Aptamer-based biosensors to map multiple molecules inside single cells
Official title: Aptamer-based biosensing probes for chemical imaging of multiple analytes at single cells
Funded at Florida State University · NIH-11406335 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research team at Florida State University is developing smart sensor probes that use aptamers to visualize and measure many molecules inside individual cells in real time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Florida State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tallahassee, United States) |
| Project start | September 8, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $405,495 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM160284-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11406335 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with conditions where cellular biomarkers can guide therapy and where tissue samples or relevant cell lines can be studied.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without access to the specific cell types or biomarkers studied may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Aptamer-based sensors will be integrated with advanced imaging methods to map concentrations of diverse analytes in single cells. The approach uses electrochemical sensing to achieve high spatial resolution and real-time measurements, even for molecules that don’t easily participate in redox reactions. The project aims to extend scanned probe microscopy with functionalized probes to detect small molecules, drugs, metabolites, biomarkers, and toxins inside cells. The work could create tools for better understanding cellular processes and disease-related changes at the single-cell level.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from more precise cellular measurements that inform diagnosis and treatment strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous similar aptamer-based sensing approaches have shown promising detection capabilities in biological systems, though integration with scanned probe microscopies is an expanding area.
Where this research is happening
-
Florida State University
Tallahassee, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lazenby, Robert Alexander — Florida State University
- Study coordinator: Lazenby, Robert Alexander
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
LabGenie: A Patient-Friendly Tool to Help Older Adults Understand Lab Results
A patient-facing, web-based tool will present older adults with clear, visual explanations of their lab test results to support understanding and everyday health decisions.
-
Precision HIV Prevention for Youth: Building a Youth Learning Health Community
A youth-focused approach uses data and community engagement to improve HIV prevention interventions in North Florida.
-
Adolescent HIV Care: Weight Loss Pill + Digital Counseling Trial
A youth-focused trial tests whether adding a weekly semaglutide weight-loss medicine to tailored digital lifestyle coaching helps overweight teens and young adults living with HIV improve weight and heart health.
-
Understanding artemisinin resistance in malaria parasites
This project looks at how malaria parasites change RNA-handling proteins to survive artemisinin drugs, aiming to help people treated for Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
-
SMART: a program to help people who use drugs in Atlanta stay on HIV prevention and treatment
A new program aims to help people who use drugs in Atlanta, especially those who are unhoused or unstably housed, stay connected to HIV prevention and treatment and related services.
-
Combined effects of PrEP and HIV stigma on PrEP adherence in youth at risk for HIV
A small, patient-friendly study will explore how stigma around PrEP and HIV affects whether at-risk youth stick with PrEP, using real data from teens and young adults.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.