Traditional approaches to stemming outbreaks–isolate pathogen, craft a cure, distribute the cure–can take too long.
So DOD wants something that can handle anything, as it happens.
Photo: Brittany E. Flickr/CC
DARPA/DSO is soliciting research proposals that seek to develop highly innovative approaches to counter any known, unknown, naturally occurring or engineered pathogen. Proposed research will investigate novel technologies to prevent infection, extend survival until a curative response is available, provide transient immunity, or speed the onset of adaptive immunity. Methods proposed should not require prior knowledge of the pathogen and should be broadly applicable to multiple unrelated infectious agents.