Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Connecticut Health Center received a $414,585 Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute under the Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research Program (CFDA 93.394) for the development and validation of a programmable enzyme-assisted mutation sequencing (PEAM-SEQ) diagnostic platform. The research, which commenced on May 6, 2026 and is scheduled for completion by April 30, 2029, focuses on developing noninvasive liquid biopsy technologies for early lung cancer detection through the quantitative analysis of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) mutations in blood samples. The project involves advancing PEAM-SEQ from a PCR-based prototype (Version 1.0) to an optimized, simplified assay (Version 2.0) that combines isothermal amplification, enzymatic cleavage, and CRISPR-based quantitative detection, thereby reducing the complexity, cost, and time requirements associated with current diagnostic methods such as digital droplet polymerase chain reaction and next-generation sequencing.

To enable point-of-care diagnostics and eliminate the need for costly laboratory equipment, the research deliverables include the integration of the PEAM-SEQ V2.0 assay into a microfluidic chip platform and the development of a portable, smartphone-based detection system. These innovations are designed to provide an affordable, accurate, and accessible diagnostic solution for identifying lung cancer mutations and assessing treatment response, thereby addressing critical gaps in current screening and early detection methodologies and supporting the broader public health objective of improving patient outcomes through earlier cancer identification.