Flexible, see-through fibers to watch muscle signals in acting animals
Official title: Flexible, Tissue-Like Optics for Probing Skeletal Muscles in Free-Behaving Animals
Funded at Michigan State University · NIH-11452021 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are developing a soft, see-through optical fiber that sticks to muscles so we can watch calcium signals in muscles of animals that move freely.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Michigan State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (East Lansing, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $180,199 |
| NIH project number | 1R21EB037774-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11452021 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are awake, behaving animals used in basic muscle physiology studies and researchers seeking better muscle imaging tools.
✕Less likely to help
This grant does not involve direct patient participation or clinical treatment for people.
What this research studies
This project creates a transparent, flexible optical fiber with a bioadhesive coating to monitor calcium-related muscle activity without restricting movement. It uses hydrogel materials and tiny embedded titanium dioxide particles to deliver light and collect fluorescence during natural behavior. The goal is to minimize motion artifacts and keep the calcium signal clear while animals move as they normally would. The work combines materials science with biology to enable better understanding of how muscles function in real life.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this technology could provide clearer, more reliable measurements of muscle activity in behaving animals, advancing basic muscle physiology and related therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Similar hydrogel-based, bioadhesive optical approaches have shown promise in maintaining signal quality under motion in preclinical settings.
Where this research is happening
-
Michigan State University
East Lansing, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liu, Xinyue — Michigan State University
- Study coordinator: Liu, Xinyue
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.