Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Texas at Arlington received a $300,000 Project Grant award effective September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029, from the National Science Foundation's Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041). This collaborative research initiative will develop an integrated optical-electrical nanopore biosensing platform to enable single-particle quantification and quality control assessment of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors used in gene therapy manufacturing. The platform will combine focused laser technology with miniaturized electrical channels to detect and classify individual viral capsids as fully loaded, partially loaded, or empty at the point of manufacture, thereby addressing critical quality control gaps that currently result in late detection of substandard batches and substantial production waste.

In addition to the core sensing technology and miniaturized filtration tools, the project delivers significant educational and workforce development products, including hands-on research training for undergraduate and graduate students, K-12 outreach activities in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, and an interactive haptic simulator designed to provide students with physical experience of nanoscale biological forces. These deliverables advance national health objectives by improving the safety and affordability of gene therapy treatments while training the next generation of scientists and engineers in cutting-edge biomedical engineering applications.