Warfighting Performance

- Demonstrate accuracy in identifying single and mixed groups of microorganisms in vitro. - Demonstrate efficacy for at least one novel wound infection treatment approach in vitro. - Determine the appropriate regulatory pathway(s) for the wound infection sensing and treatment devices with the Food and Drug Administration. - Finalize the…

- Demonstrate delivery of countermeasure cargo in additional cell types. - Demonstrate systemic delivery of countermeasure cargo. - Develop and demonstrate scale-up manufacturing of the highest-performing delivery vehicles. - Demonstrate delivery of two or more MCM modalities.

- Refine NIR light delivery parameters to improve activation of candidate molecules. - Design and initiate safety and efficacy studies to support an Investigational New Drug (IND) submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. - Characterize the effect of NIR light-activated candidate molecule(s) on cognitive performance following…

- Conduct trials to validate system performance and refine interventions for optimal effectiveness. - Assess gaps in system readiness and outline steps for military integration and deployment.

- Demonstrate successful end-to-end computational design, nomination, and validation of inhibitor candidates. - Demonstrate a novel inhibitor discovery pipeline. - Develop, demonstrate, and deliver a complete technology transfer package.

- Evaluate the physiological changes and immunological effects of modified RBCs based on cargo parameters. - Validate RBC modification and determine if the approach can be scaled. - Assess the impact of the RBC-modified cargos and device platforms on RBCs.

- Demonstrate the usefulness of care technologies that directly integrate oxygen and hemorrhage support during polytrauma (i.e., injury conditions requiring both types of support). - Develop a proof-of-concept hardware feasibility assessment illustrating how oxygen and hemorrhage support hardware could be combined into a portable form…

- Generate molecular components that respond to distinct wavelengths of light. - Generate molecular components capable of producing nucleic acid sequences in response to light. - Initiate the development of a mechanism capable of detecting errors in a nucleotide sequence. - Initiate the integration of the developed components to generate…

- Assess mechanisms to achieve localization of a bleed in animal models. - Develop systems capable of autonomous identification and navigation in desired form factors. - Demonstrate successful navigation of a sensor suite and end effector to key anatomical regions in animal models. - Demonstrate performance of context-aware bleed…

- Predict binding sites within a protein dynamic trajectory. - Identify differences in protein dynamics between functional and dysfunctional protein targets that are relevant to chemical threat mechanisms. - Determine the structure and behavior of uncommon protein states. - Identify and validate energetically linked sites on the protein.

- Continue studies on editing cells to produce, position, and retain novel proteins in mature RBCs. - Continue computer simulation of gene editing impact on RBC metabolism and virtually optimize protein position/retention on mature RBCs. - Initiate experiments to produce, position, and retain novel proteins in mature RBCs. - Identify any…

- Initiate development of biological, bio-inspired, or bio-hybrid platforms that enhance the detection, characterization, and protection against emerging threats, both in warfighters and agricultural crops. - Investigate cellular engineering approaches that maintain physiology and viability and do not result in immunotoxicity…

- Conduct a second large-scale field experimentation, integrating additional autonomy and operating challenges in a competition format. - Finalize a database of trauma signatures with additional novel cases, incorporating sensors developed in previous years. - Evaluate field-portable triage solutions with increased operational…

- Complete efficacy and safety studies with optimized therapeutic formulation against hemorrhage in complex trauma using animal models. - Provide the initial proof of concept for easy reconstitution and packaging suitability. - Provide the final demonstration of scaled-up manufacturing. - Complete final stability tests to demonstrate…

- Expand biology-based switching to include multiple pathways for consuming different feedstocks or producing different chemicals. - Extend the stability of biological systems for continuous production. - Implement approaches for switchable production in an industrially-relevant biomanufacturing system.

- Complete long term plant growth and stabilization for selected species to support scaling approach. - Complete chemical exposure experiments to identify biochemical, molecular, and physiological patterns associated with exposure of plants to target stressors. - Evaluate plant exposure using multi-omics and external observable…

- Increase power generation from conversion of organic matter compared to initial brassboard systems. - Validate that final brassboard systems can perform in stakeholder domains.

- Conduct large-scale validation studies of optimized Cognitive Flexibility and Emotional Regulation interventions across diverse warfighter populations to establish deployment readiness.

- Perform operationally relevant field testing of selected test materials. - Conduct post-field-testing laboratory analysis to characterize performance for key stakeholder use cases.

- Down-select technologies for continued development based on test results and demonstrator performance.

- Optimize technology development for use against the Brown Tree Snake. - Identify novel cell culture techniques to significantly enhance gene editing technology development in vertebrates. - Test effectiveness of vertebrate gene editing tools in laboratory trials. - Test effectiveness of gene editing technology in field trials for the…

- Demonstrate model-driven, rational design of biological candidates and increase strength and selectivity of metal/mineral interactions. - Evaluate top biological metal/mineral processing candidates under real-world processing workflows and conditions. - Perform process durability assessments. - Refine the list of candidate biological…

- Investigate approaches for the development of chemical and biological processes and biologically derived materials to support and sustain the warfighter in all conditions. - Initiate formulation and characterization of materials chemistries for the catalytic separation of domestic agricultural and forestry residues at the laboratory…

- Initiate technology development for the integration of dynamic and responsive biological organisms or bio-inspired molecules into composite materials. - Investigate approaches for the development of biological processes and biologically derived materials to support and sustain the warfighter in austere conditions. - Explore methods…

- Validate that models can predict microbial communities and/or fiber-based approaches after two months. - Identify microbial communities and/or fiber-based approaches that produce and maintain a desired function in the field. - Verify microbial communities and/or fiber-based approaches are either resistant or resilient to multiple…

- Demonstrate separation and efficient recovery of at least eight individual REEs with high purity starting from mining partner source material using a biomining approach.