DARPA ReVector Proposers Day
 

ReVector

Program Goals and Objective

Mosquitoes act as a vector for diseases like dengue and malaria that represent a significant danger to the readiness and resiliency of military personnel and more broadly public health. While multiple approaches to avoiding vector-borne disease exist (e.g. bed nets, repellants or anti-malarial therapeutics), they each have logistical burdens or side effects that make them impractical for use. In addition, these methods of avoiding disease vectors are not feasible during deployment or require frequent reapplication or dosing that can result in inconsistent protection. Methods of protecting against vector-borne disease that require minimal maintenance, equipment or training and lack deleterious side effects such as odor are required.
 
Volatiles emitted in human breath attract mosquitoes to the general area of the human. However, it is the heat signatures and volatiles from the skin that direct mosquitoes to the sites on the skin where they feed, ultimately acting as a vector for agents of disease like bacteria, parasites, and viruses. Many volatiles that attract mosquitoes to the skin are produced by the metabolism of organisms in the human skin microbiome. The ReVector program will develop precise, safe and efficacious technologies to modulate the profile of skin-volatiles by changing the organisms and/or metabolic processes that are present in the skin microbiome in order to reduce attraction and feeding by mosquitoes. 

Q&A

Administrative, technical, and contractual questions about the ReVector program should be emailed to DARPA-SN-19-48@darpa.mil. All questions must be in English and must include the name and email address of a point of contact.

Disclaimers and Important Notes

Attendance at the ReVector Proposers Day is voluntary and is not required to propose to the anticipated ReVector BAA. Interested parties to this notice are cautioned that nothing herein obligates the Government to issue a solicitation. The Proposers Day does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals or abstracts. This announcement is issued solely for information and program planning purposes and is not a Request for Information (RFI). Since this is not an RFI, no submissions against this notice will be accepted by the Government. No classified, ITAR controlled, or proprietary information shall be included in submitted materials or shall be presented or discussed at the Proposers Day. DARPA will not provide reimbursement for costs incurred to participate in this Proposers Day. Recording the Proposers Day is not permitted.