CLAREMONT, Calif., July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) Director of Research Angelika Niemz has been awarded a four-year, $3.6 million collaborative research grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The research effort will focus on developing assays and devices to diagnose multi-drug resistant tuberculosis at the point of care in developing countries where diagnostic resources are limited.

Diagnostic instruments currently on the market that perform similar functions are prohibitive in terms of size and cost for use in remote areas, according to Niemz, KGI's Arnold and Mabel Beckman Professor. The project's goal is to develop a handheld device that can be built for less than $100.

"This grant gives us the opportunity to work with others on complex problems that require multidisciplinary expertise," says Niemz. "As an interdisciplinary institution, KGI is uniquely qualified to lead this project."

An interdisciplinary team of researchers from multiple institutions will be working on this effort, led by Niemz and KGI professor Ali Nadim, along with Robert Doebler, PhD, founder and president of Claremont BioSolutions, and Gerard Cangelosi, PhD, affiliate member of Seattle Biomedical Research Institute. The effort further involves consultants at the Program for Appropriate Technologies in Health (PATH) in Seattle, and testing of clinical specimens that will be collected at tuberculosis clinics in Seattle and in the Philippines.

This R01 grant, the second that Niemz has received as lead investigator, will allow KGI to bring in new doctoral and postdoctoral students, purchase new equipment, and expand its collaborative research network.

KGI BackgrounD

Educating the future leaders of the bioscience industry, Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) offers an interdisciplinary graduate education through its Master of Bioscience (MBS), Postdoctoral Professional Masters in Bioscience Management (PPM), Postbaccalaureate Premedical Certificate (PPC), PhD and other academic programs. Using team-based learning and real-world projects, KGI's innovative curriculum seamlessly combines applied life sciences, bioengineering, bioethics and business management. KGI also has a robust research program concentrating on the translation of basic discoveries in the life sciences into applications that can benefit society.  KGI is a member of The Claremont Colleges, located in Claremont, California.

Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences is dedicated to education and research aimed at translating into practice, for the benefit of society, the power and potential of the life sciences.

SOURCE Keck Graduate Institute

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