Description
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) invites applications for interdisciplinary research to develop complex mammalian 3-dimensional (3D) in vitro microphysiological systems (MPS) to model aging and recapitulate aging processes/phenotypes observed in the whole organism in vivo. The primary focus is on human cell-derived MPS, but systems developed using cells of nonhuman mammalian origin may be acceptable for benchmarking, system validation, or when their relevance to understanding human aging biology is justified.
• The research aims to advance the adoption of MPS in aging biology research and as new human-relevant tools for drug discovery.
• Preliminary data are not required, and the essential feature of responsive applications is the adoption of a multidisciplinary approach that includes expertise in aging biology and from disciplines such as stem cell biology, tissue and organ physiology, microfluidics, bioengineering, computational biology, pharmacology, and biostatistics.
• Applications are expected to propose exploratory research at the early and conceptual stages of project development.