology for Defence Programme, Future Kinetic Effects and Weapons Systems Programme, Future Sensing and Situational Awareness Programme, Future Threat Understanding and Disruption Programme, Information Systems Programme, Influence Programme, Land systems Programme, Materials for Strategic Advantage Programme, Missile Defence and Strategic Systems Programme, Policy and Capability Enterprise Support Programme, Protecting Our People Programme, Security Systems Programme, Space Programme, and the Upstream Prevent of CBR Programme.

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory offers community guidance and support related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus: protecting yourself and others from coronavirus, testing for coronavirus, local restrictions, work and financial support, business and self-employed people, school openings, childcare, international travel and immigration, driving and transport in the UK, healthcare workers, health and wellbeing, housing and accommodation, volunteering, death, and UK data and analysis on SARS-CoV-2.

On August 27, 2020, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory performed a study that found how Citriodiol, a compound found in insect repellants, can help defend people against the coronavirus. The study used a commonly sold insect repellant spray sold in the UK called Mosi-guard Natural. It tested the spray by directly applying it as liquid drops to the virus and by applying it to a latex synthetic skin. DSTL found that, after one minute of liquid suspension, Mosi-guard Natural demonstrated anti-viral activity against SARS-CoV-2 England-2 isolated. When applied to latex synthetic skin, Mosi-guard Natural was also found to have antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 England-2 isolate.

DSTL published a study on June 29, 2020 titled, "Experimental aerosol survival of SARS-CoV-2 in artificial saliva and tissue culture media at medium and high humidity," with the goal of determining how the virus behaves in public and healthcare environments. The study found the SARS-CoV-2 virus remains viable in the dark for at least 90 minutes under certain conditions and does aerosolize into small particles. It also found coughing and sneezing to generate larger particles of saliva with some smaller particles, and that small particles were also released during activities such as talking and breathing. They found that smaller particles are of greater concern because they stay floating around in air longer, travel further, and penetrate further into the respiratory tract when inhaled.

DTLS facilities are used by non-government organizations and government organizations. They have an ballistics range for assessing fragment firing capability and small-arms ballistic weapon performance; a UK Home Made Explosives (HME) facility for researching the threat of home made or improvised explosive devices; a secure waste disposal facility for disposing waste, and a Destructor Complex for disposing high security and/or hazardous waster materials.

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) provides funding and support for exploitable innovations related the the defence, security, and prosperity of the UK. DASA is a cross-government organization consisting of close to 50 people between the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and the Secretary State of Defence that was founded in December 2016. DASA is co-located at Imperial College, White City and Porton Down. DASA also has 11 regional based innovation partners across the UK.

On August 26, 2020 DASA announced it will be attending the Defence Procurement, Research, Technology and Exportability (DPRTE) event on September 2, 2020. The event will be held online for the first time in its history and DASA will have a virtual stand in the Technology and Innovation Zone of the virtual event. DASA plans on showcasing their recent success fast-tracking 245 innovations and its £42.8 million investments in private industry and academia over the previous 12 months prior to the event.

DASA claims its £42.8 million investments in private industry and academia over the previous 12 months, as of August 21, 2020, came from evaluating more than 3 proposals per day (1,172 total). DASA awarded funding to small and medium sized enterprises about 55% of the time according to the third annual DASA review.

DASA regularly conducts market exploration activities to assess its future activities. In 2020 DASA explored markets for robotic and autonomous systems (platooning), forward surgical capability, telexistence, roll on roll off and containerized freight screening, and air platform energy management technologies. In 2018 DASA explored markets for point of care diagnostics, aircrew protection bank note security features, less lethal weapons, and remote handling and manipulation. In 2018 DASA explored markets for maximizing human performance, wearable technology for injury prevention, aggregation of disparate CCTV feeds.