Soft, bendable 3D electronics and microfluidic micro-labs for drug screening in engineered tissues
Official title: Soft, Morphable, Three?Dimensional Electronic and Microfluidic Micro?Lab for Drug Screening in Engineered Tissues
Funded at University of Connecticut Storrs · NIH-11442943 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A team at the University of Connecticut is building a soft, 3D electronic and microfluidic platform to grow human organoids and test drugs safely and accurately.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Connecticut Storrs NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Storrs-Mansfield, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $446,875 |
| NIH project number | 1R35GM166911-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11442943 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include individuals whose tissues can be modeled by organoids and who are interested in participating through tissue donation or providing samples for organoid development in future translational efforts.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose diseases are not modeled by the organoid systems or who are not involved in any tissue donation or related biospecimen activities may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to create a soft, morphable platform that combines electronics and microfluidics to support the growth and maturation of human organoids. The system will include sensors for temperature, pressure, and biomarkers, plus electrodes for stimulation, inside a 3D tissue-friendly environment. By integrating these features, researchers hope to better model how drugs affect complex tissues and predict responses before clinical use. The work blends materials science with tissue engineering to advance drug screening and precision medicine. If successful, the platform could enable more predictive, human-relevant testing in a lab setting.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from more accurate preclinical drug screening that informs safer and more effective therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Similar organoid-based drug screening approaches have shown promise, but this soft electronics integration is a novel, higher-fidelity approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Connecticut Storrs
Storrs-Mansfield, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Xueju — University of Connecticut Storrs
- Study coordinator: Wang, Xueju
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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.