Organ-on-a-Chip Focused Strategic Partnership

Project Information

OrChESTRA

Grant agreement ID: 101079473

DOI

10.3030/101079473

Project closed

EC signature date 6 July 2022

Start date 1 September 2022

End date 31 August 2025

Funded under

• Widening participation and spreading excellence

Total cost

€ 1 492 927,50

EU contribution

€ 1 492 927,50

Coordinated by

ODTU MEMS MERKEZI
Türkiye

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - OrChESTRA (Organ-on-a-Chip Focused Strategic Partnership)

Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2025-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The OrChESTRA project addresses a key challenge for research institutions in Widening countries: limited international visibility, fragmented research capacities, and restricted access to strategic collaborations. It focuses on advancing organ-on-chip and microfluidic technologies—fast-growing fields at the intersection of microengineering and biomedical research, offering human-relevant models for disease and drug studies.

Launched as a Horizon Europe Twinning Action, OrChESTRA aimed to position the ODTÜ MEMS Center (Türkiye) as a regional and European leader in organ-on-chip technologies. Despite ODTÜ MEMS’s strong background in microfabrication and sensors, its institutional capacity and visibility in this domain required reinforcement through structured knowledge exchange and capacity building.

The project united ODTÜ MEMS with three leading centres of excellence:
• TU/e (Netherlands): expertise in microfluidics and early-stage researcher training.
• IMEC (Belgium): guidance on cleanroom management, RRI, and technology transfer.
• UFR (Germany): expertise in organ-on-chip modelling and biosensors.

Through joint training, mentoring, mobility, and networking, OrChESTRA fostered interdisciplinary capacity and strategic collaboration. It enhanced ODTÜ MEMS’s scientific excellence, institutional maturity, and visibility in European research networks, preparing it to serve as a regional hub for organ-on-chip innovation and OneHealth-oriented technology development.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The OrChESTRA Project demonstrated an effective Twinning action in the microfluidics and organ-on-chip domain through the completion of six work packages (WPs) by four partners within 36 months:

WP1: Enhanced the scientific and technical (S&T) excellence and research capacity of ODTÜ MEMS through mobility, training, and mentoring:
• Comprehensive analysis to identify gaps and needs of ODTÜ MEMS
• 5 staff exchanges (3 outgoing, 2 incoming)
• 12 technical seminars, 11 soft-skill workshops, 2 summer schools
• 21 mentor-mentee pairs established under the Career Development Programme
• Career development framework implemented in two phases, including feedback sessions and evaluation

WP2: Strengthened institutional capacity and research management at ODTÜ MEMS:
• Strategy Development and Research Management Unit restructured and fully integrated into the Quality Management System
• 4 benchmark visits (TU/e, IMEC, UFR) and 5 targeted trainings delivered
• New procedures developed for project initiation, monitoring, IPR, and research strategy alignment

WP3: Served as the project’s joint scientific research component:
• Designed, fabricated, and validated an electrochemical gut-on-a-chip system
• Simulated TEER sensor operation for villi formation monitoring
• Developed a novel Parylene-based cell-growth membrane
• Produced an ISO 22916-compliant organ-on-chip block using thermoforming and 3D printing
• Presented findings at international conferences (EUROoCS 2024, BBMEC 2024, Biosensors 2025)

WP4: Strengthened collaboration, networking, and stakeholder engagement:
• Prepared the Joint Action Plan for future collaborations
• Over 100 bilateral meetings conducted with academic, industrial, and policy stakeholders
• Organised 4 international workshops, 2 brokerage events (Ankara & Freiburg 2025), 2 summer schools
• Contributed to clustering and standardisation discussions with MedTech Europe, EUROoCS, Phoenix-OoC, and ISO 22916 initiatives

WP5: Ensured effective dissemination, communication, and exploitation:
• Maintained OrChESTRA website and LinkedIn page
• Published 6 peer-reviewed papers, 1 book chapter (in press), 13 conference abstracts
• Organised Professionals’ Day (Masterclasses with AZAR Innovations) and 12 Students’ Days
• Achieved >12.000 website visits and 40+ LinkedIn posts during the reporting period

WP6: Ensured smooth project coordination and quality management:
• Regular consortium, technical, and management meetings held (over 30 sessions)
• Risk and Data Management Plans updated twice
• Continuous quality monitoring ensured compliance with Horizon Europe standards

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

OrChESTRA strengthened the scientific and institutional capacity of ODTÜ MEMS in the fast-growing field of organ-on-a-chip (OoC) and microfluidics. The project addressed limited international visibility and fragmented research capacity typical of Widening countries by building sustainable partnerships with leading EU institutions.

Through targeted knowledge exchange, ODTÜ MEMS integrated its expertise in MEMS and sensor technologies with advanced organ-on-a-chip design, accelerating its transition toward smart, sensor-integrated microphysiological systems. The collaboration fostered two-way knowledge transfer, researcher training, and joint scientific work, establishing a foundation for future R&I collaborations.

The complementarity of partners ensured efficient implementation and continuous improvement of research practices. A joint roadmap for scientific excellence and future cooperation was defined, strengthening ODTÜ MEMS’s role in the European research ecosystem and expanding its academic and industrial network.

Key results include:
• Increased joint publications and research projects
• New collaborations with academia and industry
• Institutionalised Career Development Programme
• Strengthened Strategy and Research Management Unit
• Standardised processes and enhanced service portfolio
• Attraction of new talent and expansion of the BioMEMS Technology Platform

OrChESTRA has advanced the state of the art in organ-on-a-chip (OoC) technologies by developing and demonstrating a sensor-integrated, ISO 22916-compliant organ-on-a-chip platform. This system combines electrochemical sensing with microfluidic organ modules on a standard well-plate base, enabling in situ and real-time monitoring of analytes within the cellular microenvironment. The platform was validated through a gut-on-a-chip demonstrator designed to monitor drug absorption across the gut epithelium, representing a significant step toward smart OoC systems capable of quantitative, multi-parametric readouts. By ensuring mechanical, dimensional, and interconnect compatibility in line with ISO 22916, the platform also facilitates interoperability and future integration with other devices and systems developed worldwide—thus directly supporting standardisation and reproducibility across the field.

OrChESTRA Consortium