Project description
Ultrasound technology to isolate and study rare, interesting cells
Detecting rare cells in the blood, like circulating tumour cells, is crucial for diagnosing and treating diseases such as cancer. However, current detection methods face difficulties. The ERC-funded HUMPH project aims to advance micro-scale ultrasound-based technology to isolate these rare cells with high precision. Researchers will use acoustic radiation forces in a flow-through system to analyse thousands of cells based on their unique mechanical properties. The proposed approach will enable the development of new separation techniques to isolate rare tumour cells from the blood of prostate cancer patients. HUMPH findings will provide insights into the mechanical behaviour of single cells and their interaction with sound fields, offering valuable tools for cancer research.
Objective
This project will push the limits of microscale ultrasound-based technology to detect and gain access to diagnostically interesting, rare cells in the blood based on a panel of acousto-mechanical properties.
Microscale systems are powerful tools to examine and manipulate single cells. In addition, the high precision and potential for multi-stage serial processing offered by such microfluidic methods open up for isolation of rare cell populations, such as circulating tumor cells, and controlled size fractionation of sub-micron biological particles, such as platelets, bacteria, or extracellular vesicles.
To achieve highly specific single-cell isolation of target cells, we will expose blood to acoustic radiation forces in a flow-through format enabling multiparameter characterization of thousands of cells. Based on this, new separation schemes will be developed that can isolate extremely rare circulating tumor cells from the blood of patients with prostate cancer.
The project will render new fundamental knowledge regarding the mechanical properties of single cells and a framework to understand the response of cells to any aqueous medium, bounding geometry and sound field, and new tools to better understand the role of circulating tumor cells in metastasizing cancer as well as analyzing them for diagnosis and treatment guidance.
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 bacteriology
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- natural sciences mathematics pure mathematics geometry
- natural sciences physical sciences acoustics ultrasound
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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.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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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 - HORIZON ERC 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-2024-COG
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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.
22100 Lund
Sweden
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.