Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of the Director awarded $1,079,965 to the University of Utah under the Research Infrastructure Programs (CFDA 93.351) on June 15, 2026, to procure and install a LUMICKS C-TRAP EDGE 350 instrument. This state-of-the-art single-molecule analysis system combines dual-trap optical tweezers, three-color total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF)/widefield microscopy, label-free interference reflection microscopy (IRM), and automated microfluidics technology to enable high-resolution, correlative force-fluorescence measurements at the single-molecule level. The instrument serves as a shared research resource for a major user group spanning eight primary investigators and six additional users across six departments at the University of Utah and Utah State University, all supported by NIH R01 or R35 funding.

The project, with a completion date of June 14, 2027, delivers a turn-key research platform designed to democratize access to advanced single-molecule spectroscopy capabilities. By providing an intuitive, automated system with minimal training requirements, the C-TRAP EDGE enables non-expert users to conduct state-of-the-art experiments in force, position, fluorescence localization, and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) analysis. The instrument addresses the current limitations of single-molecule research, which has historically been restricted to laboratories with specialized expertise and custom-built instruments, thereby advancing research capabilities across biochemistry, chemistry, physics, microbiology, immunology, and mechanical engineering disciplines.