Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD – The battlefields of the future require a mobile approach to identifying any biological threats our soldiers may encounter. One such approach – Far-Forward Advanced Sequencing Technology, or F-FAST – uses rapid DNA and RNA sequencing systems to identify biological threats in far-flung environments.

While such testing typically requires a certain level of scientific expertise, researchers at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC) are working to make F-FAST’s rapid testing methods faster and easier than ever before to detect all potential biothreats – including emerging and genetically modified ones.

Unlike previous forms of testing (e.g. COVID-19-type tests), there is a need for DNA/RNA sequencing capabilities – the next frontier in pathogen identification – as the threat of modified pathogens can obscure traditional methods. According to CBC research biologist Dr. Cory Bernhards, F-FAST’s technology to perform rapid on-site sequencing and reachback genome assembly can then be the catalyst for developing countermeasures such as therapeutics or vaccines.

“The big problem is that most operators have no laboratory training,” Bernhards said. “We have greatly simplified the sample preparation process for field DNA and RNA sequencing. We now use syringes instead of pipettes, have increased the volumes of fluids, and reduced the time and number of steps required. As a result, we have developed the fastest DNA and RNA sequencing systems in the world, allowing military operators to go from sample to result in less than 30 minutes.”

F-FAST is funded by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and the program recently transitioned its warfare-focused systems to the Far-Forward Biological Sequencing (FFBS) Program of Record of the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense.

Other F-FAST partners include the Naval Research Laboratory and the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. While these partners focus on targeted sequencing, DEVCOM CBC is targeting untargeted whole genome sequencing.

“We receive direct feedback from military personnel on all aspects of our sequencing systems during field testing,” Bernhards said. “Then we immediately incorporate the feedback into the development of the next iteration of the system. With this approach, frequent field testing has enabled rapid development of these sequencing systems specifically tailored to the needs of personnel.”

F-FAST’s “fast and easy” sequencing method is its greatest advantage – it is good enough to identify a biological threat while generating sequencing data for further analysis. In the field, it is critical that soldiers get the information they need quickly.

“Although we have drastically simplified the sample preparation process for DNA/RNA sequencing, users would still prefer an automated sample preparation device to reduce their on-site effort,” said Bernhards. “And that is exactly what we are currently working on.”

The F-FAST team has participated in field exercises every three months during development, with each new challenge bringing even more innovation. F-FAST has had to prove its performance in harsh environmental conditions such as Dugway Proving Ground in Utah in the summer (up to 38°C) and Fairbanks, Alaska in the winter (down to -18°C). In the few months remaining in the F-FAST program, the team looks forward to further field experiments at Beholder’s Gaze 24 in Oahu, Hawaii, and Dragon Spear RDAX 24 in Perry, Georgia.

After testing F-FAST in a previous exercise, SOCOM operators were asked what else was needed. Their answer was simple: “We want F-FAST tomorrow.”

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The US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Chemical Biological Center (CBC) is subordinate to the US Army Futures Command (AFC) and the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM).

AFC provides Army modernization solutions (integrated concepts, organizational designs, and technologies) to enable the Joint Force to achieve superiority in future operational environments using Army capabilities. DEVCOM is a major subordinate command of AFC. DEVCOM leads the discovery, development, and delivery of technology-based capabilities that enable Soldiers to win our nation’s wars and come home safe. DEVCOM CBC is the Army’s premier research and development center for chemical and biological defense technology, engineering, and field operations. DEVCOM CBC is headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.