LABORATORY SERIES. No.22. DARPA’s new Biological Technologies Office (BTO). Launched in April 1, 2014, the BTO is charged with exploring the intersection of biology, engineering and computer science to harness natural systems for national security. “Biology is nature’s ultimate innovator, and any agency that hangs its hat on innovation would be foolish not to look at this master of networked complexity for inspiration and solutions.” – DARPA Director Arati Prabhakar to U.S. House of Representatives, March 26, 2014. Photo Courtesy of DARPA.
LABORATORY SERIES. No.17. Lunchbox Laboratory by Futurefarmers + the Biological Sciences Team, National Renewable Energy Lab. Algae is considered a viable form renewable energy with the potential to produce biodiesel. However, the very abundance of it makes it tedious to determine which strains are most productive. Lunchbox Laboratory is a prototype for a research tool that would be distributed to schools to allow young scientists the chance to initially screen a collection of algae strains. Only the most productive strains would reach official labs. Photo Courtesy of Futurefarmers.
