Microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses and fungi in the environment, can be either harmful or beneficial to humans. Laboratory analyses is required to distinguish between these possibilities.
The process starts by first transporting viable microbial samples to the lab. However, keeping microbes alive during transportation poses several significant challenges. For example, microbial viability is especially at risk when samples are transported from remote locations with extreme environments, including arctic tundra, deserts, and rain forests.
Led by Dr. Arum Han, the microSTASIS (A Microbial System To Ameliorate Survival in Extreme Settings) project aims to develop a new method for preserving microbial samples without refrigeration/cooling requirements through integrating innovations in microfluidics, biomaterials, protein engineering, and synthetic biology. To achieve this goal, Texas A&M University researchers have been selected to serve as performers on the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) AMPHORA program. DARPA’s Assured Microbial Preservation in Harsh Or Remote Areas (AMPHORA) program will sponsor the microSTASIS project through a contract up to 3 years and $12.9 million.
This project has many applications, amongst which the potential to vastly improve the way diseases are monitored, known as biosurveillance. “Conducting biosurveilance globally is an important aspect of protecting our warfighters that are currently deployed to hotspots of broad ranges of infectious diseases,” said Han, a Presidential Impact Fellow and professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “That begins with the ability to bring samples back to laboratories that can properly analyze those samples so that we know what is out there, what they can do, and what may be emerging.”
In addition to the protection of soldiers in warzones, this research can also be used to protect civilians. The COVID-19 pandemic showed us that a lack of knowledge about a microorganism can make it more dangerous. With new preservation methods to transport microorgansims available, researchers will have a greater understanding of what microbial risks are out there, and how to prevent large scale outbreaks.
“I am very excited to work on this forward-looking, visionary, and high impact DARPA AMPHORA program led by Dr. Tiffany Prest, where successful development will have direct and immediate impact on how the US is conducting biosurveilance throughout the world,” notes Han. “I am also very excited to have the opportunity to work with world-class leaders in the field on this multi-disciplinary project.”
Also working on this multidisciplinary project from the College of Engineering are Dr. Daniel Alge from the Department of Biomedical Engineering, an expert in biomaterials, and Dr. Qing Sun from the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, an expert in protein engineering. The project also includes Dr. Won-Bo Shim from Texas A&M AgriLife, an expert in fungal biology. The project is also in close collaboration with Dr. Paul de Figueiredo, the NextGen Precision Health Endowed Professor from the University of Missouri and an expert in infectious diseases and host-pathogen interactions. Other external collaborators include world-class virologists Dr. Mark Endsley and Dr. Scott Weaver from the University of Texas Medical Branch and Galveston National Laboratory, and Dr. Luis Martinez-Sobrido from the Texas Biomedical Research Institute.