UCSD to Engineer Oxygen-Boosting 'Smart' Blood Cells With DARPA Grant

UC San Diego researchers have secured an $11 million, three-year DARPA grant to engineer red blood cells that can sense exertion and boost oxygen delivery, potentially increasing soldiers’ endurance. The project uses gene-editing and a hollow-fiber bioreactor, involves collaboration with Northeastern University, the University of Pennsylvania, and MIT, and will not involve initial human testing, with potential future medical applications beyond the battlefield.