Transformative Research Award
The NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award, established in 2009, supports bold, unconventional research with the potential to challenge established scientific thinking or fundamentally change how we understand a field. The award totals $3.2 million over five years.
Chang’s lab studies the molecular mechanisms underlying how cells transport and respond to small molecules. The award will support the development of new technology that creates fluorescent biosensors that light up when a specific small molecule is present.
This research was inspired by a naturally occurring fluorescent protein, which Chang and his team re-engineered to recognize different small molecules and produce a fluorescent signal.
If successful, the technology could transform biosensor development from a largely trial-and-error process toward a more general and possibly predictable approach that enables researchers to create visual sensors for a wide range of molecules. The biosensors could eventually become a widely used research tool, much like PCR or CRISPR, with applications across medicine, biotechnology and environmental health.
By making it easier to observe molecules in action, the technology could help researchers better understand how diseases develop and how treatments work, potentially informing the development of safer, more effective therapies. Other potential applications include at-home diagnostic tests, accelerated drug discovery and rapid detection of environmental chemicals and pollutants.