Microbes Quickly Out-Evolve Our Defenses
Pathogenic microbes evolve quickly, and bad actors may exploit biotechnology for harmful purposes. Our current defenses struggle to keep pace with these evolving threats.
Foundational Capabilities (7)
Develop next-generation antibiotics and novel antimicrobial compounds using advanced discovery platforms to stay ahead of evolving pathogens.
Develop innovative vaccine platforms that can adapt to or be robust to rapidly mutating viruses (e.g., influenza, HIV, coronaviruses) using methods such as mosaic nanoparticles and mRNA cocktails.
Safety and security considerations: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X21001717
Develop prototype vaccines or therapeutics for viruses in each viral family that infects humans, to be rapidly adapted for the next pandemic.
Establish scalable, decentralized vaccine production systems to rapidly deploy immunizations during outbreaks, reducing reliance on centralized facilities.
Develop new broad-spectrum antivirals that can be used to treat or prevent infection from evolving viruses.
Use technologies such as rapid B-cell sorting and computational design to quickly characterize and discover antibodies and antibody-like molecules to combat emerging biosecurity threats.