Bio-Intelligence Chips (BIC)
IARPA is interested in human physiological changes arising from the synthesis or handling of chemical and biological agents of interest and related materials. BIC anticipates that distinguishing biomarkers reflective of changes in host status after exposure would be observed in physiological matrices. These biomarkers may be from immunological, transcriptional, genomic, proteomic, metabolomic, epigenetic or microbiomic alternations. BIC hypothesizes that signatures derived across many omics would be more robust than signatures generated based on a singular omic. BIC seeks to develop an understanding of how such exposures present in an array of biological functions and how they can be translated into a unique and identifying signature of past exposure.
The BIC program will be a multiple phase program. In the first phase, BIC performers will identify signatures that would be associated with specific threat hypotheses that comprise sets of biomarkers corresponding to exposures consonant with their particular threat scenarios. Performers will develop bioassays based on the most robust signatures they uncover. In subsequent phases, the BIC program may develop multiple bioassays that can be deployed in a hand-portable lab-on-a-chip platform.
Performers (Prime Contractors)
Northwestern University; Princeton University; Tufts University; University of California, Irvine; University of Maryland
Research Area(s)
- Biology
- Immunology
- Micro-fluidics
Related Publications
To access BIC program-related publications, please visit Google Scholar.
Related Article(s)
- UMD researchers recieves IARPA support to study testing methods for influenza
- UMD researchers receive $5 million grant to study biothreat detection
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