Materials and Biological Technology

The Materials and Biological Technology Program (PE 0602715E), managed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), is a research and development initiative focused on advancing materials science and biological technologies to enable new military capabilities. The program is divided into two main projects: MBT-01: Materials Processing Technology and MBT-02: Biologically Based Materials and Devices. The overarching goal is to develop innovative solutions that enhance the performance, resilience, and sustainability of warfighters and operational platforms in challenging environments.

MBT-01: Materials Processing Technology is dedicated to developing novel materials, fabrication techniques, and device architectures that lower costs, increase performance, and enable new missions for military systems. Research areas include manufacturing, electronics, sensors, optics, and autonomous systems. Specific objectives include creating materials for extreme environments, such as high-temperature alloys for hypersonic platforms, radiation-hardened electronics for space, and advanced coatings for corrosion resistance. The project also explores functional materials for improved sensing and imaging, chemical processing for force protection, and technologies for expeditionary manufacturing to reduce supply chain dependencies.

Within MBT-01, the Materials for Extreme Environments thrust investigates high-performance materials and architectures for platforms operating under harsh conditions, such as extreme temperatures, turbulence, and radiation. Efforts include developing high-temperature window materials, EMP-hardened electronics, and superconducting materials for propulsion. The Functional Materials and Devices thrust focuses on transductional materials, quantum-enhanced sensors, and liquid-based imaging systems to improve device performance and reduce size, weight, and power requirements.

Additional MBT-01 initiatives include Chemical Processing for Force Protection, which aims to develop scalable synthesis methods for pharmaceuticals and explosives, and Making and Maintaining, which seeks to enable point-of-need production of parts and materials using local feedstocks. The Reconfigurable Systems thrust develops adaptive autonomous systems for dynamic mission requirements, while the Burn n' Go program focuses on standardizing solid rocket motor production to improve supply chain resilience. The Awareness thrust investigates advanced sensing techniques, such as neutrino detection, for enhanced situational awareness.

MBT-02: Biologically Based Materials and Devices leverages biological sciences to develop new capabilities for warfighter sustainability and platform resilience. Key objectives include converting DoD waste streams into novel, sustainable materials, protecting infrastructure through bio-inspired technologies, and developing biological energy solutions for undersea operations. The program also addresses warfighter resilience to infectious disease, environmental stressors, and mental health challenges through initiatives like the STRENGTHEN program, which optimizes neuroplasticity for improved cognitive and emotional regulation.

MBT-02 also includes efforts such as Environmental Microbes as a Bioengineering Resource (EMBER), which develops biomining methods for domestic rare earth element supply, and Field Forward Biothreat Storage Solutions for reliable, cold chain-free microbial sample storage. Other projects focus on bio-inspired coastal defense, microbe-based signal processing, improved chemical and biological protective equipment, bioremediation of contaminated sites, and rapid gene modulation therapies for CBRN threats. These efforts aim to enhance operational flexibility, resource security, and environmental sustainability for the Department of Defense.

Beginning in FY 2026, the program's efforts will transition to new budget elements focused on warfighting performance and supply chain logistics to better align with evolving defense priorities.