Jacob Swett
This stream will focus on projects related to biosecurity countermeasures.
Stream overview
All of our projects will focus on one of the following areas:
- Far-UVC
- Germicidal UV (GUV)
- Glycol Vapors
- Disinfectant Vapors
- In-Room Filtration
- PPE
- Nasal Sprays
- Diagnostics
- Biosurveillance
Mentors
Dr. Jacob Swett serves as Executive Director and founder of Blueprint Biosecurity, a nonprofit dedicated to achieving breakthroughs in humanity’s ability to suppress pathogens. Drawing from a diverse background spanning scientific research, technology R&D, and political strategy, he is considered a leading voice in the biosecurity community.
Jake founded Blueprint directly after his experience shaping the Apollo Program for Biodefense, a report published in the wake of COVID-19 by the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense. Anchored by Jake’s guidance, the report laid out an ambitious plan for overhauling America’s layers of defense against pandemics. Blueprint was founded to continue this work in the US and abroad.
Jake received a PhD in nanotechnology from the University of Oxford and bachelor’s degrees in physics and applied mathematics from Missouri State University. Before Blueprint, he cofounded a research nonprofit called altLabs and was a research scientist at Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Technology Center. He has contributed to over 70 articles and patents and authored op-eds for the New York Times and STAT.
Mentorship style
1 hour weekly meetings by default for high-level guidance. Onboarding to our slack, which has access to the entire Blueprint Biosecurity team. Can be reached async every day and can meet as needed.
Fellows we are looking for
Successful fellows likely have some sort of a technical background (e.g. technical undergraduate degree), have familiarity with reading research papers, are agentic, prioritize truthseeking, and focused on maximizing impact.
Relevant biosecurity experience is a plus, but not required.
Project selection
We are very focused on advancing priority countermeasures quickly. We anticipate having projects only focus on these areas:
- Far-UVC
- Germicidal UV (GUV)
- Glycol Vapors
- Disinfectant Vapors
- In-Room Filtration
- PPE
- Nasal Sprays
- Diagnostics
- Biosurveillance
Within these areas there is some latitude for different projects.