Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Case Western Reserve University received a $816,379 Project Grant awarded May 21, 2026, from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855). The award supports the development of HIV-CRISP, a cost-effective, point-of-care (POC) device designed to enable same-visit HIV viral load and drug resistance testing in clinical settings. The fully automated platform integrates CRISPR-based nucleic acid detection technology with a bioinspired microfluidic chip (CAMOCHIP) to simultaneously detect HIV viral load and resistance mutations to four major antiretroviral therapy (ART) classes—nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs), and protease inhibitors (PIs)—during a single clinic visit.

The project, extending through April 30, 2031, addresses critical gaps in HIV treatment management by delivering resistance-informed treatment decision-making capabilities to underserved populations, including rural areas, mobile care units, and safety-net clinics. By empowering healthcare providers to make immediate treatment modifications based on same-day resistance testing results, the HIV-CRISP platform aims to reduce treatment delays, minimize therapy failure risk, and support the National Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative. Research activities are structured around optimization of the CRISPR detection system, integration of microfluidic technologies, and clinical validation of the integrated platform.