NASA on Thursday said it is teaming with the National Institutes of Health on the Quantum-Enabled Predictive Preclinical NAMs for Toxicity and Safety Challenge, or QuSAFE, with prizes of up to $7.1 million¹.

The agency said the contest aims to advance quantum-enabled sensing for in vitro new approach methodologies such as organoids and microphysiological systems, to improve drug safety while reducing animal use¹.

NASA said those lab models can generate human-relevant data for drug development and safety evaluation, but conventional assays and imaging are often noisy, invasive and not sensitive enough, so weak, early or low-abundance biological signals can go undetected¹. Destructive measurements also make it hard to track processes over time, the agency said¹.

Quantum-enabled sensing, NASA said, can offer ultra-high sensitivity, improved signal-to-noise performance and nanoscale resolution beyond today's methods¹. The challenge supports NASA's Biological and Physical Sciences Division and is meant to improve detection both in space and on Earth¹.

NASA said submissions open Dec. 15, 2026, and close July 27, 2027¹. Registration, rules and eligibility are posted at qusafechallenge.com¹.

Sources

1. NASANIH–NASA QuSAFE Challenge1:44 PM

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