Funding Opportunity: 25-10-DTRA_Multi “Advancing Biodefense Readiness: On-Demand Biologics, Automated Threat Detection, and Alternative for Testing Medical Countermeasures in High Containment”

Purpose

The Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC) is excited to post this summary announcement for the MTEC-25-10-DTRA_Multi Request for Project Proposals (RPP) focused on advancing the following medical and bioengineering technologies:

• Focus Area #1: Biologics On Demand
• Focus Area #2: Automated Clinical and/or Environmental Sampling, Sequencing, and Analysis
• Focus Area #3: Alternative Methods for Testing Medical Countermeasures (MCMs) in High Containment
• Focus Area #4: Microphysiological Alternatives for Gauging Pretreatment Immunogenicity and Efficacy (MAGPIE)

Background:

The DTRA Chemical and Biological Technologies Department (RD-CB), in its role as the Joint Science and Technology Office (JSTO) for the Chemical and Biological Defense Program (CBDP), manages a broad portfolio of basic and applied research and advanced technology development activities to support critical chemical and biological defense missions.

To meet the intent of this RPP, each White Paper SHALL specifically address ONLY ONE Focus Area of Interest described below. Offerors are not limited to a single White Paper submission.

Due to the wide variety and inherent diversity of focus areas being solicited for in this RPP, the funding amount, expected periods of performance (PoP), number of anticipated awards, and timing of funding availability for each focus area is outlined in the RPP.

Process: This RPP will be conducted using a two-staged approach.

MTEC membership is required for the submission of a white paper in response to this MTEC RPP. To join MTEC, please visit mtec-sc.org/join.

To view the full-length version of this RPP, please download using the link on this page.

Scope of Work

Focus Area #1 – Biologics On Demand: This focus area aims to advance the state-of-the-art for producing biologics on-demand and near point-of-need with the following characteristics:

• Achieving relevant quantities of MCM.
• Ensuring initiation of protein production within ~24 hours of receiving DNA/RNA template.
• Producing fully bioactive complex proteins.
• Demonstration of identical runs at different locations.
• Feasibility to advance products to and through regulatory approval.

Focus Area #2 – Automated Clinical and/or Environmental Sampling, Sequencing, and Analysis: This focus area aims to advance the development of an integrated, automated system capable of detecting and identifying biological threats in environmental and/or clinical samples with the following characteristics:

• Automated collection of representative samples from various sources (air, water, wastewater, NP swabs, serum, plasma, urine, etc.).
• Onboard liquid handling for nucleic acid extraction and library preparation.
• Integration with a platform that can provide real-time sequencing and identification of biological agents in environmental matrices.
• Embedded bioinformatics tools for immediate analysis and reporting of sequencing data.

Focus Area #3 – Alternative Methods for Testing MCMs in High Containment: This focus area aims to advance alternative models, such as organ-on-a-chip (OoC) and organoid systems, for evaluating MCMs against viral biothreats. Solutions will validate mature alternative model platforms that model human infection and therapeutic response, with a focus on aerosol exposure and oral therapeutic delivery methods. Solutions are expected to compare alternative model data to animal and clinical results, enabling regulatory confidence and operational use in high-containment environments.

Focus Area #4 – Microphysiological Alternatives for Gauging Pretreatment Immunogenicity and Efficacy (MAGPIE): This focus area aims to advance immune microphysiological systems (iMPS) for vaccine evaluation and development. iMPS may include, but are not limited to, immune organoid, organ-tissue equivalent, microfluidics chips or similar systems as well as single or multiple organ models. Solutions will demonstrate iMPS capable of both recapitulating the immunogenicity and efficacy of known vaccines as well as predict that of novel vaccine constructs. This focus area will not only develop cutting-edge iMPS technology but also contribute to the development of new alternative methods aligned with current guidance from regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Insights gained from this effort will inform the design and development of novel vaccines.

Proposers Conference

MTEC will host a Proposers Conference that will be conducted via webinar within two (2) weeks after the release of the RPP. The intent of the Proposers Conference is to provide an administrative overview of this RPP process to award and present further insight into the Technical Requirements outlined in Section 3 of this RPP. Further instructions with date/time and registration link will be forthcoming via email and posted to the MTEC website. Government representatives will be present to answer questions as able.

Points of Contact

For inquiries, please direct your correspondence to the following contacts:

• Membership questions should be directed to MTEC Member Relations, Ms. Kim Olsen, kim.olsen@mtec-sc.org
• Questions concerning contractual, cost or pricing related to this RPP should be directed to the MTEC contracts team at contracts@mtec-sc.org
• Technical and all other questions should be directed to the MTEC Chief Science Officer, Dr. Lauren Palestrini, Ph.D., lauren.palestrini@mtec-sc.org