Grand Challenges: Multiplex Platforms to Assess Indicators of Micronutrient Status, Inflammation and Infectious Disease

This Grand Challenge RFP aims to support the development of low-cost, high-performance multiplex laboratory assays that can simultaneously measure biomarkers of micronutrient status, inflammation, and infection from very small blood samples, improving population-level nutrition surveillance—especially in low- and middle-income countries—by expanding and strengthening the detection of key vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Specifically, the objectives of this challenge are to:

• Improve the current multiplex test for immunological determination of nutritional-status analytes
• Extend the panel to bioindicators of vitamins B9 and B12 
• Measure the nutritional status of vitamins B1 and B2
• Develop an immunological or other binding-based test for total folate in red blood cells

Alternative A (minimum scope): 

Budget: US $200,000 total 

Duration: 1 year

Alternative B (optimistic scope):

Budget: US $800,000 total 

Duration: 2 years

Research Authority due date: 1.9.26