Smart-blooded super soldiers: Coming soon from DARPA
- Reference: 1757953150
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/09/15/smartblooded_super_soldiers_coming_soon/
- Source link:
Last week, the Pentagon's research arm posted a special [1]notice for what it's calling the Smart-Red Blood Cells (Smart-RBC) program. Designed to generate interest among researchers, this release precedes a formal request for proposals, which the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) told us may come in the next few weeks.
There are good reasons for the secrecy, as a read of the special notice makes the program goals pretty clear - and pretty shocking given how these sorts of experiments tend to turn out, at least in books and movies.
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According to the program's stated goals, DARPA is looking to "engineer red blood cells to contain novel biological features that can safely and reliably modify human physiology." In the short term, DARPA wants these bio-engineered red blood cells to improve human performance (think faster recovery times, more resistance to lactic acid buildup that causes muscle soreness, improved cardiovascular fitness, and the like) and "enhanced hemostasis," i.e., better blood clotting.
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But that's just the start. DARPA wants its smart red blood cells (SRBCs) to eventually offer super soldiers improved temperature regulation in extreme environments and improved altitude acclimation, as well as the ability to create "universal blood" and "more resilient blood products."
[5]AI and robots join forces to cook up proteins faster
[6]US Commerce Dept says China has brain-control weaponry
[7]If we have self-healing bio robots in 2053, it started here with mouse muscle cyborgs
[8]Stephen Hawking predicts bio-engineering catastrophe
How does DARPA intend to do this, you may ask? Details are scarce, and, since the agency declined to answer questions about the program, it's not clear how far along development of such technologies may be. However, some of the how is spelled out in the notice, albeit abstractly.
"SRBCs will be engineered to contain additional biological circuits," DARPA explained. The researchers want circuits consisting of three layers with the ability to sense "extracellular biomarkers," decide what to do with that information, and "act by creating effector molecules that can modify metabolism or physiology."
DARPA envisions the eventual Smart-RBC program lasting 36 months across two 18-month phases. The first will see teams demonstrate their ability to engineer the stem cells that become red blood cells, "such that the circuit parts are produced and positioned during differentiation and that they are retained" as they mature. The second phase will see teams "demonstrate functionality and complete the program with a capability demo."
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It's not clear whether that demo will involve human test subjects - that's something we asked, but didn't get an answer on. Also left mysterious is how those SRBCs might get injected and whether DARPA envisions a temporary boost of superpowers or permanent enhancement.
For now, soldiers, marines, airmen, and sailors will have to settle for being limited by their existing human physiology, as weak as it may be. ®
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[1] http://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/bf64d14f7d764d979f327ed3b8de9e3b/view
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aMiMaBnA05RQH9GnnqIHWQAAAE0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aMiMaBnA05RQH9GnnqIHWQAAAE0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aMiMaBnA05RQH9GnnqIHWQAAAE0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/ai_robot_protein_engineering/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2021/12/17/the_department_of_commerce_said/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/21/mouse_muscle_cyborg_light/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2001/10/16/stephen_hawking_predicts_bioengineering_catastrophe/
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aMiMaBnA05RQH9GnnqIHWQAAAE0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
I'm a sucker, then
I signed up for the George Soros-funded Antifa super soldier program. The training was brutal, but it worked, and now I can literally kill people with a mean post over the Internet. I could have just waited for this blood serum and saved myself the effort. :(
Everything is a tradeoff
In biology, every feature of an organism is a tradeoff within a limited resource budget.
"Improve" one aspect always has repercussions weakening another aspect. Improve oxygen carrying capacity of blood, get more trombose.
And bigger and stronger is not always better.
Neanderthalers were bigger, stronger humans who could thrive in colder climates. They were overrun by smaller, weaker Cro-Magnon humans when things warmed up a little.
Anyhow, "Better" soldiers will be beaten to pulp by robots and drones anyway. So what is the point?
