Materiel Protection through Biologics
Abstract
Military infrastructure and systems are expected to function years beyond their original intended lifetime but are subject to degradation by environmental factors. For instance, the formation of biofilms is ubiquitous, corroding and biofouling many military systems, such as aircraft, fuel tanks, ships, medical devices, and filtration systems for water and air. These microbial communities routinely endanger warfighter health and strip years of service from critical defense assets, ultimately costing the DoD billions of dollars annually. Building upon technologies investigated under the Bio-Inspired Coastal Defense program, the Materiel Protection through Biologics thrust will develop biological approaches to sustain military infrastructure and systems by developing or repurposing dynamic microbial-based biofilm communities to exhibit beneficial functions such as reducing drag or corrosion. These microbial-based interventions will protect and sustain equipment and infrastructure to reduce cost and increase the service lifetime.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2023
- Source ID
- 6c8ec002b34964adb8e2c82d2164413b