# Mechanisms of NLRP3 inflammasome activation

> **NIH NIH R15** · UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS · 2024 · $85,184

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The instrument requested in this Administrative Supplement for Equipment Purchase is a Tecan Spark Cyto
400 multimode cell imaging plate reader, which will significantly enhance the research aims of the parent
grant award (1R15GM152964-01) and the research environment at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL).
The parent NIH R15 AREA for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions project is to probe direct interactions between
amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) and the proteins comprising the NLRP3 inflammasome. Ultimately, we will seek to
characterize how those interactions lead to inflammasome function. The multimode cell imaging plate reader
possesses substantial versatility and will be involved in all three specific aims of the parent grant serving as a
key workhorse for many assays and cell studies. The instrument will replace current plate readers that are each
over 20 years old and limited in their capabilities. The absorbance, fluorescence and luminescence capabilities
of the Spark Cyto 400 are broad and will have a major impact on the training and involvement of student
researchers at UMSL. The live cell imaging capability (brightfield, phase contrast and fluorescence),
environmental and mechanical control, quantitation ability, and automated programmable reads are all important
and highly desirable aspects that will improve the speed and quality of the R15 project findings.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11036891
- **Project number:** 3R15GM152964-01S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael R. Nichols
- **Activity code:** R15 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $85,184
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2023-09-20 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11036891

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11036891, Mechanisms of NLRP3 inflammasome activation (3R15GM152964-01S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11036891. Licensed CC0.

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