# Biological Materials

**R-2A activity** of project 624348 — Materials for Electronics, Optics, and Survivability  
**Program element:** 0602102F — Materials  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force · **Budget Activity:** 2  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602102F/624348/a3  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602102F/624348

## Summary

This activity requests $13.5M in FY2027, 35% of project 624348, down 7.0% 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 the validation and verification of scientific, engineering, and processing methods for domestic bio-production of critical materials including characterization, qualification, demonstration, downstream purification, production scale up, and biomanufacturing. Activities include: -- A focus on natural rubber, fuels, and energetics to meet specific needs of the Department of the Air Force. - Continue the demonstration of laboratory testing and methods development to assess the reliability and field resiliency of biological materials including natural and synthetic rubber, protective coatings, and adhesives. - Continue the collaboration with the NanoBio Manufacturing Consortium (NBMC) and NextFlex (formerly known as Flexible Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Innovation Institute), with specific focus on validation of biomaterials including adhesives and coatings for Department of the Air Force applications. - Continue the development of biocementation materials for agile basing, infrastructure and expeditionary operations, including runway stabilization. Activities include: -- Field testing in representative environments against operational requirements. - Continue the evaluation of experimental methods to optimize biomanufacturing of rare earth elements and other critical material precursors essential for Department of Air Force applications. - Continue the development of bio-derived molecules for advanced fuels, propellants and energetics for Department of the Air Force high-speed critical aerospace systems. Activities include: -- Laboratory scale testing and evaluation.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Funding in FY 2027 decreased by $1.011 million compared to FY 2026 due to programmatic adjustments that shifted resources from the biomanufacturing of rare earth elements and development of bio-derived molecules for fuels. This reduction reflects programmatic adjustments to the DAF Science and Technology portfolio for strategic realignment to optimize core research areas and improve resource efficiency.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Continue the validation and verification of scientific, engineering, and processing methods for domestic bio-production of critical materials including characterization, qualification, demonstration, production scale up, and biomanufacturing to address unique requirements for the Department of the Air Force. - Continue the demonstration of methods to assess reliability and field resiliency of biological materials including natural and synthetic rubber, protective coatings, and adhesives against current Department of the Air Force technical and operational gaps. - Continue the collaboration with the NanoBio Manufacturing Consortium (NBMC) and NextFlex (formerly known as Flexible Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Innovation Institute), focusing on joint projects to accelerate development of domestic biomanufacturing technologies for critical Department of the Air Force needs. - Continue the development and scale-up of biocementation materials for agile basing, infrastructure and expeditionary operations, including runway stabilization. - Commence the development of experimental methods to optimize biomanufacturing of critical material precursors essential for Department of Air Force applications. - Commence the development of bio-derived molecules for advanced fuels, propellants and energetics for Department of the Air Force high-speed critical aerospace systems.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 13.1 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 14.5 |
| FY2027 | Request | 13.5 |

> 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 624348

- [Electronic Materials](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602102F/624348/a0) — FY2027 11.9
- [Materials for Electromagnetic Protection](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602102F/624348/a1) — FY2027 11.6
- Laser Source Materials — FY2027 1.5

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0602102F project 624348 (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.*