Universal high-throughput biocatalyst platform with micro-mass spectrometry
Official title: A Universal Platform for Ultrahigh-Throughput Biocatalyst Evolution With micro-Mass Spectrometry
Funded at Vivid Bioinnovations, Pbc · NIH-11417110 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new platform will let scientists rapidly screen and optimize enzymes using tiny fluid samples and mass spectrometry, aiming to speed up biotech development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vivid Bioinnovations, Pbc NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 1, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,027,505 |
| NIH project number | 4R44GM161309-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11417110 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable (technology-focused grant; human participation not required for the core development)
✕Less likely to help
Patients are unlikely to participate directly in this project.
What this research studies
This project develops a commercial prototype platform that can screen enzyme variants at ultrahigh throughput using precision nanoliter droplets and label-free mass spectrometry. It combines scalable hardware, advanced computation, and novel mass-spec techniques to reveal enzyme activities and improvements that were hard to detect before. The goal is to enable early access customers to test the technology’s utility and value for industrial biotech and therapeutic enzyme development. The effort includes prototyping, validation, and preparing for broader commercial deployment to accelerate innovation in enzyme engineering.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from faster development of enzyme-based therapies and biotechnologies.
How similar studies have gone: Prior high-throughput screening approaches have struggled to scale; this project aims to overcome limitations with a novel platform that could outperform existing methods.
Where this research is happening
-
Vivid Bioinnovations, Pbc
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Prince, Robin — Vivid Bioinnovations, Pbc
- Study coordinator: Prince, Robin
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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.