B-SAFE Industry Day

Background
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Biological Technologies Office (BTO) is hosting an Industry Day for the potential proposer community in support of a planned Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for the Broad-Spectrum Antagonists for Editors (B-SAFE) program. The B-SAFE program aims to develop platform capabilities and tools for discovery, optimization, and validation of broad-spectrum inhibitors for gene editing technologies. The Industry Day will be held on June 28, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM ET in Arlington, VA. The event will also be webcast for those who would like to participate remotely. Advance registration is required.

Work Details
The B-SAFE program aims to develop platform technologies for highly potent inhibitors for multiple classes, types, and species of editors with enhanced activity, utility, and breadth of coverage. The program will also address the challenge of inhibitor molecules keeping pace with the discovery of novel editing systems by developing a platform for rapid discovery and development of inhibitors of novel, emergent gene editor technologies.

The B-SAFE program will produce tools capable of complete inhibition of CRISPR-Cas systems with minimal off-target effects. Areas of interest include comprehensive bioinformatic, biochemical, computational, or genetic methods to discover new inhibitors; appropriate reporter systems capable of assessing inhibitor efficacy and off-target effects; optimization of lead inhibitor candidates to improve performance; detailed methods and approaches to evaluate novel editing technologies and rapidly design reporter systems, assays, and inhibitors for novel editing technologies; and molecules capable of sub-stoichiometric inhibition.

Period of Performance
The Industry Day will be held on June 28, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM ET in Arlington, VA.

Place of Performance
Arlington, VA