30 september 2014: synthetic biology applications in defence cde themed competition

Synthetic Biology: applications in Defence

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Presentation outline

• The military context – What we do and how we do it

• The problem space

• Our interest in Synthetic Biology • The competition



The military context



UK Armed Forces • Royal Navy circa 33,000 • British Army circa 82,000 • Royal Air Force circa 36,000




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Another way to look at it…

Platforms

Logistics

Personnel

Bases

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Analysis Systems Weapons

CT & Security

Human capability

C4ISR

Integrated survivability

CBR Cyber

The problem space




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Key problem spaces

Platforms

Logistics

Personnel

Bases

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Key problem space (1)

Personnel

• Soldier, platoon • Aircrew challenges • Future soldier?

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Platforms

• Mobility • Lethality • Armour

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Bases

• Infrastructure • Protection • Power / Waste

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Logistics

• ‘The oil of war’ • More responsive,

predictive, logistics • As far forward as possible

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Key themes • Materials • Power • Sensors



Application of Synthetic Biology Tools to address Defence Challenges


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How can this emerging technology address defence challenges?

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Synthetic Biology

• Integrated approach for UK – From basic science to

industrial application – Includes defence

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Synthetic biology

• Relevance to MOD – Integration into research programme to provide

solutions – Understand potential impact on Threat and mitigate – Legislation

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www.syntheticgenomics.com

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Synthetic biology aims to design and engineer novel biologically-based parts, devices and systems, as well as redesign existing natural biological systems for useful purposes. It incorporates the principles of engineering eg modularity, abstraction and orthogonality into classical biotechnology.


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BUT….if it isn’t clear to the assessors how the application exploits synthetic biology, it will be out!

There are other definitions….

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Synthetic Biology and Defence

Technology Readiness Level LOW HIGH

BASIC RESEARCH

COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE


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BASIC RESEARCH


BUY


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BASIC RESEARCH


WATCH


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BASIC RESEARCH


INVEST TO ADAPT OR

APPLY

DEFENCE APPLICATIONS

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Priorities in the competition


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Challenge 1: Exploiting synthetic biology for protection

Challenge 2: Novel sensor technologies

Challenge 3: Potential revolutions

Synthetic Biology Novelty, Quality, Impact, Risk, Value

Incremental, vague, outside scope, no defence application identified

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Challenge 1: Protection


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Don’t be there

Don’t be seen

Don’t be targeted

Don’t be hit Don’t be penetrated

Don’t be killed

Built in redundancy

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Challenge 1: Protection • People, bases, platforms • Against a range of forms of attack

– physical attack ie projectiles or blast – chemical and biological agents – energy eg lasers etc

• Avoiding attack in the first place – eg camouflage

• Saving lives, protecting equipment – traumatic injury, sea survival, crash and post-crash

survival, aircraft ejection, hostile environments

• Novel materials of particular interest


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Challenge 2: Sensors

Sensors LOW HIGH

BASIC RESEARCH


CB(D)E* Sonar, radar etc

Gravity, material integrity, etc

*Chemical, Biological (inc Diagnostics), Explosives

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Sensors….higher TRL • Chemical and Biological threat agents • Explosives

Seeking technologies applicable to a wide range of challenges Prior demonstration of preliminary feasibility

– Focus on issues such as improving confidence in outputs and reducing the logistic burden

– Sample acquisition, preparation and pre-processing must be included


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Sensors….lower TRL

• Protective coating integrity • Environmental sensors • Magnetic fields, acoustic, visible light, infra red, and ultra

violet wavelengths (and beyond?) in ground, air or water • Contaminants or signatures in air, water or soil • Remote gravity fluctuations induced by large equipment • On the spot DNA analysis for identification


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Sensors in Defence

LOW HIGH

BASIC RESEARCH


Sensors

CB(D)E*

*Chemical, Biological (inc Diagnostics), Explosives

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Challenge 3: Revolutions

• Not covered above in 1 and 2 • Synthetic biology applications with defence relevance • Novel materials of particular interest • Power

– “materials that can be used to produce or store power”

– no synthetic approaches to fuels • High TRL and significant commercial investment

already


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Materials…. • New materials are potentially transformational

– Synthetic biology routes to existing compounds are not needed

• Must involve synthetic biology at some stage in their production

• Likely require multidisciplinary teams and approaches • Production of sufficient material to demonstrate desired

property • Military application must be identified • Challenges 1 and 3

– Application will decide which is the most appropriate


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Programme vision for materials

“……..exploiting global investment in state of the art materials and structures science for enhanced

defence and security capability.”

Future proofing that from which defence equipment is made!

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Challenges • Challenge 1: Protection • Challenge 2: Sensors • Challenge 3: not covered above

• Pick the most appropriate one for the application selected • No pre-determined allocation of funds between

challenges


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What we don’t want • Routes to existing materials and compounds

– including antibiotics • Existing solutions or technology, which have

already been tested and found to have limited utility • Proposals that comprise a paper study, review or

similar


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What we don’t want

• Solutions requiring the release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the environment

• Proposals in areas where there is already a significant research effort – unless a clearly defined new application relevant

to defence and security • Proposals without a synthetic biology component in

the approach


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Bidding… improving your chances

• Identify the defence application clearly – What will be the benefit?

• Identify the synthetic biology component clearly • How is this highly innovative? • What advantages does this provide over currently

available solutions? • Have you assembled a team that can do this?



Bidding… improving your chances

• Read the guidance • Submit early • The deadline really is the deadline



Synthetic Biology

• Deadline: Thursday 6 November 2014 at 5pm • Technical Partners for successful bids • Exploitation

– Phase 2 • Potentially up to £3 million for Phase 2 funding

– Main MOD research programme – Commercial partners


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