From programmable microbes to human-machine symbiosis, DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office is expanding the concept of technology and redefining how we interact with and use biology. No longer limited to traditional sensorimotor restoration or therapeutic autonomic modulation, DARPA is developing neurotechnologies that are crossing into applications that stand to overcome current limitations in human performance. Meanwhile, rapid democratization of gene synthesis and editing techniques is bringing engineered biology to the fore on a global scale, and with it a demand for tools that can ensure that any future deployments of these technologies are safe. BTO is addressing the growing need for these and other biosecurity tools to enable aggressive but responsible development and adoption of new biotechnologies—through the design, for example, of such white hat strategies as countermeasures to reduce the risk of unintended consequences and tools to recall genes from open environments. This talk will provide an overview of emerging neuro- and synthetic-biology technologies under development at DARPA, identify strategies for continued responsible development, and reveal relevant possibilities, probabilities, and vulnerabilities.
Dr. Renee Wegrzyn joined DARPA as a Program Manager in 2016. She is interested in applying the tools of synthetic biology to support biosecurity and outpace infectious disease. Prior to joining DARPA as a PM, Dr. Wegrzyn was a Senior Lead Biotechnologist at Booz Allen Hamilton, where she led a team that provided scientific and strategic support in the areas of biodefense, biosecurity, disruptive technologies, emerging infectious disease, neuromodulation, and synthetic biology to DARPA and other federal and private institutions.
Doug Weber is a Program Manager in the Biological Technology Office (BTO) at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). He is also an Associate Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh. At DARPA, Dr. Weber is currently managing the Hand Proprioception and Touch Interfaces (HAPTIX) program, aimed at developing human-ready, fully-implantable interface systems that enable trans-radial amputees to control and sense advanced, multi- functional prosthetic limbs. Dr. Weber is also managing the Electrical Prescriptions (ElectRx) program, which seeks to advance the science and technology of neuromodulation treatments for inflammatory disease and mental health disorders.