But maybe I am missing something here?
Re: Everything is a tradeoff
> "Improve" one aspect always has repercussions weakening another aspect. Improve oxygen carrying capacity of blood, get more trombose.
I don't remember which book I read this in but a North Korean (who had defected) was explaining some unexpected effects of the famine there. IIRC, he said something to the effect of "the big, fit, muscly ones died first, because they needed more food (energy)".
[1]The Meek shall inherit the Earth
[1] https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/the-meek
Re: Everything is a tradeoff
Polar explorers found that out too. The big musclar ones died first.
In general, the obese survive longer in a famine. Which is one reason why for most of history and still in many parts of the world, "big" people are preferred.
The muscular giants get the girl(s). But the small obese ones survive the winter.
Lean people do not survive a failed harvest.
Re: Neanderthalers [...] were overrun by smaller, weaker Cro-Magnon humans ...
I'm not really sure that's quite how current science would express how that bit of prehistory happened, even if the end result mostly matches; ... at least according to the recent BBC TV doco "Human"
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002fxm9
Re: Neanderthalers [...] were overrun by smaller, weaker Cro-Magnon humans ...
"I'm not really sure that's quite how current science would express how that bit of prehistory happened"
Actually, I suspect no one knows.
Neanderthals hunted big game, eg mammoth, Cro Magnon more hares and smaller animals. For the rest, I suspect little is known for sure. They did cross breed which made the Cro Magnon better adapted to the European climate and circumstances.
There was one strange observation. Both Neanderthals and Cro Magnon caught salmon when they swam up the rivers of Iberia, Portugal and Spain. But only Cro Magnon did this organized in large numbers and synchronized with the salmon migration. Why?
The best suggestion I heard about the end of the Neanderthals was that Cro Magnon simple could raise more kids (higher population density) than Neanderthals and the masses of Cro Magnons absorbed the Neanderthals.
But your guess is as good as mine.
Why should the DoD care if two years as a grunt at age 18-20
Takes 20 years off your lifespan? That wouldn't become apparent for at least a decade, by which time they will tell recruits "don't worry about the scandals you're seeing reported in the media, that was SmartBlood 1.0. This is SmartBlood 2.0, which fixes those issues, pinky promise!"
And yes I agree by the time it is researched, tested on mice, tested on volunteer soldiers, and can be rolled out in en masse humans will have no place on the front lines any longer so it won't matter how many hours they can march with a 100 lb pack without rest. If they do they'll be in some sort of powered armor so again the strength and endurance of their biological bits won't matter too much.
If this research bears any fruit they probably won't even need to test it on humans. It will "escape" the lab (via bribery) and bodybuilders and athletes will be juicing with it and they will be the "test subjects". Many would happily give up decades of their lifespan if it means they can be the best of the best for a short time in their youth.
Re: Why should the DoD care if two years as a grunt at age 18-20
"Many would happily give up decades of their lifespan if it means they can be the best of the best for a short time in their youth."
It seems they asked this very question to Olympic athletes. And most seemed to be willing to trade years (decades?) of their lives for winning all contests for a few years.
Heard it on TV years ago so I don't vouch for this story.
Given the kind of folks running the government right now, ...
The program is more likely to include a remote kill switch than any super-duper physiological enhancement.
I'm certain that aspect would appeal to them.
Anon because, well, we don't really need to mention that, do we?
Someone call Jean-Claude immediately, he may want royalties.
Encounter at Farpoint, USS Enterprise Bridge
Q: *Transforms into a soldier from the 21st century*
Q (mocking Picard): "Rapid progress..."
Q: ...To where humanity learned to control their militaries with drugs.
Maybe they’ll call it DARPA Marching Powder
Hey...
Jean-cluade, Dolph....someone's been watching reruns of your movies.
"Dr. David Banner - physician, scientist - searching for a way to tap into the hidden strengths all humans have..."