Pathogen Predators | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): DARPA Pathogen Predators (BAA 14-51)

What is the Pathogen Predators opportunity?

Pathogen Predators (Funding Opportunity Number DARPA BAA 14-51) was a DARPA Biological Technologies Office research solicitation that asked whether naturally predatory bacteria could be developed into practical therapeutics for treating infections caused by Gram-negative, antibiotic-resistant, and other priority threat pathogens.

Who issued this solicitation?

The solicitation was issued by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), specifically through its Biological Technologies Office.

What was DARPA trying to accomplish with this program?

DARPA was looking for research that could move predatory bacteria from an interesting biological phenomenon toward something that could credibly be used to reduce or eliminate dangerous Gram-negative infections, especially in situations where conventional antibiotics are failing or no longer reliable.

What organisms were of interest?

The opportunity focused on naturally predatory bacteria, specifically Bdellovibrio (including Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus) and/or Micavibrio species.

What are Bdellovibrio and Micavibrio in plain terms?

They are bacteria that attack other bacteria. Bdellovibrio is typically described as invading susceptible Gram-negative bacteria and consuming them from within, while Micavibrio is often described as attaching externally to prey cells and extracting resources.

What types of infections or pathogens were the target?

The focus was on infections caused by Gram-negative pathogens, including antibiotic-resistant strains and other priority threat pathogens.

Why was DARPA interested in this approach?

The announcement framing emphasized national security and public health concerns related to antibiotic resistance and priority pathogens. The goal was to explore an alternative anti-infective approach that could bypass standard antibiotic mechanisms, if it could be made safe, controllable, and effective.

What kind of funding mechanism was used for the solicitation?

This was issued as a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) under a discretionary funding category for science and technology research and development.

What award instruments did DARPA indicate could be used?

DARPA indicated multiple possible funding instruments, including cooperative agreements, other transaction/procurement mechanisms, and contracts.

What CFDA number was associated with this opportunity?

The listing carried CFDA number 12.910, titled Research and Technology Development.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity did not require cost sharing or matching, meaning proposers were not expected to provide a mandatory cost share as a condition of award.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was described as unrestricted and open to any type of entity, subject to any clarifications that may have appeared in the full announcement text. This generally implies that universities, non-profits, for-profits, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, and other organizations could potentially apply if they met standard federal and DARPA-specific requirements.

When was the opportunity posted, and what were the closing dates?

The opportunity was posted and created on July 17, 2014. The original closing date and the final closing date were both December 9, 2014.

When was the opportunity archived?

It was archived on January 8, 2015.

Where was the full announcement distributed?

The full announcement was distributed through the federal opportunities portal used at the time, FedBizOpps.gov.

Was there a contact for help accessing the announcement?

Yes. DARPA provided a BAA Coordinator contact for applicants who had trouble accessing the announcement electronically.

What kinds of research activities did DARPA appear to be encouraging?

Based on the description, the solicitation implied interest in research that would support potential therapeutic use, such as demonstrating activity against clinically relevant antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative organisms, assessing safety and host interactions, understanding dosing and delivery, characterizing how the organisms behave in complex biological environments, and identifying practical development pathways that could support eventual viable treatment approaches.

Was this opportunity focused on basic science, applied development, or both?

It was a science and technology R&D solicitation, and the framing emphasized moving the concept toward practical therapeutic feasibility, which suggests an orientation toward research that could mature the approach toward real-world applicability.

What is the core idea behind using predatory bacteria as therapeutics?

The central concept was to deploy living bacterial organisms as a countermeasure to bacterial disease, particularly against hard-to-treat Gram-negative threats, with the aim of generating enough evidence and technical foundation to judge feasibility and move toward potential real-world application.

Did the provided description specify a required clinical endpoint or a specific product type?

No. The information provided describes a research solicitation exploring feasibility and development pathways, but it does not specify a single required clinical endpoint or a single mandated final product type.

Is this opportunity currently open?

No. Based on the dates provided, the final closing date was December 9, 2014, and the opportunity was archived on January 8, 2015.