The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems awarded a $420,625 Project Grant (CFDA 47.041, Engineering program) to the University of Massachusetts Boston, effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028. This research project will develop an adaptive diagnostic platform using multiplexed paper-based immunoassays capable of detecting and classifying emerging flaviviruses. The primary deliverable is a novel rapid diagnostic test that employs cross-reactive antibodies and color-differentiated nanoparticles to generate multicolored detection patterns readable through pattern recognition algorithms. Rather than requiring disease-specific antibodies, this approach leverages antibody cross-reactivity to enable detection of unknown viral variants and their classification based on similarity to known viruses.
The research will focus on five target flaviviruses—dengue, West Nile, yellow fever, Zika, and Japanese encephalitis—to validate the diagnostic platform's performance using patient samples. The project redesigns traditional paper-based immunoassays into multiplexed arrays to address a critical gap in infectious disease control: rapid, field-deployable detection of emerging pathogens with unknown or newly identified characteristics. Secondary deliverables include workforce development and training of undergraduate and early-stage researchers, advancing NSF's mission to foster innovation and excellence in engineering research while building a skilled engineering workforce.