Project description
Novel labels for cell tracking
Tracking cells is essential for biomedical research and therapeutic innovation. However, current strategies for labelling and visualising cells have seen little innovation and are frequently incompatible with diverse cell types. The ERC-funded BIO-MX project seeks to overcome these limitations by introducing MX-tags, which are derived from a novel group of nanomaterials known as MXenes. These MX-tags are designed to be tuneable and multifunctional, enabling precise cell tracking and high spatial resolution without compromising cell viability or function. Researchers will further advance these tags with several moieties including cell penetrating peptides to generate advanced tools for applications in cancer research and cell-based therapies.
Objective
WHY Visualizing, labeling, and tracking cells is critical for advancements in biomedical research, especially in areas like cancer treatment and cell therapy. Over the past two decades, practices for cell labeling strategies have remained unchanged, facing the same critical technological limitation: a lack of versatility. By using a multidisciplinary approach to create MX-tags, a new class of nanomaterials, BIO-MX aims to overcome this limitation to accelerate biomedical discoveries and protect human health.
WHAT MX-tags will create an exciting chemical scenario coupled with single-cell mass cytometry (CyTOF), a revolutionary technology in cell biology. Although CyTOF has shaped the current understanding of cellular matter, fundamental needs remain to be addressed to enable new discoveries:
1. To develop universal cell tags that preserve cell functionality, are compatible with all cell types, and integrate seamlessly with advanced single-cell approaches.
2. To produce highly abundant chemically versatile tags able to multiplex the information on cells going beyond current limited available chemistries.
3. To create sensitive and multi-function imaging tags to label, track, and provide spatial resolution of cells for cancer applications.
HOW My ground-breaking idea is based on transforming the chemistry of 2D materials called MXenes to create MX-tags, a new class of multi-modular materials involving the peculiar properties of cell-penetrating peptides and nanobodies that will open new horizons for mass cytometry-based discoveries. My unique expertise in CyTOF, immune cells, and 2D material development will drive the key steps of the project. My hypotheses rely on the future use of MX-tags as labeling, tracking, and multi-imaging tools. BIO-MX will provide transformative approaches and methods poised to contribute to human health.
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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 biochemistry biomolecules
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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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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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) ERC-2024-ADG
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35122 Padova
Italy
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