Project description
Drug screening with high-throughput 3D cell cultures
For decades, drug discovery has relied on 2D cell cultures and animal testing, but these methods often fail to replicate the complexity of human biology. While 3D cell culture systems promise more realistic models, existing approaches face trade-offs: high-throughput systems lack perfusion, while perfused systems are not scalable. This gap hampers drug screening for neurodevelopmental disorders. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the DropMicS project will create a groundbreaking 3D cell culture device that integrates microfluidics and droplet printing technologies. By leveraging innovative chamber designs, DropMicS will enable high-throughput drug screening under perfusion conditions, helping researchers develop treatments for neurodevelopmental disorders, such as microglia inflammation, which affects millions of preterm infants worldwide.
Objective
This project will develop high-throughput 3D cell culture devices with perfusion by interfacing microfluidics and droplet printing technologies and subsequently applying them to model neuro-development disorders. For decades, 2D cell culture followed by animal testing has been the standard for therapeutic drug discovery. 3D systems have the potential to recreate more faithful physiological conditions (cell interactions, gradients, perfusion, flow). Thus, they are expected to be more predictive for efficacy and toxicity than 2D systems and minimize the use of animals. However, there is currently no 3D model which enables high-throughput (HT) and perfusion at once: spheroids and organoids in plates can be HT but without perfusion, pressure-driven microfluidics has perfusion but is not HT, droplet microfluidics is HT but cannot handle large drug libraries and has no perfusion. Here, we will leverage the physics of wetting and capillarity to design chamber arrays with liquid-trapping geometries, which can be entirely operated by external droplet injection. We will set up designs and protocols for the embedding of cells in 3D hydrogel matrices and submit them to perfusion of medium and drug, including uniform or gradient conditions in each chamber. We will demonstrate the HT interfacing with droplet printers. Finally, we will apply the device to screen compounds and monitor the modulation of microglia (the immune cell of the brain) inflammation that affects the lives of >2 million preterm babies every year.
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.
- natural sciences physical sciences classical mechanics fluid mechanics microfluidics
- natural sciences mathematics pure mathematics geometry
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01
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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.
75231 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.