The Apollo Program for Biodefense - making the impossible - possible:
Preventing new pandemics and minimizing damage from existing diseases
COVID-19 was a wake-up call demonstrating that biological threats hold the power to devastate our way of life. Top scientists and security experts agree that naturally occurring and man-made pathogens impose one of the greatest threats to humanity [2-4]. Our survival depends critically on the ability to control pandemics [3]. COVID alone killed ~7 million people, harmed ~700 million, and caused around $16 trillion in economic losses—roughly $200,000 for a family of four. In comparison, the 1918 Spanish flu killed ~50 million people, more than the casualties of World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War combined.
In 2022 Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense came with The Apollo Program for Biodefense, (~$100B, ~10 years) the initiative of same scale as Lunar Apollo 1961-1972 program, but with the down to earth goal to prevent pandemics on our planet. The program encompasses 36 recommendations and 185 actions that are necessary for preventing pandemics. TIRF Labs' team is excited to become a part of the Program. We envision that TIRF Analytix and i-Diagnostics will become core technologies empowering the Apollo For Biodefense Program in several areas, including diagnosing and countermeasures development. Alternative approaches are either inaccurate, slow, or prohibitively costly. The question is no longer if, but when will we confront new pandemics, either natural or man-made. Our country must be prepared now and on all fronts. By pairing science and technology with recommendations outlined in The National Blueprint for Biodefense, we can identify future threats and clear a path forward.
TIRF Analytix – laboratory-based instruments, and i-Diagnostics – gadgets for home-use - are two platform technologies that will empower the Apollo For Biodefense Program in several areas. TIRF Labs' team is committed to deliver these technologies in the status of open-source platforms. The open-source status is important for building a global network capable of preventing future pandemics. Its "side-effect" will include personalized precision medicine, minimizing damage from existing diseases, and rejuvenating our bodies, extending the lifespan to 150-200 years. Read more and join this exciting projects>>
Two core technologies empowering The Apollo Program for Biodefense
TIRF Analytix
instruments for laboratory settings
TIRF Analytix. COVID-19 highlighted limited U.S. capability of diagnosing and performing necessary R&D in-time. In November 2020 U.S. Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense published a report entitled: “Flying Blind with No Plan to Land", which emphasized the need for innovative rapid diagnostic solutions. TIRF Analytix and i-Diagnostics are such technologies that respond to all the needs of preventing pandemics. They are capable of delivering tests for point-of-need settings within 24 hours, as well as prophylactics and early-treatment medications within 48 hours of new pathogen detection. We envision that a global infrastructure will be created based on these two clusters of open-source platforms: TIRF Analytix and i-Diagnostics. The former cluster includes instrumentation for laboratory settings, including TIRF microarrays for drug screening, biomarker discovery, bioassay optimization, TIRF microscopy for single molecule biology, and laboratory-based mega-diagnostics. The latter – i-Diagnostics – are the gadgets for home-use and other point-of-need applications, including first responders. The envisioned infrastructure will create a global network of scientists, healthcare professionals and end-users, which will become an efficient system for preventing new pandemics, localizing the outbreaks, and minimizing the damage from existing diseases. The open source status of TIRF Analytix and i-Diagnostics is of paramount importance for imposing golden scientific standards in the field of healthcare. The status will help to minimize the risks of conflict between commercial interests and the outcome for public health. To learn more about unique advantages and broad spectra of products and applications click here: >>TIRF Analytix.
i-Diagnostics
gadgets for home-use applications
i-Diagnostics are robust gadgets for home-use and other point-of-need applications, including first-responders. We envision that i-Diagnostics will be available and affordable for all, while TIRF Analytix instruments become standard equipment for clinical, academic, and CBRNE security laboratories world-wide. We have successfully completed R&D phase of our endeavor, for which the U.S. Government granted TIRF Labs $4.3M. To accelerate our further progress, prevent future pandemics, and minimize the damage from existing diseases, we inquire the U.S. Government for new grants and philanthropists for donations to cover our part of the cost of the Apollo-for-Biodefense Program, which should not be driven by commercial interests. We have developed the necessary technologies. Our customers have proven their efficiency and superior advantages over alternative approaches. Hundreds of top scientists and biological security experts concur that technologically The Apollo For Biodefense Program is feasible. COVID-19 outbreak would be localized and efficient treatments swiftly provided, if the envisioned global infrastructure would be created before 2019. In 2026 we are again at the verge of new pandemics. It is feasible to prevent them. We inquire for funds to create the global network of precision personalized medicine for preventing new pandemics. Its significance goes far beyond of preventing pandemics. The envisioned infrastructure will revolutionize medicine, improve quality, reduce the cost of healthcare, and empower the rejuvenation efforts. Donate and become a part of these exciting global efforts. To learn more about i-Diagnostics click here: >> i-Diagnostics.
