ECBC WILL TEST THE ORGAN-ON-A-CHIP AGAINST A CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENT TO LEARN MORE NOT ONLY ABOUT HOW THE BODY WILL RESPOND TO EXPOSURE BUT ALSO ABOUT OPTIONS FOR TREATING EXPOSURES.
Two ECBC researchers, Dr. Harry Salem and Dr. Russell Dorsey, approached Harvard professor Dr. Donald Ingber after hearing his speech on his lung-on- a-chip research. Swatches of human lung tissue are placed on “chips” of silicon wafer about the size of a computer thumb drive. Ingber’s model was a 3-D swatch of lung tissue that acted like a human lung by “breathing.”
communications are vital to any success- ful Army mission. Tis importance will only grow as the advances in electron- ics continue to accelerate. Because of the increased risk for hacking with the rise of quantum computing capabilities, the Army will require robust investments to protect its networks.
SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY Advances in biology will also prove vital to the safety and health of Soldiers as they face unknown future chemical and biological hazards in theater. RDECOM is making investments in synthetic biol- ogy—an area of biological research that combines biology and engineering—to meet these future demands.
RDECOM’s Edgewood Chemical Bio- logical Center (ECBC) is expanding the limits of the biological sciences through the research of “organs” on microchips with its partners at the U.S. Army Medical Research Insti- tute of Chemical Defense, Wake Forest and Harvard universities, and the University of Michigan.
Ingber created a way for the sides of his model to contract and expand, with blood flowing on one side and air on the other, just like an actual lung. He also showed that, when introducing bacteria on the air side, white blood cells would attack it through tiny holes from the blood side. Tis was revolutionary because, until then, the organs-on-a-chip did not do much to simulate the organs they repre- sented. It’s also revolutionary because it enables testing on living human tissue without involving living humans.
ECBC scientists have been studying organs-on-a-chip for several years by exposing them to chemicals, pharma- ceuticals and chemical warfare agents. Harvard plans to provide its functioning lung model to ECBC for testing.
ECBC will test the organ-on-a-chip against a chemical warfare agent to learn more not only about how the body will respond to exposure but also about options for
CONCLUSION Key to the success and relevance of these initiatives and technologies, among many others, is how they fit into RDECOM’s technical breadth and depth of knowl- edge. Te command continues to build upon its detailed understanding of the Army’s mission and military operational environments, as well as its exten- sive relationships across the Army’s acquisition cycle.
Tis knowledge and these relation- ships allow RDECOM’s subject-matter experts to support the entire spectrum of the Army’s technology pipeline— research, development, engineering, fielding and sustainment. RDECOM manages the transition of innovations from ARL to the appropriate research, development and engineering center for developing engineered technologies and capabilities to systemize and field.
Tis arrangement positions the com-
mand to provide the Army the benefit of its unique knowledge, experience and expertise, thus enabling the Army to be a more astute buyer of capabilities as well to make informed decisions on the technical aspects of its 30-year modernization plan.
treating exposures.
RDECOM and its partners will use the screening models to assess the efficacy and safety of medical mitigation pro- cedures and countermeasures for the Soldier and the nation.
New predictive models of toxicity will result from the organ-on-a-chip testing. Te research narrows investigative efforts early during testing by yielding quick, accurate results.
For more information, go to RDECOM’s website at
www.army.mil/rdecom. To learn more about Ingber’s lung-on-a- chip, go to
http://wyss.harvard.edu/ viewpage/240/.
MR. DALE A. ORMOND is the director of RDECOM. He holds an M.S. in environ- mental systems engineering from Clemson University and is a 1985 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He is Level III cer- tified in acquisition program management. He was selected for the Senior Executive Service in July 2004.
ASC.ARMY.MIL 99
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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