Photo by: Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University
According to a statement released by the University, Chen’s project is one of more than 50 Grand Challenges Explorations Round 12 grants announced by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
To receive funding, Chen and other Grand Challenges Explorations Round 12 winners demonstrated in a two-page online application a bold idea in one of five critical global heath and development topic areas that included development of the next-generation condom, agriculture development and neglected tropical diseases, according to the press release.
Chen will use his $100,000 to develop new materials to make a more breathable, skin-like condom that mimics the membrane design of living cells to increase pleasure, enhance performance and yet, still provide protection against sexually transmitted diseases.
“I want to develop a new polymer-based chemistry in which we could coat a condom to modify its surface for optimal performance,” said Chen.
The goal at the end of the grant period is to deliver a simple, low-cost coating that could modify off-the-shelf condoms to prevent the spread of HIV and improve global health.
This is the second Grand Challenges award for Chen. In 2012, Chen, of the institute’s Center for BioEnergetics, led by director Sid Hecht, worked on a project to design and prepare new, low-cost ways to detect HIV to help prevent the spread of the epidemic.