Project Grant R43GM165166

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences awarded Third Floor Materials, Inc. (3FM) $298,111 on September 2, 2026, under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859) to develop a high-throughput snapshot hyperspectral imager for multiplexed fluorescence microscopy.

The system combines proprietary plasmonic filter arrays with backside-illuminated CMOS sensors to enable capture of complete hyperspectral datacubes—containing both spectral and spatial information—within a single exposure of a widefield fluorescent microscope. By recording full emission spectra at every pixel, the technology eliminates the need for confocal scanning optics or repeated staining and imaging cycles, allowing fluorophore concentrations to be unmixed from spectral data. In Phase I, 3FM will design and fabricate a filter array optimized for fluorescence unmixing, adapt compressive sensing algorithms for accurate spectral recovery of fluorescence signals, and demonstrate system-level feasibility by imaging mixtures of fluorescent microspheres with known emission spectra, followed by characterization of commercially prepared and stained samples against commercial widefield imaging benchmarks.

The award supports basic research that advances high-multiplex tissue imaging capabilities central to spatial omics and precision medicine. Performance occurs in Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina, with completion targeted for August 31, 2027.