Texas Biomed and MIT Lincoln Laboratory sign memorandum of understanding for future biodefense research

Texas Biomedical Research Institute and MIT Lincoln Laboratory announced a new memorandum of understanding to develop strategies to establish a working group and explore future research collaborations that could strengthen the nation’s ability to prepare for and respond to emerging biological threats.

Future collaborations with the biodefense industry will bring together Texas Biomed’s unique biocontainment infrastructure and infectious disease expertise with MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s advanced technology development, systems engineering, and national security work.

"Lincoln Laboratory has been developing advanced technologies to protect the nation against biological threats for more than 30 years. Developing these biodefense technologies in secure, classified settings is the first part of the challenge; we also need environments where those technologies can be safely and effectively evaluated against biological threats," says Jonathan Pitts, head of the Biotechnology and Human Systems Division at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. "Combining Lincoln Laboratory’s national security–focused research with Texas Biomed’s unique facilities could help bridge the gap between technology development and biological testing, supporting the transition of promising technologies toward national security applications."