Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( 🔒 ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Need Help

AI-Enabled Expansion Microscopy Platform for Renal Pathology

Award Number: R44DK148299
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES & DIGESTIVE & KIDNEY DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/01/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2027

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

AI-Enabled Expansion Microscopy Platform for Renal Pathology - Project Summary The clinical complexity of podocytopathies, including focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), membranous nephropathy (MN), and minimal change disease (MCD), demands diagnostic technologies capable of unifying molecular and ultrastructural insights. Current workflows rely on three separate assays (light microscopy, immunofluorescence, and electron microscopy), which fragment information, delay treatment, and increase costs. No existing technology allows multiplexed biomarker imaging and ultrastructural assessment in the same renal biopsy core. To address this gap, we propose to develop and validate the pan-ExM Renal Pathology Platform, a new diagnostic system that integrates pan-Expansion Microscopy (pan-ExM) with automation and AI-based interpretation. Building on recent achievements, including protocols for 20x expansion with protein retention in mouse kidney and adaptation to human FFPE biopsies, our Fast-Track project will: (1) Validate pan-ExM for diagnostic accuracy in podocytopathies, benchmarking against gold-standard H&E/IF/EM readouts in 100 archived biopsies; (2) Engineer and prototype a clinic-ready bench-top instrument that automates expansion, labeling, and light-sheet imaging; and (3) Embed a supervised AI model trained on Phase I data to provide real-time classification and severity scoring. At the conclusion of this 30-month project, we will deliver a validated diagnostic platform that enables blinded renal pathologists to reproduce gold-standard diagnoses with high concordance while reducing turnaround to <3 days. Beyond podocytopathies, this system establishes a generalizable framework for integrated molecular–ultrastructural pathology in oncology, transplant rejection, and autoimmune disease. Our long-term vision is to commercialize the pan-ExM Renal Pathology Platform as a 510(k)-cleared diagnostic device, transforming renal pathology with faster, lower-cost, and more precise image-based diagnostics.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2027 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2027	2026	PANLUMINATE INC	101 COLLEGE STREET, SUITE 210	NEW HAVEN	CT	06510	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	1	10/27/2026	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $354,958 )
2026	2026	PANLUMINATE INC	101 COLLEGE STREET, SUITE 210	NEW HAVEN	CT	06510	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	1	7/30/2026	NEW	$354,958
														Subtotal = $354,958

Grand Total All Awards = $354,958

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

AI-Enabled Expansion Microscopy Platform for Renal Pathology

Award Number: R44DK148299

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES & DIGESTIVE & KIDNEY DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/01/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2027

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer