Project description
Identification of Parkinson’s disease biomarkers
Raman spectroscopy is an analytical technique that provides information on the chemical structure of molecules as well as their interactions. It employs monochromatic light and offers a structural fingerprint unique to different molecules. Funded by the European Research Council, the SEMISOFT project aims to develop a web platform for analysing Raman spectra in a simplified manner. Using machine learning, researchers will make this computational tool suitable for biological applications, for example, to identify biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease in human saliva. The generated tool will find other spectroscopy applications in the fields of materials and chemical sciences.
Objective
The goal of this proposal is the production of the SEMISOFT software and an associate web platform for spectroscopic molecular characterization and early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. SEMISOFT will be designed to decipher complex IR/Raman spectra which are currently hampering development of new clinical protocols and other technological advances. This will be achieved upon implementation of the innovative semiclassically approximate quantum dynamics methods, developed in the parent ERC-CoG SEMICOMPLEX project, which allow for a simplification of complex spectra and unprecedented quantum mechanical accuracy. To further increase the level of accuracy in SEMISOFT simulations, a new machine-learning based force field for biological systems will be developed and incorporated in the software.
The SEMISOFT web platform will be accessible to non-expert users from any browser without desktop installation and based on a flexible drop-down menu instructing the user step by step. The user will be able to reproduce IR/Raman spectra and identify molecular species in gas, liquid, or solid state. The web platform will find immediate application in a “freemium” version thanks to an industrial partner laboratory whose goal is to find biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease in human saliva. This pilot test will allow the team to tune the web platform for future commercialization.
An analysis of economic, social and market prospects will be performed to define a value proposition and an appropriate business model, by comparing the feasibility and relative impact of licensing, paid access through a user account, and spin-off. The definition of an appropriate intellectual property protection strategy will be also part of the project. SEMISOFT is expected to have a long-term impact too. Raman and related spectroscopies are widespread in laboratories for chemical characterization and this computational tool will boost spectroscopy applications in material, physics and chemical sciences.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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-POC2
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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.
20122 Milano
Italy
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.