Skip to main content

Grand Challenges

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Main menu

  • About
  • Challenges
  • Awarded Grants
  • News
  • Grant Opportunities
  • Search

You are here

  1. Home
  2. Awarded Grants
  3. Grand Challenges
  4. 2014
  5. 2011

Print link

Print

Awarded Grants

Filter by Initiative

  • (-) Remove Grand Challenges filter Grand Challenges (26)

Filter by Challenge

Filter by Awarded Year

  • 2019 Apply 2019 filter (23)
  • 2018 Apply 2018 filter (16)
  • 2016 Apply 2016 filter (26)
  • 2015 Apply 2015 filter (19)
  • (-) Remove 2014 filter 2014 (1)
  • 2013 Apply 2013 filter (3)
  • 2012 Apply 2012 filter (22)
  • (-) Remove 2011 filter 2011 (25)
  • 2006 Apply 2006 filter (1)
  • 2005 Apply 2005 filter (43)

Filter by Country

Grand Challenges is a family of initiatives fostering innovation to solve key global health and development problems. Each initiative is an experiment in the use of challenges to focus innovation on making an impact. Individual challenges address some of the same problems, but from differing perspectives.

Sort by:
Date Awarded
Title (A-Z)
10
25
50
100

A Population-Based Cohort Study in Matlab, Bangladesh: Establishing a Center of Excellence in Preterm Birth and Stillbirth Investigation

Anisur RahmanInternational Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, BangladeshDhaka, Bangladesh
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Preventing Preterm Birth
1 Feb 2014

Anisur Rahman of the Matlab Health Research Centre at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICCDR,B) will lead a prospective cohort study of pregnant women, building on the ICDDR,B community-based surveillance site, to enroll more than 4,000 pregnant women over three years. His team will visit women monthly at their homes for early identification of pregnancy, followed by accurate gestational age dating by ultrasound and follow up throughout pregnancy and at delivery for collection of clinical data and specimens. The study includes standardized systems for documentation of complications of pregnancy and assessment of birth outcomes. Data and specimens will be used to advance innovative research into the causes of preterm birth and identify novel strategies for prevention.

Highly Sensitive Miniaturized Reader for Probe-based Isothermal Detection for Point-of-Care and Field Applications

Ann VinckierQIAGEN Sciences LLCGermantown, Maryland, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Point-of-Care Diagnostics
14 Nov 2011

Ann Vinckier and colleagues at QIAGEN in the U.S. propose to further improve their commercially available small fluorescence tube scanner for its use at the point-of-care in developing countries, and also investigate probe-­based isothermal amplification technologies for the development of fast, sensitive, specific and robust detection of nucleic acids in point­-of-­care diagnostic tools.

Modified DNA Aptamer Affinity Reagents for Mtb Biomarker Validation

Dan FeldheimUniversity of ColoradoBoulder, Colorado, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Tuberculosis Biomarkers
3 Nov 2011

Dan Feldheim of the University of Colorado at Boulder in the U.S. and collaborators Bruce Eaton of the University of Colorado and Delphi Chatterjee of Colorado State University propose to develop new modified DNA aptamer affinity reagents for detecting urine biomarkers of M. tuberculosis active disease. These reagents could form the basis of low­-cost, low­-power diagnostic sensors for use in resource-­limited settings.

Ultra-Sensitive Proteomic Quantitation of Circulating TB Biomarker Candidates by Complete Proteome SRM Assays

Robert MoritzInstitute for Systems BiologySeattle, Washington, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Tuberculosis Biomarkers
20 Oct 2011

Robert Moritz and colleagues at the Institute for Systems Biology and Seattle Biomed in the U.S. will use ultra­-sensitive targeted assay technology to identify, quantify, and validate a library of biomarker candidates specific to both active and latent TB infection. Moritz and his team hope to discover highly specific proteins that could help determine disease status at the point of care and inform appropriate treatment.

