The Download: Synthetic Blood Breakthroughs and the Next Generation of Batteries
Plus: The FBI has arrested an OpenAI engineer accused of snooping.
By Thomas Macaulay | October 14, 2026
This is today's edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology.
The US Military's Race to Make Fake Blood
In February 2007, a US military helicopter carrying blood to a field hospital was shot down in Iraq, killing all seven crew members. The mission underscored the persistent risks of transporting blood, which has a limited shelf life and is frequently in short supply.
Now, a $73 million DARPA initiative aims to change that. The program is working to create shelf-stable versions of plasma, platelets, and red blood cells by developing dried blood products that can be stored for extended periods and deployed rapidly on the battlefield.
The goal is ambitious: bags of dried blood products could be fielded for military use by 2029. However, significant hurdles remain. Researchers are still grappling with major questions about the safety and effectiveness of synthetic alternatives to human blood.
Discover how the military hopes to make blood last longer β
βAndrew Rosenblum
More from The Download
Stay tuned for tomorrow's edition, where we'll explore the future of battery technology and bring you the latest developments shaping the energy landscape in 2026 and beyond.
This story is part of The Download, our weekday newsletter covering the latest in technology.