Our sister site, whatcanbiotechdoforyou.com, posted this great salute to our veterans this morning:

This week, we celebrate and honor the contributions the US Military has made to both our country’s security and our way of life. No single section of society gives more of themselves and demands so little in return. This self-sacrifice is practically unseen in today’s “me” society, which is why Veterans’ Day proves to be a day when we all should take some time to thank those active and past military personnel around us for their service to our country.

We also want to take a moment to look at how biotechnology is helping our military – both on the battlefield and in peacetime. Did you know, for example, that the Navy is testing biofuels for its jets? Until recently, they were testing coal-based and natural gas-based alternatives to traditional jet fuels, but with the advent of scalable, cost-efficient algae-based and seed-based biofuels, the Navy is going green now too.

Then there are the numerous battlefield situations our troops find themselves in on a daily basis. And biotechnology is working hard to provide quicker solutions to trauma situations. For example…

• Resusix is a blood plasma-derived powder that can be quickly rehydrated in emergencies. Plasma is frequently used in situations where soldiers are losing a lot of blood from an injury. Frozen plasma has been used until now, but is hard to transport and takes a while to thaw before it’s usable. Resusix has none of these drawbacks.

• Stasix is a way to stop up severe wounds quickly. It is derived from human platelets, has a long shelf life, is quickly rehydratable, is sterile, and is not limited by blood type. This could save countless lives on the battlefield – and eventually for civilian lives as well.

• Biotechnology has also developed a blood test to screen head-trauma patients before any unnecessary scans (and resultant exposure to radiation). The blood test scans for a protein called S100B, which is released by astrocyte cells in the brain after injury. Hopefully we can soon count on a quick way for our battlefield physicians to determine which head injuries require serious immediate attention to prevent long-term consequences, and which require a simple pain reliever.

• And lastly, there are the multiple defense capabilities being developed thanks to Project Bioshield. After September 11th and the Anthrax attacks, the Bush Administration invested significant amounts into biodefense research. More specifically, the program has three major components: 1) funding to speed research and development on countermeasures; 2) spending authority for the procurement of countermeasures; and 3) providing new FDA emergency use authorization for promising countermeasures.

Although none of this defeats enemies preemptively, the ability to save an infected battalion is critical to our soldiers’ well-being.

Here are just a few examples of some of what is going on in the area of biodefense:

• Providing vaccines against infectious agents like anthrax – vaccines that act quickly, that are more easily replicated and safer. Agricultural biotech researchers are already working on fruits and vegetables that could be genetically encoded to contain vaccines. Such foods could protect large populations in a very short period of time.

• Developing what are known as “monoclonal antibodies” which are similar to antibiotics or antivirals – they can also be used to detect whether a person is infected with a pathogen or even to clear toxins from the bloodstream.

• Building portable biosensors to detect the exact DNA sequences of pathogens in the atmosphere. Such rapid-detection systems provide the precious time necessary for evacuation, vaccination or other prophylactic measures necessary to save our soldiers’ lives.

As you can see, the people working within the field of biotechnology have a real reason to be proud of the work they’re doing to support our soldiers. With combat challenges changing over time, biotech is best positioned to meet these needs head-on in the future.

To learn more about biotech innovations and the military click here.