# Smart Red Blood Cells (Smart-RBC)

**R-2A activity** of project WP-02 — BIOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGY  
**Program element:** 0602024E — Warfighting Performance  
**Component:** Defense-Wide · **Budget Activity:** 2  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602024E/WP-02/a10  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602024E/WP-02

## Summary

This activity requests $21.2M in FY2027, 11% of project WP-02, up 431% on FY2026. The R-2A exhibit describes it across FY2026–FY2027, including what the FY2027 money is planned to buy.

## What the FY2027 request buys

**FY2027 planned work.** - 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 changes in RBC function due to the genetic modifications when compared to unmodified cells. - Initiate simulation experiments to optimize protein position/retention on a mature RBC. - Assess the type and character of circuits possible in RBCs based on gene editing experiments and protein expression.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** The FY 2027 increase reflects the expansion of studies on editing cells to produce, position, and retain novel proteins within and on the surface of RBCs.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Initiate studies on editing cells to produce, position, and retain novel proteins in mature red blood cells (RBCs). - Run a computer simulation of the gene editing impact on RBC metabolism.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | Enacted | 4.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 21.2 |

> Prior, current and budget year only — an R-2A activity carries no five-year plan. It sums exactly into its project in the request year and not necessarily in any other.

## Other activities in project WP-02

- [Biomedical Technology Studies and Concepts](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602024E/WP-02/a11) — FY2027 57.2
- [Generative Optogenetics (GO)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602024E/WP-02/a7) — FY2027 28.0
- [Protean](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602024E/WP-02/a9) — FY2027 15.7
- [BioElectronics to Sense and Treat (BEST)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602024E/WP-02/a0) — FY2027 14.2
- [Medics Autonomously Stopping Hemorrhage (MASH)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602024E/WP-02/a8) — FY2027 14.0
- [Novel Delivery Technology for Medical Countermeasures](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602024E/WP-02/a1) — FY2027 12.1
- Alert WARfighter Enablement (AWARE) — FY2027 6.1
- Reengineering Enabling Sleep Transitions in Operationally Restrictive Environments (RESTORE) — FY2027 5.7
- Controlled Genome Protection — FY2027 5.4
- Red Blood Cell Factory (RBC-Factory) — FY2027 5.3
- GOLDen hour extended EVACuation (GOLDEVAC) — FY2027 4.9
- Rapid Battlefield Triage — FY2027 —
- Next-Generation Combat Casualty Care — FY2027 —

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Office of the Secretary of Defense RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0602024E project WP-02 (PB PB2027). Narrative is the government's own text.
- **No marks, no contractors at this grain** — congressional marks land on the program element and R-3 performers on the project.
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_activity`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*