Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)\The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H): Systematic Targeting Of MicroPlastics (STOMP)- Solution Summary

A summary is required to submit a full proposal.

STOMP seeks proposals in two main technical areas: microplastics measurements and understanding of biological mechanisms.

The Problem

• Microplastics are everywhere and are constantly being ingested and inhaled by people worldwide.
• Microplastics have been linked to a wide variety of health issues ranging from metabolic disruption to stroke.
• Microplastics are hard to see and measure, and scientists still don’t understand which microplastics are the most toxic, how they get into organs and cells, and how they cause harm.
• There is no known, validated way to remove microplastics from the body.

The Solution

The STOMP program will advance three technical areas across two phases.

In phase one, STOMP will:

• develop best-in-class lab-based measurements that can accurately characterize nano-sized microplastic particles even in complex biological tissue.
• image and characterize microplastics in animal organs and cells, illuminating the complex mechanisms of microplastic trafficking and toxicity.

In phase two, STOMP will:

• translate best-in-class microplastic measurement techniques into affordable, scalable systems that can quantify a patient’s microplastic burden in a clinical setting.
• draw on measurement methods and mechanistic understanding to develop solutions that can remove microplastics from the human body.

https://arpa-h.gov/explore-funding/programs/stomp