Future Program: Smart-Red Blood Cells (Smart-RBC)

Background
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Biological Technologies Office (BTO) is issuing this Special Notice to inform the public about additional research areas of interest related to the forthcoming Smart-Red Blood Cells (Smart-RBC) program. The goal of the Smart-RBC program is to engineer red blood cells with novel biological features that can safely and reliably modify human physiology, aiming to revolutionize blood products through the creation of 'smart red blood cells' (SRBCs).

Work Details
The Smart-RBC program will focus on engineering SRBCs that incorporate additional biological circuits with three key functions:

1. Sense extracellular biomarkers,
2. Decide next steps,
3. Act by producing effector molecules that can modify metabolism or physiology.

The program aims to enhance human performance in austere environments and improve survival through hemostasis products. Initial applications will target performance support and enhanced hemostasis, while future capabilities may include improving thermal regulation in extreme environments, creating universal blood types, accelerating acclimation to high altitudes, and generating more resilient blood products.

The program is structured into two phases over a total of 36 months:
- Phase I (18 months) will involve demonstrating the engineering of hematopoietic stem cells for circuit production and retention in mature RBCs.
- Phase II (18 months) will focus on producing functional biological circuits and culminating in a capability demonstration.

Period of Performance
The Smart-RBC program is a 36-month initiative divided into two phases: Phase I lasting 18 months followed by Phase II also lasting 18 months.

Place of Performance
The specific geographic locations for the performance of this contract have not been provided.