Bifunctional small molecules for biosensing and continuous enzyme evolution
Funded at University of California Santa Cruz · NIH-11396686 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A drug-free lab approach aims to speed up enzyme discovery by linking tiny molecule sensors to gene signals in bacteria so researchers can find better enzymes more quickly.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Santa Cruz NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Cruz, United States) |
| Project start | September 4, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $714,870 |
| NIH project number | 1DP2GM170823-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11396686 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with conditions or researchers interested in enzyme-based therapies or biosensor technologies that could impact drug development and diagnostics.
✕Less likely to help
People not directly involved in pharmaceutical development or biosensor research may not see immediate personal benefit.
What this research studies
This grant explores using phage-assisted continuous evolution to create faster, more efficient enzymes by coupling small-molecule sensors to bacterial gene expression. It builds biosensors that translate small-molecule presence into detectable signals, enabling high-throughput screening of enzyme variants. The work could lead to smarter biocatalysts that produce cleaner reactions with less waste, benefiting future medical and industrial applications. It focuses on overcoming current bottlenecks in analytical throughput and library generation to accelerate discovery. The project is centered at UC Santa Cruz with a focus on developing tools applicable to human-relevant biochemistry and enzyme design.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from faster development of biocatalysts for safer, greener production of medicines and supplements.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows continuous evolution can explore vast sequence space rapidly, and integrating biosensors with enzyme evolution has good potential, though this exact approach is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mercer, Jaron — University of California Santa Cruz
- Study coordinator: Mercer, Jaron
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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.