Our Team
Dr. Alex Asanov, TIRF Labs
Dr. Luis Vaca, UNAM
Dr. Zygmunt Gryczynski, TCU
TIRF Labs’ team is advantageously positioned in the area of molecular diagnostics, CBRNE security, and drug screening. After 9-11 and anthrax letter attacks, the U.S. Government funded our R&D efforts in the area of diagnostics and CBRNE security. We exceeded the expectations for R&D grants and not only invented and prototyped, but also manufactured and supplied to research groups worldwide our advanced TIRF Analytix instruments and prototypes of i-Diagnostics gadgets for home-use. We didn’t use standard marketing, and still rely on our customers, who publish results of their studies in scientific journals and thus advertise our products. We haven’t reached massive manufacturing yet, but generate enough income to chip a part of it for our own non-profit global endeavor – i-Diagnostics project. This is our way to give back to society. Our progress, however, was slow, while viruses mutate rapidly, which spells the likelihood of new pandemics. To accelerate the progress, to contribute efficiently to The Apollo for Biodefense Program we pledge to give back to society two open source platform technologies for global infrastructure of precision medicine and home-use diagnostics.
We enjoy long-term partnership with several academic and industrial groups, including research teams of Dr. Luis Vaca, UNAM, and Dr. Zygmunt (Karol) Gryczynski, TCU. For their biosketches and published articles click here: Dr. Vaca, Dr. Gryczynski, and Dr. Asanov. Our teams include over a dozen of Ph.D. scientists and engineers. TIRF Labs is an employee-owned company developing and manufacturing the entire range of TIRF systems, from autonomous turnkey TIRF stations to TIRF accessories for microscopy and i-Diagnostics. Our current products are listed at the webpage: TIRF Analytix.
Prior Projects. In 2006-14, the US government granted TIRF Labs $4.3M in BAA and SBIR awards. We won competition with large firms, excelled in our prior BAA and SBIR efforts – not only invented advanced multiplexed real-time platform technologies i-Diagnostics and TIRF Analytix, but also manufactured a family of new products, which is not anticipated as the result of BAA and SBIR grants. , TIRF microarrays for drug screening, laboratory-based mega-diagnostics, and established sales of research-grade TIRF instruments.
Our Mission
Our mission aligns with the goal of The Apollo For Biodefense Program - preventing pandemics and minimizing damages from existing diseases. We believe that TIRF Analytix and i-Diagnostics will become the core technologies for achieving the 36 recommendations and 185 actions listed in The National Blueprint for Biodefense. It is difficult to overestimate the significance of Apollo for Biodefense Program. Indeed, naturally occurring and man-made pathogens impose existential threat on humanity. Security experts concur that our survival critically depends on the capability of controlling pandemics. COVID-19 killed ~7 millions, injured ~700 millions people, and incurred ~$16 Trillion direct losses – on average ~$200,000 for a family of 4. In 1918, the Spanish flu killed ~50 millions, more than WW1, WW2, Korean, and Vietnam wars combined. Certainly, prevention of pandemics should be of the highest priority for national security. COVID-19 demonstrated that the U.S. is largely unprepared to pandemics and are "...Flying Blind with No Plan to Land.” To prevent future pandemics we need to build a global infrastructure outlined in The National Blueprint for Biodefense. TIRF Labs’ team is uniquely positioned in the area of CBRNE security. We believe that we were very fortunate of receiving unique skills and knowledge. We do not take it for granted and are committed to return back to society. Our mission is to create core technologies for Apollo-for-Biodefense and take part in creating the global network of independent professionals and end-users. To accelerate global progress on prevention, we pledge to deliver our technologies in the status of open source platforms, which is necessary for building the global infrastructure of precision medicine. We envision that i-Diagnostics will become available and affordable to everyone for home-use diagnostics, longevity and rejuvenation needs, while TIRF Analytix instruments will turn into industrial standards for clinical, academic and CBRNE security laboratories. If TIRF Analytix becomes available to all research groups worldwide and i-Diagnostics gadgets are affordable for all, preventing and localizing the outbreaks of infections will transfer the healthcare to qualitatively better level. Looking into remote future, we would be excited to become a part of SpaceX community and contribute to its mission of making humanity an interstellar species, the species that bring biological security to the Universe. Powerful biotechnologies are associated with inherent risks. Addressing these challenges is equally important for preventing self-eradication on Earth as well as for interstellar civilization [2-4]. TIRF Analytix and i-Diagnostics mitigate for the risks and, thus, are of paramount importance for both dimensions.