# Washington Entrepreneurial Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub

> **NIH NIH U01** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2021 · $412,300

## Abstract

The overarching goal of the partnership between NIH and the University of Washington (UW) Entrepreneurial
Center for Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub (referred to as WE-REACH) is to facilitate and
accelerate the transformation of health research innovations into products. This NIH funded WE-REACH
Center is a National Center of REACH in the Northwest region. Two key objectives of the Center are to (1)
assist investigators with innovative technologies to establish proof-of-product concept definition (2) facilitating
the formation of spinout companies on track to a self-sustaining structure. With well-established expertise,
know-how and infrastructure to assist the Research and Development of the following two Covid-19 technical-
ready Covid-19 research and develop projects intended to verify proof-of-product concepts with working
prototype.
(1) Aptamer-based highly sensitive biosensors for salivary COVID-19 antigen detection (Pun)
(2) Broad-spectrum detection of VOC and non-VOC biomarkers from patient exhalant using biomimetic
multiplexed eNose biosensor for COVID-19 diagnosis (Saikaya)
The two technically sound approaches employ by the point-of-care device candidates intend to detect viral
antigen in saliva and exhalant biomarker signatures from infected subjects without having to send sample to a
centralized facility or a long wait-time for results. WE-REACH will assist the investigators in developing
milestone-driven, stage-gated, activity-based project planning and tracking to accelerate proof-of-product
concept studies within 2-year of funding. The study results will provide measurable outcomes that are deemed
sufficient for upscaling and appropriate for follow-on funding.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10312529
- **Project number:** 3U01HL152401-02S2
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** RODNEY J.Y. HO
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $412,300
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-12-21 → 2023-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10312529

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10312529, Washington Entrepreneurial Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub (3U01HL152401-02S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10312529. Licensed CC0.

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