Periodic Reporting for period 1 - NanoSCAN (Revolutionizing Spatial Biology with a cutting-edge Multi-Scale Imaging platform)
Reporting period: 2023-10-01 to 2024-09-30
The nanoSCAN project aims to transform tissue analysis with a novel 3D spatial biology platform that provides crucial insights into cellular and tissue functions.
Current limitations in spatial biology: Spatial biology visualizes the interaction of molecules with their 3D environment, which is essential for cell and tissue screening. However, most spatial biology imaging technologies, based on wide-field microscopy, have limited spatial resolution and insufficient molecular profiling. A major obstacle to quantitative tissue imaging progress is the lack of a single instrument that can cover various complementary scales from tissue to molecule with high speed, high throughput, and high accuracy.
Our innovative SAFe-nSCAN imaging platform: To address these limitations, we propose to develop a new imaging platform, the SAFe-nSCAN, which combines multi-scale optical microscopy solutions, from structured illumination microscopy for rapid cell and tissue inspection and classification to single-molecule localization microscopy techniques for deeper and higher nanoscopic 3D information over preselected regions.
The consortium consists of academic partners who will develop the technology, a non-profit association that will facilitate beta testing and promote the technology, and an SME that will collaborate with a new startup company to manufacture chips and bring molecular resolution spatial biology to the market.
Game-changing technology: NanoSCAN is a game-changing technology that provides crucial 3D spatial biology imaging insights into cellular and tissue function for personalized immune-oncology therapy.
New era of nanoscale resolution: Our platform is a breakthrough imaging technology, covering the entire resolution spectrum and employing new chip technology and a microfluidic device for multiplexed nanoscopy, increasing speed and efficiency. SAFe-nSCAN imaging platform is highly innovative, being the first solution to offer a coverage of the entire length spectrum from tissue to sub-molecule in a single instrument (mm to nm), and imaging at multiple scales, from widefield through structured illumination to single molecule localization microscopy.
Current limitations in spatial biology: Spatial biology visualizes the interaction of molecules with their 3D environment, which is essential for cell and tissue screening. However, most spatial biology imaging technologies, based on wide-field microscopy, have limited spatial resolution and insufficient molecular profiling. A major obstacle to quantitative tissue imaging progress is the lack of a single instrument that can cover various complementary scales from tissue to molecule with high speed, high throughput, and high accuracy.
Our innovative SAFe-nSCAN imaging platform: To address these limitations, we propose to develop a new imaging platform, the SAFe-nSCAN, which combines multi-scale optical microscopy solutions, from structured illumination microscopy for rapid cell and tissue inspection and classification to single-molecule localization microscopy techniques for deeper and higher nanoscopic 3D information over preselected regions.
The consortium consists of academic partners who will develop the technology, a non-profit association that will facilitate beta testing and promote the technology, and an SME that will collaborate with a new startup company to manufacture chips and bring molecular resolution spatial biology to the market.
Game-changing technology: NanoSCAN is a game-changing technology that provides crucial 3D spatial biology imaging insights into cellular and tissue function for personalized immune-oncology therapy.
New era of nanoscale resolution: Our platform is a breakthrough imaging technology, covering the entire resolution spectrum and employing new chip technology and a microfluidic device for multiplexed nanoscopy, increasing speed and efficiency. SAFe-nSCAN imaging platform is highly innovative, being the first solution to offer a coverage of the entire length spectrum from tissue to sub-molecule in a single instrument (mm to nm), and imaging at multiple scales, from widefield through structured illumination to single molecule localization microscopy.
The main goal of the project is to create a unique SAFe-nSCAN platform through integration of innovative technologies owned by different NanoSCAN consortium members, with the aim to bring nanoscopy to the spatial biology market. During the first 12 months of the project, we achieved important technological milestones, thanks to strong synergies and close collaboration of participating partners. This intersectoral cooperation was crucial, and provides solid foundations for the successful generation of first SAFe-nSCAN prototypes during next phases of the project. Up to date, NanoSCAN consortium combined first partner’s technologies for multistructure 3D imaging, and simplified their design for easier integration into SAFe-nSCAN platform. The global design of future machine was also proposed and first chips were developed during this initial project phase.
The spatial biology market has emerged as a dynamic and rapidly evolving field, driven by advancements in technology and the increasing need for understanding complex biological systems. Our SAFe-nSCAN platform will provide a unique way of imaging cells and tissues, enabling to combine observations of 3D cellular environment, information on structure of intracellular organelles, and localization of single molecules. As such, the results of NanoSCAN project will have number of economic, medical, societal and scientific benefits. In particular, by developing and manufacturing chips and SAFe-nSCAN in Europe, we will leverage European technological know-how and innovative potential to address global nanoscopy markets. Moreover, as precision medicine gains traction, the demand for spatial biology tools is surging. It is thus expected that the future use of SAFe-nSCAN in pre-clinical and clinical research will have a clear benefit for patients, accelerating the characterization of disease mechanisms and development of future treatments with unprecedented nanoscopy precision.