This proposal seeks to deliver capabilities that accelerate the discovery, development, and manufacturing of medical countermeasures (mcms) through the establishment of an integrated computational and…

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency awarded The Leland Stanford Junior University $500,000 on June 1, 2026, under the Scientific Research - Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction program (CFDA 12.351) to develop an integrated computational and experimental pipeline for accelerating discovery, development, and manufacturing of medical countermeasures. The work applies artificial intelligence and machine learning to guide enzyme design, specifically targeting butyrylcholinesterases with enhanced expression, activity, and extended circulatory half-life. The research advances deep learning-based enzyme design and optimizes glycoforms of therapeutically important proteins to support warfighter and civilian medical needs and enable domestic biomanufacturing capability against emerging threats. Deliverables consist of annual reports describing research progress and findings. The project runs through May 31, 2031, with place of performance at Stanford's Palo Alto, California campus. The award is classified as a Project Grant.

This proposal seeks to deliver capabilities that accelerate the discovery, development, and manufacturing of medical countermeasures (mcms) through the establishment of an integrated computational and experimental pipeline, guided by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), for development of butyrylcholinesterases that are easy to express, active, and have a long circulatory half-life in blood. The scope of work will improve deep learning-based enzyme design and the effort will advance the basic science of optimizing and preparing active glycoforms of therapeutically important proteins, which will have a significant impact on applications to the department of war (DOW). The deliverables are annual reports that describe the research progress and findings. The expected outcomes will contribute to AI/ML models that will accelerate the development of therapeutic and prophylactic medicines for both the warfighter and civilians and enable a platform for domestic biomanufacturing against emerging threats for the DOW and the nation.