Center for Multiscale Biomolecular Sensing: New Equipment to Probe Disease Signals
Official title: Center for Biomedical Research Excellence in Multiscale Biomolecular Sensing (MBS), Equipment Supplement
Funded at University of Delaware · NIH-11528940 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A university center is getting equipment support to better measure chemical and biological signals across cells and tissues, with potential benefits for Alzheimer's, autoimmune diseases, and related conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Delaware NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | June 1, 2025 |
| Project end | February 28, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $249,178 |
| NIH project number | 3P20GM156674-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11528940 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals affected by Alzheimer’s disease or autoimmune diseases, or those at risk, could participate in future translational studies enabled by improved sensing tools.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not directly connected to these specific diseases may not experience immediate benefits, though broader sensing technologies could still advance biomedical understanding.
What this research studies
This grant supports a team of scientists from biology, chemistry, spectroscopy, materials science, and biomedical engineering to build and use tools that can detect multiple biological processes at different scales. The goal is to measure how signals change over time and space, from molecules up to whole organs, to better understand diseases like Alzheimer’s and autoimmune disorders. The equipment supplement will enable new experiments and collaborations across disciplines, accelerating discoveries that could inform future diagnostics and therapies. Researchers will develop and apply multiscale sensing approaches to study complex human diseases in a translational context.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from faster advances in biomarkers and treatments informed by how biological signals evolve in disease.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that multiscale sensing can reveal new disease mechanisms, but this COBRE project is expanding the scope to neuroscience, cardiovascular, and autoimmune contexts.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Delaware
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Watson, Donald Allen — University of Delaware
- Study coordinator: Watson, Donald Allen
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.