Integration of organ-on-a-chip technology to advance biomedical sciences in idaho

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences awarded Idaho State University $239,113 on September 1, 2026, under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859) to integrate an Emulate organ-on-a-chip system into the university's Pharmaceutical Sciences Core.

The organ-on-a-chip platform uses microengineered chips lined with living human cells to replicate human organ function, providing a physiologically relevant alternative to conventional in vitro and animal models. The system will be installed in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Core, which delivers comprehensive research support in drug discovery, development, and stability testing and serves as a hub for biomedical researchers and their students throughout Idaho. The Emulate platform builds on prior investments in advanced tissue modeling and bioprinting technologies and advances capacity for creation of high-fidelity human tissue and organ models that will be used to study drug action, distribution, and toxicity with greater accuracy than traditional approaches. Initial projects include development of vascularized human cancer models, infectious disease systems, organ-specific drug toxicity studies, improved drug delivery strategies for diabetic foot ulcers, and general biological research.

Performance occurs in Pocatello, Idaho, with a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2027. The award is classified as a Project Grant.

Abstract

Designed to replicate human organ function, the proposed state-of-the-art organ-on-a-chip (emulate, boston, MA) system uses microengineered chips lined with living human cells, providing a dynamic and physiologically relevant alternative to conventional in vitro and animal models. The emulate platform will be installed in idaho state university's (ISU) pharmaceutical sciences core (PSC), which delivers comprehensive research support in drug discovery, development, and stability testing and serves as a hub for biomedical researchers and their students throughout the state. The addition of the emulate system builds on prior investments in advanced tissue modeling and bioprinting technologies and advances capacity for the creation of high-fidelity human tissue and organ models. These human-relevant models will be used to study drug action, distribution, and toxicity with greater accuracy than traditional approaches. Importantly, this technology will reduce reliance on animal models, which often fail to predict human outcomes and contribute to high drug attrition rates. The impact on idaho's research landscape will be significant, as reflected in the representative projects described in this proposal. Initial projects include the development of vascularized human cancer models, infectious disease systems, organ-specific drug toxicity studies, improved drug delivery strategies for diabetic foot ulcers, and general biological research. These examples represent only a fraction of the wide-ranging applications made possible by integrating organ- on-a-chip technology into the PSC's suite of innovative services.