Seven University of California scientists each will receive $100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to explore innovative research that could improve global health.

In all, the foundation awarded grants Monday (May 10) to 78 new global health projects. They include:

• A UCLA project that will test the feasibility of a lens-free cell phone microscope to quickly diagnose malaria in field settings.

• A UC Davis project that will test whether certain complex sugars in milk can be used to prevent life-threatening diarrheal diseases in young children.

• A UC San Francisco project that will use mathematical models and survey data to help identify ways to limit the spread of trachoma, the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide.

Here is a list of UC recipients:

UC Berkeley

• Jennifer Doudna, RNA Restriction Enzymes to Detect Viral/Bacterial Infections

• John Ngai, Discovery of Chemosensory Molecules as Novel Contraceptives

UC Davis

• David Mills, Prevention of Infection By Bovine Milk Oligosaccharides

UCLA

• Aydogan Ozcan, Cost-Effective Testing of Blood Samples Using Cellphones

UC San Francisco

• Cynthia Kenyon, Identification of a Viral Pathogen in Nematodes

• Thomas Lietman, Leveraging Core Groups to Eliminate Infectious Trachoma

UC Santa Barbara

• Kevin Plaxco, A Single-Step Device for Monitoring Mucosal Iga Titers

Grand Challenges Explorations is a five-year, $100 million initiative of the Gates foundation to promote innovation in global health. Round 5 grants will be announced in October. For more information, click here.