David Savage, assistant professor of chemistry, has won an NIH Director's New Innovator Award.
The New Innovator Award initiative, established in 2007, supports early-career investigators to conduct exceptionally innovative research.
Savage's laboratory is developing novel methods for engineering biosensors to probe cellular metabolism. Currently, there are few methods to make such measurements, and this technology will enable Savage and his group to quantify metabolite levels at high spatial and temporal precision.
Ultimately, this work could lead to new ways of engineering microbial metabolism to produce renewable chemicals. It could also be used as a tool for better understanding diseases, such as cancer and diabetes, that are associated with altered metabolism.
The NIH Director's New Innovator Award addresses two important goals: stimulating highly innovative research and supporting promising new investigators when they may lack the preliminary data required for an R01 grant. The emphasis is on innovation and creativity; preliminary data are not required, but may be included.