Military Holds Summit to Consider Launching a Prize Competition to Rapidly Develop Freeze-Dried Blood for Battlefield and Civilian Use

by 59th Medical Wing Chief Scientist s Office, Science Technology | Apr 10, 2026 | Articles

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas  –  

Imagine in a future conflict a medic encountering a wounded warfighter on a battlefield, far forward of any base that could have whole blood.  The medic quickly realizes the warrior has lost a lot of blood and will die soon without immediate intervention.  They normally would infuse a sterile fluid to increase the volume of blood circulating in the body to ensure the few remaining oxygen carrying red blood cells are distributed, but instead they break the seal of a bag that allows sterile water to rehydrate and reanimate freeze-dried red blood cells, allowing the medic to rapidly infuse additional red blood cells, restoring the flow of oxygen to vital organs, preserving the warriors life.   

Such a medical capability was discussed in a one day summit held on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, in San Antonio, TX, led from subject matter experts from 59 MDW/ST, USAISR, and NAMRU-SA who were supported by researchers, developers, end users such as SOCOM, Armed Services Blood Bank, Joint Trauma System, as well as several companies and universities who lead R&D efforts that have demonstrated the ability to successfully freeze dry, store at room temperatures, and rapidly reconstitute viable, oxygen carrying red blood cells.   

In addition to reviewing the state of the science for freeze-drying red blood cells, this coalition of military, industry, and academic partners also considered the use of a prize competition to incentivize the rapid development and fielding of commercially available products for military use and civilian emergency medical applications.  Such applications include ability to maintain, reconstitute, and administer red blood cells into patients living in rural areas that cannot effectively maintain perishable whole blood products.     

The prize-based development model was discussed as a replacement to the incremental research funding model to leverage outside, non-government investments such as venture capitalists and other investors to reduce development costs, time, and risk to the government while rapidly developing a viable, affordable commercial-available product.   

“Researchers have already demonstrated they can effectively freeze dry red and reconstitute viable red blood cells,” Scott F. Walter, PhD, Director of Technology Transition/Transfer from the 59th Medical Wing Chief Scientist’s Office, Science and Technology (59 MDW/ST) reported, “and a prize competition is the perfect vehicle to incentivize academia and industry to optimize their ability to freeze dry processes and transition from the laboratory to manufacturing and into medics hands or rucksacks for use at the point to injury, whenever needed.”  

Participants focused on two issues. First, whether red blood cells can be reliably freeze-dried and later reconstituted to full function, including oxygen delivery, after extended storage without refrigeration. Second, whether government-funded prize competitions can speed development by attracting teams from across sectors and tying awards to measurable results. The meeting drew support from military organizations responsible for blood supply and distribution, as well as research groups working on advanced blood products to improve survival in combat care.  

Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., supported the event by collecting the information proceedings to assist the government in producing a formal report. VelocityTX, a San Antonio-based nonprofit innovation hub and bioscience campus, hosted the summit. 

Current blood products require cold storage and have short shelf lives. That limits their use in remote or austere environments. A freeze-dried product with a shelf life of two to three years would reduce reliance on refrigeration and allow medics to treat severe blood loss sooner. 

Organizers said a prize competition model could shift development from incremental research to outcome-based milestones. Teams would compete to meet defined technical goals, including stability, safety, and full functional restoration after reconstitution. 

The information gathered at the summit will be provided to the Defense Health Agency (DHA) and service medical research and development leadership. It is expected to guide funding decisions, shape a commercial development strategy, and set priorities for future work. 

The effort also opened the door to a two-way exchange. Industry and academic teams shared progress and technical limits in freeze-drying red blood cells. Military participants outlined operational needs in far-forward settings, where rapid treatment and minimal logistics are priorities. 

If successful, the initiative could expand access to lifesaving blood products for both military personnel and civilian trauma patients, as well as for use in emergencies. 

For the military, it would put treatment closer to the moment of injury. Medics could carry a stable product that does not require refrigeration. That reduces delays tied to supply chains and cold storage. It also lowers waste from expired units. In far-forward settings, this could mean earlier resuscitation and higher survival rates. 

For civilian care, the impact extends to ambulances, rural clinics, and disaster response. Many of these settings lack reliable cold storage or immediate access to blood banks. A shelf-stable product could be stocked in emergency vehicles and small facilities, enabling providers to treat severe blood loss sooner. In mass casualty events, it would support rapid distribution without the limits of refrigerated transport.