Project description
Airborne virus detection and infectivity assessment
Airborne viruses, particularly RNA viruses originating from animal reservoirs, pose a major threat to global health and could lead to future public health emergencies. Existing detection methods are often slow and lack sensitivity, making it difficult to respond quickly. More efficient methods are needed to detect and assess the infectivity of these viruses. In this context, the ERC-funded VIR-Quantify project will develop a fast, highly sensitive technology for detecting airborne viruses. The project uses novel sensors to measure virus stiffness, helping to determine how infectious they are. By preserving the viral structure with ionic liquids, VIR-Quantify can accurately count and analyse viral particles. This technology could revolutionise how we track and control viral outbreaks.
Objective
Airborne viruses causing respiratory diseases represent a mayor global health threat, being viruses with RNA-genomes from animal reservoirs highly likely to cause further public health emergencies in the future. VIR-Quantify aims to provide proof of concept for a technology capable of highly sensitive, fast and untargeted airborne virus detection with infectivity assessment, providing a comparative advantage in the competitive landscape. VIR-Quantify builds upon an unprecedented application of NMS sensors to the field of airborne viral particles detection (methodology developed and patented by the PI in the framework of a previous ERC CoG).
VIR-Quantify proposes the use of ionic liquids to preserve the virus structure, together nanowire sensors that allow mass and stiffness measurements for identification and infectivity studies of the pathogens. The innovative solution lies in two fronts: 1) an unprecedented capability to measure with high throughput (30 particles/minute) the stiffness of intact viruses to infer their infectivity potential, not at reach to other techniques, 2) the capability to count and characterize all the viral particles present in the liquid sample without loss of bioanalytes during the measurements.
VIR-Quantify aims to exploit the novel technology for on-site identification and quantification of airbone viral particles and validate the innovation potential of such technological tool for commercialization by developing a market entry strategy built upon IPR consolidation and spin-off set-up. This will lead to high-gain, disruptive outcomes in the form of unprecedented mechanistic understanding for detecting the quick spread of airbone viral particles with great socioeconomic benefits visible at three levels: (1) fuelling industrial innovation and economic growth in a game-changing sector (preventive medicine); (2) reducing healthcare costs worldwide, thus enabling more resilient and efficient health systems; (3) improving human welfare.
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 biological sciences microbiology virology
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors
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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-2023-POC
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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.
28006 MADRID
Spain
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.