A Multi-Party Team (MPT) represented by Carnegie Mellon University researchers and private industry partners has secured an award of up to $26.7 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Platform Optimizing SynBio for Early Intervention and Detection in Oncology (POSEIDON) program to usher in a new era of proactive cancer screening, offering an at-home solution to detect more than 30 Stage 1 solid tumor cancers from a simple urine sample.
The R&D component of the CMU MPT project will be led by Rebecca Taylor, principal investigator, with research support from multiple co-investigators, including Burak Ozdoganlar. Both Taylor and Ozdoganlar are professors of mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. Combining recent advancements in synthetic biology with cutting-edge detection technology, the team will develop both a highly innovative orally administered pill containing specially engineered, tumor-targeting sensors and a user-friendly cancer screening device designed for at-home urine testing. Ginkgo Bioworks will serve as the commercialization partner, working to bring the team’s cutting-edge technologies to market.
Our dual-function approach is designed to provide an unprecedented level of precision, effectively illuminating hidden tumors from within the body, which then signals the presence of disease through a simple urine test.
