Radiance Technologies, an employee-owned leader in defense and intelligence innovation, has been awarded a prime contract by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) for the Microsystem Induced Catalytic Activity (MICA) program. In partnership with Louisiana Tech University, Radiance will work to model microsystems capable of precisely controlling protein function, a transformative advancement for biomanufacturing, national security, and medical applications.
As part of the program, the Radiance-Louisiana Tech team will develop the Adaptive Multi-Physics Engine for Reaction Engineering (AMPERE), a novel simulation platform that combines machine learning with multi-scale physical modeling. AMPERE will predict the dynamic behavior of biomolecular catalysts under microsystem stimulation, enabling greater control over catalytic activity and artificial cell construction.
“This program addresses a critical need to bridge molecular-scale biological control with scalable microsystem design,” said Dr. Andrew Gardner, principal investigator for MICA at Radiance. “AMPERE will enable the co-design of molecules and microsystems with high precision, advancing secure therapeutics, resilient biomanufacturing, and beyond.”
Louisiana Tech will contribute its leading capabilities in nanotechnology and computational biology to support catalyst fabrication and interface modeling.
“Together, we’re developing tools and methods to direct molecular function. As a researcher and educator, these projects provide valuable opportunities for students in both the lab and the classroom,” said Dr. Tom Bishop, MICA co-investigator and professor at Tech. “It’s especially rewarding to see a recent physics graduate who worked in my lab now contributing to this effort as a member of the Radiance team."
The MICA program will explore how microsystems can harness heat, electromagnetic fields, and fluid motion to precisely guide chemical reactions at the molecular level. By designing these systems in tandem with the biological processes they affect, the team aims to build scalable technologies that integrate seamlessly with existing microelectronics manufacturing.
This award follows on the heels of DARPA’s Simulating Microbial Systems (SMS) program, under which Radiance, Louisiana Tech University, and LSU Health Shreveport are developing predictive models of microbial behavior at single-cell resolution.
“Together, MICA and SMS represent a growing portfolio of bioengineering innovation and research excellence in north Louisiana,” said Radiance CEO Bill Bailey. We’re excited to help advance national capabilities while strengthening the region’s role in the future of biotechnology.”