GENOMEWEB | Rick Bright, Director of the US Government’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), speaks about revving up his organizations’ efforts to support the development of innovative antibiotics, vaccines, diagnostics and other urgently needed products to address the global rise of drug-resistant bacteria. BARDA is tasked with securing the US from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats, as well as from pandemic influenza and emerging infectious diseases. It is the US founding partner of CARB-X and invests in programs and partnerships like CARB-X, to help achieve this goal. BARDA funds the development of many new products. For 2020, the requested BARDA budget is $1.6 billion, including $322 million for advanced research and development, $180 million for CARB-X, $735 million for Project BioShield, and $256 million for pandemic influenza.