Objective The establishment of non-invasive markers for prenatal diagnosis and is a very important research goal. Current invasive procedures have (1) a significant risk of induced abortion (1-2%) or maternal injury and (2) considerable discomfort and psychological distress. The overall objective of this project is to exploit breakthroughs at the confluences of bio-, micro- and nano- technologies to create a low-cost non-invasive intelligent diagnosis system using a nanotechnology-based device for the isolation, enrichment and detection of foetal cells from maternal blood so as to facilitate non-invasive pre-natal diagnosis. Advances in molecular biology and biosensor technology and the integration of nanostructured functional components in macro and microsystems will facilitate the separation of foetal cells from maternal cells on the basis of cell size, deformability, surface chemistry, novel markers, and charge. Addressing health care requirements of the future of an individualised theranostic approach, the specific application that will be demonstrated will be the isolation of foetal cells with the platform technology being applicable to the isolation of early cancer cells as well as stem cells in peripheral blood. The proposed technology is highly ambitious in nature and meets the ADVENTURE requirements of being a visionary, far-reaching, multidisciplinary project, that contributes substantially to the state-of-the-art with novel technologies of immense impact, with potential applications in non-invasive prenatal diagnostics, cancer diagnostics and theranostics and isolation of stem cells, not to mention the second tier ofsimpler devices exploiting some of the proposed modules for POC diagnostics, environmental and food quality control monitoring. The proposed technology does not fall directly within the domains of research of the FP6 thematic priorities. Fields of science engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsbiosensorsmedical and health sciencesclinical medicineobstetricsfetal medicinemedical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologycells technologiesstem cellsmedical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologynatural sciencesbiological sciencesmolecular biology Keywords Biosensors Nanotechnology Non-invasive prenatal diagnosis Risk Assessment theranostics Programme(s) FP6-POLICIES - Policy support: Specific activities covering wider field of research under the Focusing and Integrating Community Research programme 2002-2006. Topic(s) NEST-2003-1 - Adventure activities Call for proposal FP6-2003-NEST-A See other projects for this call Funding Scheme STREP - Specific Targeted Research Project Coordinator UNIVERSITAT ROVIRA I VIRGILI EU contribution No data Address c/ de l'Escorxador s/n TARRAGONA Spain See on map Total cost No data Participants (6) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all INSTITUT FUER MIKROTECHNIK MAINZ GMBH Germany EU contribution No data Address Carl-Zeiss-Strasse 18-20 MAINZ See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANTE ET DE LA RECHERCHE MEDICALE France EU contribution No data Address 101 rue de Tolbiac PARIS See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address 6 KENSINGTON TERRACE NE1 7RU NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE See on map Total cost No data UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF ENGLAND, BRISTOL United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane BRISTOL See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Gibbet Hill road COVENTRY See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data WESTFAELISCHE WILHELMS-UNIVERSITAET MUENSTER Germany EU contribution No data Address Schlossplatz 2 MUENSTER See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data