Project description
A magnetic sensor for disease diagnosis
Mammals have evolved intricate mechanisms for maintaining iron levels in the body to avoid toxicity. Iron is an integral constituent of key proteins such as haemoglobin, and homeostasis is achieved through dietary uptake and regulation of internal stores. The BioMag project is funded by the European Research Council and aims to develop a sensitive sensor for measuring iron biosynthesis in cells in real time. The sensor will enable the monitoring of iron levels and link them to cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, offering an important diagnostic tool. Moreover, the sensor will help study iron metabolism and identify new iron-based druggable targets.
Objective
Iron is essential for all life forms as it is a core component of many vital metabolic processes. In humans, iron homeostasis is controlled by sophisticated processes regulating its storage, transport, and export. More recently, the role of iron in diseases also emerged with ferroptosis being a form of cell death that is implicated for instance in the onset and progression of cancer or neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we focus on another intriguing type of iron in the body: the magnetic iron, which seems to be involved in both homeostasis and crippling pathologies, but which goes largely unnoticed to date. And yet, the presence and role of such biomagnetic iron offer a significant opportunity for novel therapeutic approaches. One explanation as to why this an unmet need most certainly stems from the lack of existing technologies that can detect the signature of biomagnetic iron in live human cells in real time. The solution brought by BioMag PoC project is to make possible the in operando monitoring of intracellular biogenesis of magnetic iron in human cells, in advanced cancer and Alzheimers models. To do so, the project proposes a unique (ultra)sensitive magnetic sensor integrated with bioreactors to enable the real-time measurement of magnetic nanoparticles biosynthesis in the cellular environment. The usefulness of this device goes well beyond the scope of our main ERC research, as it can have a significant impact on (i) identifying novel therapeutic approaches to diseases by detecting iron-based new druggable targets, (ii) addressing key questions related to iron metabolism towards novel diagnostics, and (iii) proposing a novel type of biogenic nanomedicines.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology environmental biotechnology bioremediation bioreactors
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology nanomedicine
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology homeostasis
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2022-POC1
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
75794 PARIS
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.