Generative Optogenetics Proposers Workshop

DARPA's Special Notice DARPA-SN-26-19 announces a Proposers Workshop for the Generative Optogenetics (GO) program, aiming to develop a molecular machine for massless genetic information transfer into living cells via optical signals. The workshop, on January 7, 2026, in the Greater DC area, seeks to foster ideation, proposal refinement, and teaming for the anticipated Program Solicitation (PS) in December 2025. Advance registration by December 29, 2025, is mandatory and includes opportunities for lightning talks, poster sessions, and teaming profiles. The GO program features two research objectives: De Novo Synthesis (RO1), which is mandatory and focuses on developing the core nucleic acid compiler (NAC), and optional Error Mitigation (RO2) for high-fidelity synthesis. The program spans two phases over 42 months, with Phase 1 (12 months) for component refinement and Phase 2 (30 months) for integration and in-vivo demonstration, culminating in specific technical metrics. The program prohibits the use of embryonic stem cells and emphasizes leveraging existing knowledge and computational tools for protein engineering.

This document outlines the requirements for a project proposal, likely for a federal grant or RFP, focusing on scientific and technological research. It requests a clear, jargon-free project overview detailing objectives, proposed approaches, technical challenges, and program phase structure. Proposers must describe their existing team, relevant experience, institutional assets, and identify areas where they seek collaborators. The proposal should also articulate the anticipated impact of the team's success, including potential applications, unique metrics and milestones, and plans for technology transition. Contact information is required. The guidance emphasizes conciseness, encourages team formation to address all technical areas, and specifies that submissions must be unclassified, non-proprietary, and in a standard file format. The core purpose is to solicit detailed proposals for research and development projects from collaborative teams.

The DARPA Proposers Day Lightning Profile Slide outlines requirements for proposals, encouraging team formation to address technical areas. Proposers must submit a single, unclassified PDF slide in landscape orientation, detailing their project overview, research capabilities, and teaming needs. The slide should include PI and institution names, existing team members, relevant experience, institutional assets, and a clear description of project goals, approaches, technical challenges, and unique metrics. It also requires outlining how the technology will transition and specifying any technical challenges for which collaborators are sought. The document emphasizes conciseness, clarity, and the exclusion of proprietary information, videos, or animations.