This report surveys opportunities for future Army applications in biotechnology, including sensors, electronics and computers, materials, logistics, and medical therapeutics, by matching commercial trends and developments with enduring Army requirements. Several biotechnology areas are identified as important for the Army to exploit, either by direct funding of research or by indirect influence of commercial sources, to achieve significant gains in combat effectiveness before 2025.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• COMMITTEE ON OPPORTUNITIES IN BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR FUTURE ARMY APPLICATIONS
• BOARD ON ARMY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Executive Summary
• 1. Introduction
  • STATEMENT OF TASK
  • FINDING THE WAY
  • DEFINITION OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
  • REPORT ORGANIZATION
• 2. Biotechnology and the Army
  • HISTORY OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
  • SCOPE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
• 3. Sensing the Battlefield Environment
  • BIOLOGICAL SENSORS
  • ASSAY FORMATS
  • DETECTION METHODS
  • PROTEIN CHIPS
  • BARRIERS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF PORTABLE SENSORS
  • KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
• 4. Electronics and Computing
  • PROTEIN-BASED ELECTRONIC DEVICES
  • BIOCOMPUTING
  • KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
• 5. In Search of New Materials
  • BIOMATERIALS FOR IN VIVO USE
  • BIOINSPIRED AND HYBRID MATERIALS
  • BIOMATERIALS FOR CLOTHING AND CONCEALMENT
  • KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
• 6. Reducing Logistics Requirements
  • MINIATURIZATION OF BIOLOGICAL DEVICES
  • FUNCTIONAL FOODS
  • BIOLOGICAL PHOTOVOLTAICS
  • RENEWABLE RESOURCES
• 7. Soldier Health and Performance
  • GENOMICS
  • TRENDS IN DRUG DEVELOPMENT
• 8. Conclusions and Recommendations
  • BIOTECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AREAS
  • OVERARCHING CONCLUSIONS
  • PRIORITIES FOR RESEARCH
  • BARRIERS NOT AMENABLE TO RESEARCH
• References
• Appendixes
  • Appendix A Biographical Sketches of Committee Members
  • Appendix B Meetings and Activities
  • Appendix C Chemical Sensing Using MEMS Devices
  • Appendix D Vaccination

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was supported by Contract No. DAAD 19-99-L-0052 between the National Academy of Sciences and the Department of Defense. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.