Microfluidics for Biotherapeutics Measurements
This grant funds microfluidic lab-on-a-chip research to improve biotherapeutic and cell therapy measurements by combining techniques to understand particle behavior.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
NRC Research Associateship Programs has archived this opportunity.
Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: February 1, 2025 | May 1, 2025 | August 1, 2025 | November 1, 2025
Funding Amounts: Stipend approximately $82,764 per year plus $3,000 travel allowance; typical appointment duration 2 years.
Summary: Supports postdoctoral research using microfluidic lab-on-a-chip technologies to improve measurement techniques for biotherapeutics and cell therapies by investigating particle behavior and orthogonal measurement discrepancies.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens with a doctoral degree earned within the last 5 years; research conducted on-site at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD; interdisciplinary fields encouraged including chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, and engineering.
Description
This fellowship opportunity at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) focuses on advancing measurement science for biotherapeutics and cell-based therapies using microfluidic lab-on-a-chip technologies. The research addresses the challenge of why different measurement principles—referred to as "orthogonal measurements"—sometimes yield significantly different results. Key research areas include particle characterization (such as protein aggregates relevant to biotherapeutics) and cell viability assessments critical for cell therapies and biomanufacturing.
Applicants will develop and apply techniques that perform simultaneous measurements on individual particles, leveraging methods such as microsecond flash photography (including fluorescence), image analysis, and electrical signal detection (resistance and capacitance). Projects may also explore simulating the injection of biotherapeutics into humans using microfluidic chip systems to analyze behavior and mechanisms underlying aggregation and cell viability states.
Due to the interdisciplinary nature of this research, applicants from diverse scientific and engineering backgrounds—including chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, and engineering—are encouraged to apply.
