Ultra‑sensitive protein detection for Alzheimer's
Ultrahigh-Sensitivity Mass Spectrometry for Scalable Proteomics
This project is building much more sensitive tools to find tiny amounts of brain proteins related to aging and Alzheimer's so researchers can learn from them.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Maryland, College Park NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Park, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11310195 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are developing a new ultra‑sensitive mass spectrometry platform called SCeMaS to detect very small amounts of proteins in single cells, neurons, and cerebrospinal fluid. They will refine and validate the method using both invertebrate and vertebrate biological models and samples linked to aging and Alzheimer-related proteins and fragments. The team will combine these protein measurements with functional tools like electrophysiology to connect molecular changes to neuron activity. The work aims to overcome current technical limits that make it hard to study proteomic changes present at trace levels in the aging brain.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with Alzheimer's disease or older adults willing to donate biological samples (for example cerebrospinal fluid or tissue) for research would be the most relevant participants or sample donors.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate clinical treatment or those without Alzheimer's are unlikely to get direct medical benefit from this methods-focused research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reveal early protein changes in Alzheimer's and enable better diagnostics or new treatment targets.
How similar studies have performed: Mass spectrometry is an established tool in proteomics, but this ultra‑high‑sensitivity, scalable single‑cell approach is novel and largely untested on human Alzheimer's‑related samples.
Where this research is happening
College Park, United States
- Univ of Maryland, College Park — College Park, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nemes, Peter — Univ of Maryland, College Park
- Study coordinator: Nemes, Peter
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 below.