Portable plasmonic sensors for quick virus detection
Official title: Designing a deployable and adaptable plasmonic sensing platform for infectious disease surveillance
Funded at University of Cincinnati · NIH-11321701 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is building portable, highly sensitive sensors that can quickly detect viral genetic markers, including SARS‑CoV‑2 and its variants, at the point of care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Cincinnati NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cincinnati, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $333,248 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EB035594-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11321701 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would include people with suspected or confirmed viral infections (for example COVID‑19), those willing to provide small blood or saliva samples, and healthy volunteers for comparison testing.
✕Less likely to help
People who cannot travel to participating sites or who are unwilling to provide biological samples would not directly benefit from participating in this development-phase work.
What this research studies
You would provide a small liquid sample (like saliva or blood) and the team aims to use a new type of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor paired with special DNA pieces to find viral genetic material. The sensors are being designed to read multiple genetic markers at once so they can identify specific viruses and variants. Researchers will use machine learning and inverse design to make the sensors accurate, sensitive, and easy to deploy. The goal is a handheld, quantitative test that can also estimate viral load and work better than current rapid tests.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could receive faster, more accurate, and multiplexed point-of-care tests that identify specific pathogens and estimate viral load.
How similar studies have gone: Related SERS and rapid diagnostic approaches have shown promise, but this specific combination of catalytic SERS, functional DNA, and machine-learning design for multiplex, quantitative point-of-need viral detection is novel and not yet proven in patients.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Strobbia, Pietro — University of Cincinnati
- Study coordinator: Strobbia, Pietro
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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.