Modular protein sensors to detect cancer biomarkers
Official title: Development of Modular Synthetic Sensors for Protein Biomarker Detection
Funded at Syracuse University · NIH-11305207 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project builds tiny, customizable protein sensors to find cancer-related proteins in blood and other body fluids for people with or at risk of cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Syracuse University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Syracuse, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2023 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $303,028 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EB033412-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11305207 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with cancer, individuals at higher risk for cancer, or those willing to provide blood or other biofluid samples for biomarker testing would be relevant candidates for related future studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose conditions do not produce detectable protein biomarkers in accessible fluids or who need immediate therapeutic interventions rather than diagnostic testing may not directly benefit from this work.
What this research studies
Researchers are designing small, single-chain protein devices that can recognize specific cancer proteins in complex samples like blood or serum. Each device combines a pore that produces a readable signal when a target protein binds and a customizable binder that grabs the target protein. The team will engineer, optimize, and test these sensors for sensitivity, specificity, and the ability to detect multiple proteins. They will validate performance in realistic biological samples to move the technology toward clinical use.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these sensors could enable earlier and more precise detection and monitoring of cancer through sensitive protein tests on routinely collected biofluids.
How similar studies have gone: Related protein-sensor approaches have shown promise in laboratory settings, but this single-chain, modular design is relatively new and not yet proven in clinical samples.
Where this research is happening
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Syracuse University
Syracuse, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Movileanu, Liviu — Syracuse University
- Study coordinator: Movileanu, Liviu
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.