Designing biological light from scratch for advanced bioimaging and biosensing
Official title: Designing biological light from scratch - a new paradigm for bioimaging and biosensing
Funded at University of California Santa Cruz · NIH-11396952 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new approach combines design, chemistry, and AI to create brighter, safer bioluminescent probes that could improve real-time imaging inside living bodies.
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 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $731,646 |
| NIH project number | 1DP2GM171031-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11396952 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include individuals whose conditions could benefit from advanced in vivo imaging, such as researchers and clinicians testing new imaging probes in preclinical models that may translate to future patient care.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not involved in imaging research or those not participating in related translational efforts may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to create a family of novel bioluminescent tools by combining de novo protein design, synthetic chemistry, and deep learning to generate luciferase–substrate pairs with high light output and biocompatible properties. By developing new substrates and luciferases from scratch, the team seeks to enable non-invasive, real-time imaging across different scales in living organisms. The work will be enabled by AI models that guide chemical and protein design choices, with a strong focus on translating these probes for biomedical use.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from safer, brighter imaging probes that enable clearer pictures of biological processes in living bodies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous bioluminescent approaches have shown progress, but this project aims for a transformative, de novo design boosted by AI and chemistry.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yeh, Hsien Wei — University of California Santa Cruz
- Study coordinator: Yeh, Hsien Wei
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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.