1. Thread on #DARPA History - Synthetic Polio Virus
Created under the DARPA Biological Warfare Defense Program
web.archive.org/web/2014011302…
2. Multi-agent/agent specific thrust
"the approach. will be targeted to a specific pathogen, but It Is applicable to several different pathogens. For example, an approach may be used to develop therapeutics against 20 different pathogens"
3. Professor Ron Taylor
This project started in May 1996 at the University of Virginia. Taylor and his colleagues developed a heteropolymer that functions on the one end to connect to the CR 1 site of the red blood cells, while the other end is tailored to the specific pathogen.
4. Mesenchymal Stem Cells
DARPA also funded research into mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) modified to have surface receptors designed for specific pathogens. When pathogen is detected, part of cell's DNA Is turned on to produce a gene protein product targeted to kill the pathogen
5. Strategy
To address specific Biological warfare agents, we will fund work at facilities such as USAMRIID, where actual bioagents are. kept. to determine If the therapeutics are effective In animal models.
6. Pharmaceutical Industry
DARPA will provide the thrust & the biotech industry & pharmaceutical industries will take over these products (clinical testing & development) to commercialize them for their own purposes.
DoD will then procure them via "normal" commercial routes
7. Unconventional Pathogen Countermeasures
"The most sinister offensive biological warfare scenario employs surprise, Immediate proximity &
rapidly lethal, persistent agents in overwhelming quantities"
BAA 97-23 Pathogen Countermeasures
Program Manager: CPR Shaun Jones, MD,USN
8. Advanced. Diagnostics
Program Manager: Dr. Stephen Morse
BAA 97-24 Advanced Diagnostics for Pathogens
9. Red Blood Cell Pathogen Decoy & Destruction
University of Virginia
Boston University - Mark Bitensky birensky@enra.bu.etlu
10. Sequential Auto Vaccination by Stem Cells
Daniel R. Marshak
dmarshak@osiristx.com
OSIRIS Therapeutics, Inc. .
Baltimore, MD
11. Too Radical for NIH? Try DARPA
@Peterdaszak #DEFUSE
You have a radically new idea for fighting pathogens that colleagues are dubious about
Where would you go for funding?
To the NIH?
NIH would ask a committee of peers to evaluate it who can be brutal about radical concepts
12. Scripps - DARPA - Lerner
Richard Lerner, president of The Scripps Research Institute, another DARPA adviser, notes that the agency needs to keep in mind that ''you never know what you want to discover until you discover it."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_L…
13. Dr. Chris Dickey
publichealth.nyu.edu/faculty/chris-… ?
DARPA was unable to locate any documents concerning "human cellular platforms used for biological warfare therapy," as you requested.
DARPA advises that this division does not exist, nor does DARPA have such a research program
14.Synthetic Polio
DARPA failed to inform anyone that one of its “unconventional” projects was $US300,000 ($393,939) to fund a trio of scientists who thought it would be a neat idea to synthesise polio.
gizmodo.com.au/2016/03/the-10…
15. DIY Polio @antonioregalado
They constructed the virus using its genome sequence, which was available on the Internet, and obtained the genetic material from companies that sell made-to-order DNA.
ph.ucla.edu/epi/bioter/cre…
16. Frightening the Public!
"I think this is irresponsible," says Craig Venter
He says the work carries an alarmist message that could frighten the public & prompt legislators to put more controls on basic research
"It has the chance to hurt the entire scientific community"
17. #DARPA's Secret
Dr. Wimmer's work was funded with $160K from DARPA, while he served as an adviser
DARPA didn't disclose this project among its grants under the Unconventional Pathogen Countermeasures program
Dr. Wimmer isn't sure why the agency kept the project secret...
18. #DARPA's unpublished projects
"A Darpa spokesman said not all the agency's work is posted on its Web site"
ROLF
darpa.mil
19. Dr. Cello's DNA Lego Building Blocks
But building up the long chain of DNA from smaller pieces proved frustratingly difficult. Eventually, Dr. Cello simply ordered most of the completed sequence from a scientific supply house, Integrated DNA Technologies of Coralville, Iowa
20. Interlude with Dr. Cello
21, More Dr. Cello!
22. Back to Synthetic Polio @DARPA
DARPA provided $300K over the last 3 years for the work
''Understanding the process of viral DNA production is key to identifying new ways to kill viruses & understand how viruses could change & escape from vaccines"
archive.ph/0G7rP
23. Mice Brains
The new virus, when injected into the brains of mice, gave them a paralytic disease equivalent to poliomyelitis.
Dr. Wimmer deliberately introduced mutations into it to distinguish it from the natural virus.
archive.ph/0G7rP By @AndrewPollackFL
24. A virus with a future?
2000-2025
Dr. Wimmer said polio could spread panic & that vaccines would have to be stockpiled if not routinely administered
"in 25 years, if a good percentage of the world is not immunized against polio virus, it would be a terrible terrorist agent"
25. Papers (Don't try at home)
1.
researchgate.net/publication/11…
2. Cell-free de novo synthesis of poliovirus
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1661029/
3. Recombination of poliovirus in cell-free system
pnas.org/content/94/25/…
4. Cell-free synthesis poliovirus (145 subunits)
citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/downlo…
26. Reactions (1)
Reflections on the Synthetic production of Polio Virus
journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.296…
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @BulletinAtomic
27. Reactions (2)
Congressional Research Service Report RS21369
Synthetic Poliovirus: Bioterrorism and Science Policy
Implications
Frank Gottron (December 13, 2002)
file.wikileaks.org/file/crs/RS213…
28. Synthetic Poliovirus & Other Designer Viruses
What Have We Learned from Them?
Eckard Wimmer: ewimmer@ms.cc.sunysb.edu
Aniko V. Paul: apaul@notes.cc.sunysb.edu
Stony Brook University
annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.114…
Non paywall PDF thanks to Sci Hub
sci-hub.ee/10.1146/annure…
29. Synthetic Biology Could Bring a Pox on Us All
wired.com/story/syntheti…
30. From Synthetic Polio to Horsepox
Biosecurity Implications for the Synthesis of Horsepox, an Orthopoxvirus
wmdcenter.ndu.edu/Portals/97/Doc…
Step-by-step horsepox study stokes dual-use controversy
cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspecti…
31. Synthetic horsepox viruses
the continuing debate about dual use research
journals.plos.org/plospathogens/…
Horsepox and the need for a new norm, more transparency, and stronger oversight for experiments that pose pandemic risks
journals.plos.org/plospathogens/…
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