Permeable Magnetic Nanoparticles for Point-Of-Care TB Diagnosis

David AllandUniversity of Medicine and Dentistry of New JerseyNew Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Tuberculosis Biomarkers
18 Oct 2011

David Alland of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in the U.S., in collaboration with Advantageous Systems (ADS), will develop a method that uses paramagnetic nanoparticles conjugated with capture antibodies to quickly extract M. tuberculosis bacteria from a patient's sputum sample. This simple extraction method can be applied to a broad range of detection technologies, enabling rapid tuberculosis detection.

Pathogen and Host Metabolites as Diagnostic Signatures of Tuberculosis

John BelisleColorado State UniversityFort Collins, Colorado, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Tuberculosis Biomarkers
17 Oct 2011

John Belisle of Colorado State University in the U.S. will assess the feasibility of using small molecules created by the metabolic processes of host or pathogen cells, as well as lipids and fatty acids produced by the TB bacterium, as biomarkers of active disease.

Disposable Sampling Plate and Breath Test to Identify Patients with Active Tuberculosis

James GrahamUniversity of LouisvilleLouisville, Kentucky, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Tuberculosis Biomarkers
13 Oct 2011

James E. Graham, Xiao-­An Fu, Michael H. Nantz, and Richard M. Higashi of the University of Louisville in the U.S. will investigate the use of adsorptive sample plates with chemically reactive coatings to capture, identify, and validate unique volatile organic compounds found in breath samples of TB patients. This approach can establish the basis for a simple point of care test to identify active disease.

Exosomes as Biomarkers for Tuberculosis

Karen DobosColorado State UniversityFort Collins, Colorado, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Tuberculosis Biomarkers
12 Oct 2011

Karen Dobos of Colorado State University in the U.S., along with Jeff Schorey of the University of Notre Dame and their partners at the University of San Francisco, seek to identify and validate protein signatures on exosomes, which are small vesicles secreted by M. tuberculosis-­infected host cells, for use as biomarkers to diagnose TB. These protein signatures seem to be concentrated by exosomes in such a way that they could be used as highly sensitive indicators of disease in diagnostic tests.

Validation of the Diagnostic Utility of Mtb Protein Biomarkers Found in Urine of TB Patients

Antonio Campos-NetoThe Forsyth InstituteCambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Tuberculosis Biomarkers
12 Oct 2011

Antonio Campos­-Neto of The Forsyth Institute in the U.S. along with collaborators Nira Pollock of The Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School and David Duffy of Quanterix Corporation, seek to validate seven M. tuberculosis proteins found in the urine of tuberculosis patients as biomarkers of active disease. The ultimate goal is to use the most promising markers to develop a non-­invasive point-­of-­care test, which could be similar to a simple home­-pregnancy test.

Novel Reagents for the Serological Diagnosis of Tuberculosis

David AndersonMacfarlane Burnet InstituteMelbourne, Victoria, Australia
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Tuberculosis Biomarkers
11 Oct 2011

David Anderson of the Macfarlane Burnet Institute in Australia will examine a unique aspect of the host antibody response that may better differentiate current and past tuberculosis infections. If successful, this approach could be readily incorporated in simple, disposable blood test formats that are currently used for diagnosis in resource-poor settings.

A New Target for Mosquitocides

Jeffrey BloomquistUniversity of FloridaGainesville, Florida, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Chemical Vector Control
1 Aug 2011

Jeffrey R. Bloomquist of the University of Florida in the U.S. will investigate a voltage-sensitive potassium channel as a new target for mosquitocides.

Develop Synthetic Chemical Mimics of Selectively Insecticidal Natural Peptides

Robert KennedyVestaron CorporationKalamazoo, Michigan, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Chemical Vector Control
1 Aug 2011

Robert M. Kennedy of the Vestaron Corporation in the U.S. will develop synthetic chemical mimics of selectively insecticidal natural peptides.

