Paul Yager, professor of Bioengineering, has been awarded a Washington Research Foundation (WRF) Phase 1 commercialization grant to support his groundbreaking work in paper-based microfluidics.
The Washington Research Foundation (WRF) aims to empower researchers and entrepreneurs at Washington state institutions by supporting the development of innovative technologies through its technology commercialization grants. WRF grants are designed to help move groundbreaking ideas from the research phase toward market-ready solutions. By catalyzing commercially viable, translational research, WRF accelerates the development of novel technologies that have the potential to benefit the public and improve lives. In the initial Phase 1, funding focuses on early-stage technical development and de-risking of innovations, helping researchers demonstrate feasibility and refine their concepts.
Yager’s project will address a significant healthcare challenge—the lack of accessible, frequent testing for chronic disease biomarkers found in blood. As populations age, diseases like autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, cardiovascular diseases, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, driven by systemic chronic inflammation, are becoming increasingly prevalent. Despite the availability of biomarkers to monitor disease progression, current testing methods are expensive, inconvenient and infrequent, limiting the ability to manage these conditions effectively.
Yager’s project seeks to develop and then, hopefully, commercialize inexpensive, paper-based tests that can be used and read at home to frequently monitor multiple blood biomarkers. By enabling individuals to track disease markers more routinely, the system aims to prevent flare-ups, manage disease progression and even prevent the onset of disease through early risk detection, all in a cost-effective and user-friendly way.
This approach has the potential to revolutionize healthcare, making home testing for chronic diseases as accessible as COVID-19 tests, and empowering individuals to engage in and adjust their lifestyles and treatments based on routinely measured biomarker concentrations. The grant supports the continued development and commercialization of this promising technology, which could significantly ease the burden on healthcare systems, improve patient outcomes while saving billions of dollars for the healthcare system.