Nanoscale infrared imaging to study cellular structure
Official title: Development of nanoscale infrared spectroscopic imaging for measuring cellular ultrastructure
Funded at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign · NIH-11399144 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A funding opportunity to use advanced infrared imaging to map the tiny structures inside human-like cells without labels, potentially revealing how cells and their metabolites are organized.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Champaign, United States) |
| Project start | August 25, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $509,352 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA304244-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11399144 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with conditions where cellular metabolism or ultrastructure is relevant (e.g., neurodegenerative or metabolic disorders) and who could benefit from improved molecular imaging insights in future translational work.
✕Less likely to help
Clinical patients may not directly benefit during the grant period since the work is methodological and laboratory-based.
What this research studies
This grant supports developing a cutting-edge imaging approach that combines atomic force microscopy with infrared spectroscopy to visualize cellular components at the nanoscale. The work focuses on improving resolution, sensitivity, and quantification so that small molecules and metabolites can be studied directly within cells. Researchers will tackle technical challenges like avoiding artifacts, reducing noise, and enabling reliable, multi-species identification in near-field imaging. The outcome could lead to new ways to understand cellular chemistry and structure beyond what traditional labeled methods can show. The project is led by Rohit Bhargava at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and runs from 2025 to 2030.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could offer doctors new insight into cellular metabolism and structure, potentially aiding diagnosis and treatment planning for diseases where cellular chemistry is important.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows promise in label-free chemical imaging, but this project aims to advance nanoscale infrared methods to deliver more reliable, quantifiable data.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bhargava, Rohit — University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Study coordinator: Bhargava, Rohit
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.