Understanding how biological systems adapt over time in changing environments
Official title: Quantifying phenotypic adaptation of biological systems in dynamic environments
Funded at Texas Engineering Experiment Station · NIH-11389496 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research team will build and test a computational framework to model how cells adapt when conditions change, with a focus on cancer-related biology and immune interactions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas Engineering Experiment Station NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Station, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $354,259 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM155458-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11389496 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with cancers where dynamic antigen signatures and T cell responses are relevant, particularly where longitudinal samples or sequencing data are available.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without access to time-course samples or with cancer types not studied in the project may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project will combine theory and data to model how biological systems dynamically adapt to varying environments using time-course gene expression data. It will create a mathematical framework to track time-dependent adaptation and validate it against real data. The work will partner with experimental and clinical teams to apply the model to disease-specific contexts, including how antigens evolve under immune pressure. The goal is to link dynamic adaptation to meaningful biological insights that could inform future treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the framework could reveal new ways to predict cancer behavior and guide personalized treatment strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has shown promise in modeling dynamic adaptation, but this project seeks to fuse theory with data for disease-specific insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Texas Engineering Experiment Station
College Station, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: George, Jason — Texas Engineering Experiment Station
- Study coordinator: George, Jason
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Robotic dental implants to deliver stem cells
A new wireless robotic implant approach aims to improve bone healing and implant stability by delivering stem cells directly at the implant site for people needing dental implants.
-
Digital Twin for Personalized Spine Fracture Prediction in Osteoporosis
A patient-focused project that uses CT scans and a digital twin model to predict where an osteoporotic spine might fracture during everyday activities.
-
Nanoparticle therapy to reduce alcohol-related liver scarring and cancer risk
This project is developing tiny particles that deliver anti-fibrotic medicine to livers damaged by heavy drinking to help reduce scarring and lower the chance of liver cancer.
-
Smart wrist wearable for continuous cuffless blood pressure and vital signs across diverse skin tones
A wearable wrist device will continuously monitor blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing in adults of diverse skin tones and body types, using non-invasive sensors and smart algorithms.
-
Role of the Nucleus in YAP/TAZ Control in Head and Neck Cancer
Aims to understand how changes in the cell nucleus influence YAP/TAZ pathways that drive head and neck cancer, with the hope of finding biomarkers for treatment response.
-
Targeted nanoparticle therapy for lung fibrosis
A researcher team is testing inhaled nanoparticles that deliver medicine directly to the lungs to slow or stop scarring in people with pulmonary fibrosis.
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.