Faster ways to find and fight sepsis
Novel approaches to detect and treat sepsis
Researchers will develop blood tests and engineered bacteriophages to quickly detect and help treat bacterial sepsis in hospitalized patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Riverside NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Riverside, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11144400 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project will build tiny bio-inorganic 'nanobots' that use engineered M13 bacteriophages and magnetic nanoparticles to grab and concentrate bacteria from blood samples. The team will also create small CRISPR-based microfluidic devices as portable tests to identify sepsis-causing bacteria, including options for resource-limited settings. In addition, they will engineer phages carrying CRISPR systems to serve as precise detectors or potential antibacterial tools. Capture methods will be tested first in spiked blood samples and then moved into clinical blood samples from patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be hospitalized patients with suspected bacterial bloodstream infections or sepsis who can provide blood samples.
Not a fit: People whose sepsis is caused by viruses or non-infectious conditions, or those unable to give blood samples or attend nearby hospitals, may not benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could deliver faster, more accurate bedside tests and new bacteriophage-based tools to reduce deaths and complications from bacterial sepsis.
How similar studies have performed: CRISPR-based rapid diagnostics have shown promising results in labs and some clinical settings, but combining engineered phages and magnetic nanobots for sepsis is largely novel and experimental.
Where this research is happening
Riverside, United States
- University of California Riverside — Riverside, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chen, Juhong — University of California Riverside
- Study coordinator: Chen, Juhong
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.