RUSTON, La. — Radiance Technologies has been awarded a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency contract worth up to $5.85 million to develop advanced microbial modeling with Louisiana State University Health Shreveport and Louisiana Tech University.

The 18-month agreement, managed through DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office, supports the Simulating Microbial Systems program. Radiance will lead the project, known as CHIMERA, to create predictive simulation tools for Escherichia coli that could have applications in national security, healthcare and biotechnology.

The initiative marks Radiance’s first partnership with the DARPA biology office and highlights North Louisiana’s growing role in defense-related biotechnology research.

“With CHIMERA, researchers and the Department of Defense will be able to virtually test how bacterial cells respond to various environments before conducting physical experiments,” Radiance said in announcing the award. The technology is designed to aid efforts to prevent antibiotic resistance, improve bio-manufacturing processes and assess pathogens under battlefield conditions.

Bill Bailey, Radiance chief executive officer, said the contract represents a turning point for the region. “This partnership represents exactly the kind of innovative collaboration that drives real breakthroughs,” Bailey said. “It’s exciting to see North Louisiana becoming a real player in advanced biotech research.”

The collaboration combines Radiance’s artificial intelligence expertise with LSU Health Shreveport’s laboratory resources and Louisiana Tech’s microscopy and computational analysis.

Dr. Jason Comer, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at LSU Health Shreveport, said the effort establishes a research corridor along Interstate 20. “This is a bold new chapter in research for North Louisiana,” Comer said. “Each partner in this collaboration brings something unique to the table.”

Mark DeCoster, professor of biomedical engineering at Louisiana Tech, said his team will contribute microscopy and computational capabilities. “We’re excited to contribute our interdisciplinary expertise in microscopy and computational analysis to CHIMERA, driving innovative solutions at the intersection of biology and technology,” DeCoster said.

Dr. Andrew Gardner, principal investigator for the program at Radiance, said the research has broad potential. “CHIMERA has the potential to revolutionize how we understand and engineer microbial systems, delivering real-world benefits for national security and beyond,” Gardner said.

Radiance Technologies, founded in 1999, is an employee-owned prime contractor with more than 1,000 employees across the United States serving defense and intelligence agencies.