Research Grants – Current
2022-2025 | Allen Distinguished Investigators award | “Spatial nutrientomics based on DNAzyme and DNA aptamer sensors”
2022-2025 | National Science Foundation | “DREAM Sentinels: Selection of aptamers that target viral variants with high specificity”
2021-2024 | National Science Foundation | “Modulation of Metalloprotein Activities through Fine-tuning Reduction Potentials”
2021-2026 | National Institute of Health (MIRA) | “Design and Selection of Novel Metalloenzymes for Biocatalysis, Bioimaging, and Genetic Engineering”
2022-2023 | The Alzheimer’s Association | “DNAzyme sensors for simultaneous monitoring redox-active metal ions in Alzheimer’s diseases”
2022-2023 | Swine Health Information Center | “Development of DNA aptamer-nanopore sensors for direct detection of infectious swine viruses”
2020-2024 | National Institute of Health | “Exosome separation and digital resolution detection of blood-based nucleic acid biomarkers for noninvasive therapeutic diagnostics in cancer” (subcontract: PI: Brian Cunningham)
2020-2023 | BP-ICAM | “Designing Artificial Metalloenzymes as Biocatalysts for Selective Electrocatalytic CO2 Conversion using Earth-Abundant Metals and at Low Overpotentials”
Research Grants – Recent Past
2020-2022 | National Science Foundation | “RAPID: Developing a novel biosensor for rapid, direct and selective detection of COVID-19 using DNA aptamer-nanopore”
2018-2022 | National Institute of Health (R01) | “Broadband X-ray Fluorescence Emission Tomography” (co-PI; PI-Ling-Jian Meng)
2017-2022 | Department of Energy | Office of Biological and Environmental Research Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproduct Innovation (CABBI)
2017-2021 | National Institute of Health (R01) | “Selection and sensing applications of DNAzymes selective for paramagnetic metal ions”
2017-2021 | National Science Foundation | “Deeper Understanding of Factors that Fine-tune Redox Potentials of Metalloproteins and Applying the Insights to Modulate their Functional Properties”
2019-2023 | National Institute of Health (R01) | “Biosynthetic Models of Heteronuclear Metalloenzymes in Multi-electron Processes”
2018-2021 | National Institute of Health | “Phase II of Telemonitoring of Invasive Fungal Infections using a Blood Glucose Meter” (subcontract: PI-Tian Lan)”
2018-2020 | Illinois-JITRI Institute | “Novel DNAzyme Sensors for On-site and Real-time Detection and Quantification of Environmental Contaminants”
2019-2021 | Cancer Center at Illinois | “Next generation Cancer Imaging Using Super-resolution Ultrasound Microscopy Combined with Photoacoustic Tomography” (subcontract: PI-Pengfei Song)
2019-2020 | Office of Undergraduate Research Faculty Development Grant | “The iScience Model: Strengthening the Link between Science Curricula and Students’ Interests and Individuality”
2018-2019 | Sandia National Lab-UIUC Academic Alliance | “Spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic Characterization of Organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) with Unnatural Amino Acid Substitution”
2018-2019 | National Institute of Health (R43) | “Point-of-care assay using Blood Glucose Meter for early warning of chronic lung rejection” (subcontract: PI-Tian Lan)
2015-2019 | National Institute of Health (R01) | “Biosynthetic Models of Heteronuclear Metalloenzymes in Multi-electron Processes”
2016-2019 | National Institute of Health (R21) | “Novel DNAzyme sensors for lithium and sodium to understand cellular and molecular mechanisms of lithium treatment of bipolar disorder”
2017-2018 | National Institute of Health | “Telemonitoring of Invasive Fungal Infections using a Blood Glucose Meter”
2017-2018 | National Institute of Health (R43) | “A rapid and portable test for home monitoring of phenylalanine levels by patients with phenylketonuria using a blood glucose meter”
2014-2017 | National Science Foundation | “Tuning Redox Potentials of Metal Centers in a Single Protein”
2016-2017 | National Institute of Health (R41) | “Developing an Affordable and Pocketable POC Device for Monitoring Lithium and Sodium in Patients with Bipolar Disorder”
2013-2015 | National Science Foundation | “SBIR Phase II: A Novel Device for Convenient Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Tacrolimus”
2013-2015 | Mayo Clinic-University of Illinois Strategic Alliance | “Using the widely available glucometer for point of care monitoring of lactic acidosis”