Q1 2019

GHP / Q1 2019 5 NEWS , Lockheed Martin is Reprogramming Cells to Bioproduce New Materials $10 million army research contract advances precision biodesign. Cells form the cornerstone of life, and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is researching ways to cre- ate the building blocks of novel materials. In a new cooperative agreement with the Army Re- search Laboratory, Lockheed Martin material scientists will work with industry and Army scientists who design microbes to edit sin- gle-cell organism DNA. They will investigate a range of capabilities, particularly those that can im- prove defense optical technology and coatings. “Cells efficiently create all sorts of materials, like a spider’s silk or a butterfly’s iridescent wings. We want to harness nature’s process to better protect people,” said Melissa Rhoads, senior research manager and Lockheed Martin lead for the project. “Biodesign exists today, but it doesn’t exist at the scale and to the quality of defense standards.” Biology and technology intersect in the field of biodesign. Some fashion houses even use the sus- tainable technology to develop fabrics for clothing, but Lockheed Martin sees potential to mature the science to a more precise level. This maturation requires collaboration between ARL and Lockheed Martin and leverages commercial advances from com- panies such as Ginkgo Bioworks. Scientists often look to nature to provide inspiration, and those DoseCare today announces, with immediate effect, its acquisition of Biodose, the UK’s only monitored dosage system (MDS) that accommodates liq- uid and solid medication. Bio- dose, an innovative medication management solution, is used extensively in the pharmacy and care home sectors to man- age complex medication re- gimes, increase efficiency and improve patient safety. DoseCare has acquired the intel- lectual property rights to enable manufacture of the trays, pods and seals in the future. It has also acquired all current stock, from Protomed Ltd (T/A Biodose), which ceased trading in October to November. DoseCare assures undisrupted service to all phar- macies and care home suppliers, with no planned price increases. Biodose is the only system that allows the pre-measured, person- alised dosage of tablets, capsules and liquids. Medication is stored in individual tamper-evident sealed units, pods, that include important information including patient name, description of med- icines contained inside, as well as DoseCare acquires Biodose: securing the future of UK’s leading medication management solution a date and time that the medica- tion should be taken. This unique system is a superior safeguard against medication error, improv- ing patient safety. Donna Williams from DoseCare said, “Having worked with Bio- dose from a pharmacy and care home perspective, the team here understand the immense value that Biodose provides to both these sectors; we feel this acqui- sition provides a unique opportu- nity to not only ensure continuity but also drive the future strategy of the most superior MDS solu- tion in the healthcare market. We look forward to working closely with, and supporting, valued Bio- dose customers to deliver greater improvements and cost-efficien- cies.” DoseCare is in the process of developing improved software and workflow systems to make prescription management easi- er, with further announcements expected soon. It is also looking forward to working with users to make Biodose an even bigger success. For further information on Bio- dose contact 0330 094 8053 or email [email protected] ideas can help lower the cost of optical technologies. For exam- ple, telescopes use lenses to fil- ter out unwanted light or to get a clearer image. However, a squid lens is able to filter and focus light in compact package due to mol- ecule-based design and varied refractive index. In another ex- ample, melanin protects humans and animals alike from the Sun’s UV rays. So melanin—or similar molecules with protective func- tions—could be another natural substance attracting the study’s attention. “We can’t manufacture that kind of capability, so Lockheed Mar- tin will try nature’s way,” Rhoads said. “Harnessing the power of self-assembling materials is sus- tainable, affordable and can be much faster to produce than arti- ficial methods. As much potential there is for biodesign, the maturi- ty of the materials technology is still low, so our five-year study will advance this field significantly for precision science.” The $10 million, five-year agree- ment uses the name Self-Assem- bly of Nanostructures for Tunable Materials and will leverage the Army’s Open Campus model to enable collaboration between university, small-business, Army and Lockheed Martin scientists and engineers. Partnerships across industry and government groups have grown from pro- grams like the National Science Foundation’s SynBERC and the Department of Defense’s Applied Research for Advancement of Science and Technology Priori- ties.