Air Force Research Laboratory Integrated Omics Research

Integrated Omics research capabilities within the Air Force Research Laboratory began in 2003 with the initiation of a Defense Technology Objective project aimed to identify biomarkers of toxicity occurring within the warfighter as a preclinical indicator. Current methods for determining toxic exposures are not responsive enough or created available for deployment to prevent serious health effects. Using Integrated Omics (Genomics/Epigenetics, Proteomics, and Metabonomics) for biomarker discovery, we have identified specific molecular markers which, once validated, could be used for real-time or near-real-time monitoring of the human response to uncharacterized exposures. The determination and use of validated biomarker sets, when installed on a fieldable biomonitor system, could allow fast determination of subclinical organ damage in response to chemical exposures. Since initiation of this program, our group has applied Omics technologies for biomarker discovery in a number of toxicology and human performance projects, including jet fuel exposures and cognitive fatigue.