How confined spaces shape cells and the developing brain
Official title: Uncover Spatial-Constraint Related Morphome Using Tissue-on-a-Chip Platform and Data-Driven Mathematical Modeling
Funded at Utah State University · NIH-11193777 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Using tiny lab-grown tissues and computer models, researchers will learn how tight or enclosed spaces change cell shape and brain tissue to help people with tissue or brain conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Logan, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $355,830 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM143194-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11193777 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
The project does not run a clinical treatment trial but could be most relevant to people with brain development disorders or conditions involving abnormal tissue shape or repair.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking immediate treatments or those with conditions unrelated to tissue shape or brain structure are unlikely to benefit directly from this lab-based research.
What this research studies
This project builds tiny tissue-on-a-chip systems that mimic the confined spaces cells experience inside the body and combines those experiments with data-driven mathematical models and machine learning. The team will focus on two examples — how cell membranes form blebs and how brain tissue folds — to trace the physical and molecular drivers of those shapes. Experiments in the chip systems will generate detailed images and measurements that feed into computer models to find the key rules behind these behaviors. The approach aims to create a toolbox that can be applied to other basic biological processes affected by space and confinement.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could improve understanding of brain development and tissue repair and eventually point toward new diagnostics or therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Related tissue-on-a-chip and modeling approaches have shed light on cell behavior in other settings, but applying them to membrane blebbing and brain folding is relatively new and exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
Utah State University
Logan, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huang, Yu — Utah State University
- Study coordinator: Huang, Yu
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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.