Inducing Kidney Failure in Anopheles Gambiae

Peter PiermariniOhio State UniversityColumbus, Ohio, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Chemical Vector Control
1 Aug 2011

Peter M. Piermarini of the Ohio State University in the U.S. will use high throughput screening to discover chemicals that induce kidney failure in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae.

Molecular Mosquitocides

Barry BeatyColorado State UniversityFort Collins, Colorado, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Chemical Vector Control
1 Aug 2011

Barry Beaty of the Colorado State University in the U.S. will develop an innovative and robust, platform-­based approach for sustainable insecticidal control of Anopheline mosquitoes.

Quadruplex-based Technology for Isothermal DNA Amplification and Non-enzymatic Detection

Besik KankiaOhio State UniversityColumbus, Ohio, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Point-of-Care Diagnostics
14 Jul 2011

Besik Kankia of the Ohio State University in the U.S. proposes to develop isothermal amplification of nucleic acids using a simple fluorescence detection method. If successful, the fluorescence signal will be detected by a portable fluorimeter or by eye after excitation with an appropriate light source.

Integrated Microfluidic Universal Sample Preparation and Pre-concentration (USP) Module for Parallel Diagnostics of Infectious Diseases (HIV, TB and Malaria)

Luke LeeUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeley, California, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Point-of-Care Diagnostics
27 Jun 2011

Luke Lee of the University of California, Berkeley in the U.S. proposes to develop a microfluidic sample preparation module using electrical and physical methods that will be compatible with different sample inputs and downstream analytical techniques to provide both plasma and cellular biomarkers for the parallel diagnoses of infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. The device will not require external reagents, will have low power consumption, and can be operated on­-site with minimal training.

Microfluidic Immiscible Phase Barrier: Simplified Sample Preparation for Point-of-Care Diagnostics in the Developing World

David BeebeUniversity of WisconsinMadison, Wisconsin, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Point-of-Care Diagnostics
27 Jun 2011

David Beebe and researchers at the University of Wisconsin in the U.S. propose to develop a “universal” sample purification platform that readily adapts to various upstream collection components and utilizes an immiscible phase (e.g. oil, wax) barrier to produce a “clean” sample for output to downstream amplification and detection components.

A Disposable Sub-system for Nucleic Acid Sample Preparation Without Instrumentation or User Intervention

Robert CaryMesa Tech International, Inc.Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Point-of-Care Diagnostics
20 Jun 2011

Robert (Bruce) Cary of Mesa Tech International, Inc. in the U.S. proposes to develop nucleic acid purification systems that use a novel configuration of lateral flow materials to bind and wash nucleic acids to yield amplification-­ready samples. These devices could provide purified samples from clinical specimens within minutes without user intervention, instrumentation, electricity or costly materials.

Enzyme-Free DNA Circuits for Signal Amplification and Diagnostic Assays

Andrew EllingtonThe University of Texas at AustinAustin, Texas, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Point-of-Care Diagnostics
20 Jun 2011

Andrew Ellington of the University of Texas at Austin in the U.S. proposes to improve enzyme­-free DNA circuits by engineering circuit sensitivity and selectivity, ultimately creating multi­-layered circuits that greatly amplify signal inputs. These robust amplifiers could be modularly introduced into a variety of point­-of-­care diagnostics.

A Universal One-Step Device to Safely and Painlessly Collect Blood

Donald ChickeringSeventh Sense BiosystemsCambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Point-of-Care Diagnostics
17 Jun 2011

Donald Chickering and a team at Seventh Sense Biosystems in the U.S. are developing its Touch Activated Phlebotomy (TAP) platform to enable one­-step blood collection in a safe, painless, and convenient manner. The device uses an integrated system of microneedles and vacuum capture of a blood sample for downstream analysis. TAP has the potential to expand access to diagnostic testing into underserved and hard-­to-­sample populations, while also improving safety and ease of collection.

