Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) awarded Universidad Central Del Caribe, Inc. a Project Grant totaling $148,607 under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859) on July 3, 2026, with completion scheduled for July 2, 2027. The award funds the acquisition of a Beckman Coulter Optima XPN-90 IVD ultracentrifuge for shared use at the institution's Common Instrumentation Area and Services (CIAS) core facility. This high-performance instrument, capable of reaching 694,000 x G at maximum 90,000 RPM, will enable rapid, high-resolution separation of subcellular particles, proteins, small molecules, and compounds essential for advanced research applications.

The ultracentrifuge will directly support research across multiple departments and provide shared access to faculty, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, medical students, and undergraduate students at the Puerto Rico-based institution. Primary research applications include purification of natural compounds such as polysaccharide peptide (PSP) for improved treatment sensitivity and isolation of mitochondrial components for molecular, oncological, natural-based, and immunological research. The acquisition addresses a critical infrastructure gap, as the institution's existing ultracentrifuge is non-functional and outdated, currently forcing investigators to rely on lower-speed centrifuges or external collaborations that limit research productivity and training opportunities in modern biochemical techniques.