Designing fluorescent polymers to guide real-time medical imaging
Official title: Design Maps Linking Polymer Architecture and Pharmacokinetics: A Platform for Generalizable Bioimaging
Funded at Texas Tech University · NIH-11430281 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A project at Texas Tech aims to create design rules that connect how fluorescent polymers are built to how they travel in the body, so imaging can be fast, safe, and informative for patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas Tech University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lubbock, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | March 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $383,858 |
| NIH project number | 1R35GM166367-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11430281 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include patients undergoing procedures where real-time imaging would improve outcomes, such as surgical navigation or disease monitoring.
✕Less likely to help
Some patients may not directly benefit if their condition is not tied to imaging-guided interventions or if imaging agents are not optimized for their biology.
What this research studies
Researchers will systematically vary polymer structure, size, and topology to predict how these imaging agents behave in the body. The goal is to develop a general framework that links chemistry to pharmacokinetics, enabling brighter, safer, and more predictable NIR-II nanoprobe performance. This from-a-patient perspective means potential for better real-time guidance during procedures and clearer, noninvasive monitoring. The work combines chemistry, biology, and imaging science to move from trial-and-error development to a predictive design approach. The project emphasizes translational potential, with the promise of faster, lower-risk imaging tools in the clinic.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from faster, safer imaging options with real-time feedback during procedures.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that imaging agents can be optimized for brightness and safety, but this project aims to generalize design rules across polymer architectures.
Where this research is happening
-
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Srivastava, Indrajit — Texas Tech University
- Study coordinator: Srivastava, Indrajit
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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.