Multiplex Platforms to Assess Indicators of Micronutrient Status, Inflammation and Infectious Disease

The objectives of this challenge are to:

• Improve the current multiplex test for immunological determination of nutritional-status analytes, overcoming standard heterogeneity, widening the functional analytical range to the expected physiological values, and maintaining simplicity and low cost (Alternatives A and B).
• Extend the panel to bioindicators of vitamins B9 and B12 by introducing novel binding molecules (Alternatives A and B).
• Measure the nutritional status of vitamins B1 and B2 using metabolites or proteins associated with their deficiency (Alternative B).
• Develop an immunological or other binding-based test for total folate in red blood cells that gives results comparable to the microbiological assay, and maintain accuracy and precision from small plasma/serum volumes to enable later application to dried blood spots (Alternative B).
• Maintain accuracy and precision using small plasma or serum volumes in order to enable later application to dried blood spots.

Awards depend on the alternative proposed:

• Alternative A (minimum scope): awards up to US$200,000 per project, with a grant term of up to 12 months.
• Alternative B (optimistic scope): awards up to US$800,000 per project, with a grant term of up to 24 months, evaluated per project.