Faster Ways to Discover New Cancer Treatments
High throughput infrastructure for reaction screening and bioassays
This project aims to create a super-fast system to analyze chemicals and reactions, helping scientists discover new treatments for cancer more quickly.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Purdue University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (West Lafayette, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11172259 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project is building a new, very fast system using a technology called mass spectrometry (MS) to analyze chemicals and biological samples. This system, called DESI-MS, can rapidly screen many chemical reactions in the open air, even speeding up these reactions as they are analyzed. By combining this quick analysis with the ability to accelerate chemical processes, researchers can significantly speed up the discovery and development of potential new drugs. This advanced infrastructure will help scientists find and test new compounds that could become future cancer therapies much faster than current methods allow.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with cancer could indirectly benefit from the accelerated discovery of new treatment options made possible by this technology.
Not a fit: Patients not affected by cancer would not directly benefit from the specific applications of this technology, though the underlying methods could be adapted for other diseases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this technology could dramatically shorten the time it takes to discover and develop new medications, potentially bringing effective cancer treatments to patients sooner.
How similar studies have performed: A similar high-throughput system was previously developed with DARPA support, indicating prior success with this core technology.
Where this research is happening
West Lafayette, United States
- Purdue University — West Lafayette, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cooks, Robert Graham — Purdue University
- Study coordinator: Cooks, Robert Graham
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 below.