Defense

Bioscience

Addressing Challenges & Threats

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s bioscience research strengthens national security by advancing technologies that detect, prevent, and respond to biological threats. The recent pandemic and continuing global endemic disease continues to demonstrate that we remain vulnerable to highly transmissible viruses and vector borne illnesses. We are just beginning to understand the effects of natural disasters as emerging infectious diseases expand in new geographic regions that affect new populations. The requirements for using new science and technology to address these global health issues have never been greater, nor has the imperative to prevent life threatening diseases.

Bioscience and bioengineering research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) delivers transformative biological solutions for national health and energy security needs. This research capitalizes on LLNL’s capabilities in high performance computing, experimental biology and automated platforms and is guided by multidisciplinary innovation and collaboration with academia, industry partners and government agencies.

3-D rendering of a virus

Corona virus

3-D rendering of Marburg virus

Marburg virus

Rapid advances in synthetic biology and gene engineering now permit the modification or de ovo assembly of many viral families and bacterial species. We therefore have a heightened need to understand and mitigate risk from these technologies. Current dual-use technology may make it difficult to determine if a new virus or organism is naturally occurring or was produced in a laboratory.

Global Security’s bioscience teams are at the vanguard of detecting and characterizing emergent diseases, utilizing cutting-edge computational models, simulations and machine learning to aid in the development of therapeutic countermeasures to fight diseases and speed recovery. Additionally, we continue to use new technologies for designing biomaterials and biomanufacturing processes for healthcare, and reliable materials production.

LLNL supports the national mission to counter vulnerabilities from naturally occurring infectious disease outbreaks or from the misuse of technology and biological attack. We do this by working with valued partners and federal agencies, the Department of Defense and members of the intelligence community to develop new approaches that address difficult challenges. Our trusted relationships are vital as we all work towards common goals to protect and serve our nation.

3-D rendering of encephalitis virus

Equine encephalitis virus

Our Approach to Biosecurity and Biological Science

LLNL uses all-source intelligence to inform our teams and set priorities that meet national needs for critical problems. Our biological subject matter experts often contribute to work that assesses the dual-use implications of advanced biotechnology as we support the policy community and our leadership to avoid surprises.

Many of our programs utilize world-class data science and algorithm development, high-performance computing capabilities and automated artificial intelligence (AI) based molecular design to accelerate therapeutic discovery. Our programs also use ex vivo model systems and tissue memetic platforms, a Select Agent Center for infectious disease countermeasure research and classified capabilities for protecting sensitive work.

Our work in the physical sciences (physics, chemistry and biology), high-speed computational modeling and data science, materials development and instrumentation continue to support many fields of biological research that include:

  • Biosurveillance and pathogen detection
  • Biotoxin countermeasure development
  • Bioenergetics microbiology and select agent research
  • Neuroprotection
  • Advanced biomaterials research
Scientists examining fluid in vial
3-D rendering of Ebola virus

Ebola virus

Biosurveillance and Detection

Rapid response to emerging pathogens has been a key theme of the last few years. Natural disasters are also driving the need for new systems to study and respond to emergent pathogens. Molecular biologists, microbial biologists, chemists, data and computational scientists and bioinformatic experts in Global Security leverage their deep understanding of genomic science and access to global sample sets to deliver sophisticated and flexible DNA-detection platforms that seek to quantitively analyze metagenomic samples. Additionally, our work to characterize background levels of naturally occurring microbes (both bacterial and viral) is essential to understand and predict emerging diseases and seasonal distribution (or re-distribution) of these pathogens. This is especially important when we examine the role of drought, changing vegetation and global human migration as host species co-mingle in new ways that we have yet to fully understand.

Microscopic image of printed materials at 2MM

Microscopic printed materials

Biomaterials and Biomanufacturing

Biologists in Global Security utilize new genetic engineering platforms and synthetic biology to produce materials and chemical precursors to aid manufacturing that is renewable, safe and reliable. Our work to understand the potential of cell design and the “build-a-cell" approach to support our industrial base may lead to advances that use biology to drive the next industrial revolution, especially as we imagine what can be done with DNA to achieve ecologically friendly methods for manufacturing and a secure supply chain.

Additionally, our work seeks to create tissue-specific models and organoids that will permit ex vivo testing of medical countermeasures and generate essential highly dimension data sets for computational-based comparative studies. The Laboratory’s combination of staff expertise and on-site R&D capabilities makes certain that Global Security can provide sponsors with new materials and processes that deliver solutions to pressing national security challenges.

Program Highlights

Worker examining equipment

Facilities & Capabilities

Supporting LLNL capabilities and facilities includes:

  • State-of-the-art advanced manufacturing facilities capable of handling biological material
  • Quality-controlled fabrication facility for FDA-approved, human use studies
  • Synthetic biology and cell-free protein technologies
  • World-class data science and algorithm development, high performance computing capabilities, automated AI-based molecular design to accelerate therapeutic discovery

Join Our Team

The Global Security Directorate at LLNL offers a diverse, collaborative environment where multidisciplinary teams work together to support the Lab’s mission and address a range of global and national security needs. Find impactful careers, talented teams and a great company culture.

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