Project description
Bringing optical tweezers to more scientists
Optical tweezers have transformed scientific research, enabling groundbreaking discoveries in single-molecule studies and mechanobiology. They have been instrumental in understanding DNA mechanics and cellular properties, earning Arthur Ashkin a Nobel Prize in 2018. Despite their vast potential, these tools remain difficult for non-specialists to use due to their complex optical and physics requirements. This limits their accessibility to a wider scientific and industrial community. In this context, the ERC-funded MiniTweezer project seeks to develop a compact, AI-integrated optical tweezer that automates advanced experiments. With applications ranging from DNA manipulation to medical diagnostics and consumer goods research, MiniTweezer is designed to be user-friendly and scalable. The project aims to pave the way for its commercialisation.
Objective
Optical tweezers have revolutionized various scientific disciplines, especially single-molecule research and single-cell mechanobiology. For example, they have played a fundamental role in understanding the folding dynamics and mechanical properties of DNA. In 2018, recognizing their importance, Arthur Ashkin was awarded a share of the Nobel Prize in Physics for the invention of optical tweezers and their application to biological systems.
However, even though their broad range of applications attracts interest and potential users from many different fields, the expertise in optics and physics needed to operate optical tweezers has limited their accessibility to non-specialists.
To address this challenge, we have developed a compact optical tweezer, named MiniTweezer, that is capable of autonomously performing advanced experiments thanks to its Python application programming interface (API) and its integration with advanced AI tools. We have already demonstrated its automation capabilities not only in the classical pulling of a DNA molecule, but also in stretching red blood cells (of interest for medical diagnostics) and in measuring electrostatic interactions between colloidal microparticles (of interest for the consumer goods industry).
Preliminary market analyses show that the MiniTweezer is of great interest to academia and industry thanks to its ability to perform automatized and high-throughput experiments in life sciences and colloidal sciences. This project aims at improving the MiniTweezer to obtain a more user-friendly and powerful device and make it available to a broader research community to test in different use-case scenarios and to gather valuable end-user feedback. The ultimate goal of this project is to create a start-up company to commercialize the MiniTweezer.
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 genetics DNA
- social sciences sociology industrial relations automation
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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-2024-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.
405 30 Goeteborg
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.