Low-Resource Extraction and Processing of Biological Samples Using Surface Tension Valves

Rick HaseltonVanderbilt UniversityNashville, Tennessee, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Point-of-Care Diagnostics
16 Jun 2011

Rick Haselton, David Wright and Ray Mernaugh of Vanderbilt University in the U.S. propose to develop a sample processing technology that uses the surface tension between fluids as valves to separate, concentrate, and purify pathogen biomarkers. The proposed device aims to improve on existing biomarker extraction technologies in cost, simplicity, and speed.

Ambient Stable X-aptamer Affinity Agents

Ross DurlandAM Biotechnologies, LLCHouston, Texas, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Point-of-Care Diagnostics
15 Jun 2011

Ross Durland and colleagues at AM Biotechnologies, LLC in the U.S. propose to develop X-­aptamers for detecting and quantifying protein biomarkers for neglected diseases. X­-aptamers are modified nucleic acids that tightly bind to specific targets and remain stable at high temperature and humidity. AM Biotech will enhance its process for rapidly identifying X-­aptamers that will be integrated into a point­-of-­care platform for diagnosing many diseases.

Self-amplifying DNA Polymers for Point-of-Care Diagnosis Through a Portable CMOS Sensor

Dan LuoCornell UniversityIthaca, New York, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Point-of-Care Diagnostics
13 Jun 2011

Dan Luo of Cornell University in the U.S. proposes a “self­-amplifying-­DNA-­polymer” system in which monomers bind to specific pathogen biomarkers and then create polymer aggregates when exposed to light. This amplification step, to be used as a component for future diagnostic devices, is totally enzyme­-free and only occurs in the presence of specific pathogens.

Low-cost, High-sensitivity, Reconfigurable Optical Sensing Components for Point-of-Care Diagnostics

Rebecca Richards-KortumRice UniversityHouston, Texas, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Point-of-Care Diagnostics
7 Jun 2011

Rebecca Richards-­Kortum and Tomasz Tkaczyk of Rice University in the U.S. propose to develop a plug­-and-­sense read-out and signal transduction (ROST) component for point­-of-­care devices that will be palm­-sized, producible for under $10, and with new interrogation units can be rearranged within the universal fixture to accommodate new sample platforms.

Protein Capture Agents With 40 °C Shelf Life for Developing World Point-of-Care HIV-1 Diagnostics

James HeathCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadena, California, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Point-of-Care Diagnostics
6 Jun 2011

James Heath of the California Institute of Technology in the U.S. will work to develop protein catalyzed capture agents, which are synthetically-created peptides that may act as drop-in replacements for antibodies in diagnostic assays. These agents, designed to be stable up to 40°C for extended periods, aim to be as sensitive as antibodies, but due to their chemical structure, more easily transported, stored, and used in various diagnostic platforms in developing world settings.

Quantitative PCR Reconceived for Developing World Point-of-Care Diagnostics

Axel SchererCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadena, California, United States
Grand Challenges in Global Health
Point-of-Care Diagnostics
6 Jun 2011

Axel Scherer of the California Institute of Technology in the U.S., along with collaborators at Dartmouth, will develop a prototype quantitative PCR (qPCR) amplification/detection component module that can rapidly detect a wide range of pathogens with low cost, low internal and outward complexity, low power consumption, a small size, and a rugged design.

Sort by:
Date Awarded
Title (A-Z)
10
25
50
100

Contact us

Contact us

  • General Inquiries
  • Media Inquiries

Footer - Receive Updates

Receive updates

  • Sign up for email updates

Footer

  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
© 2003-2019. Grand Challenges. All Rights Reserved.

PLEASE REVIEW OUR UPDATED PRIVACY & COOKIES NOTICE

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to store information on your computer or device. By continuing to use this site, you agree to the placement of these cookies and similar technologies. Read our updated Privacy & Cookies Notice to learn more.