Project description
Revolutionising fluorescence microscopy
The biomedical research and pharmaceutical sectors have celebrated breakthroughs in recent years, thanks to advancing technologies. For instance, fluorescence microscopy has become a fundamental tool of these sectors, as well as being crucial for clinical diagnostics. Unfortunately, fluorescence microscopy systems remain expensive, impractical for portable or scalable applications, and very bulky despite advancements. The ERC-funded PolaritonPixels project will develop a lensless, multicolour fluorescence imaging platform that will make use of arrays of narrow-band polariton filters, integrated directly on CMOS imaging chips, to overcome the need for bulky parts. Further, this solution will allow for critical new insights, scalability, cost-efficiency, compactness, and improved accessibility.
Objective
Fluorescence microscopy is a fundamental tool in biomedical research, pharmaceutical development, and clinical diagnostics, yet conventional systems remain costly, bulky, and impractical for scalable or portable applications. PolaritonPixels introduces a lensless multicolour fluorescence imaging platform that integrates arrays of narrow-band polariton filters directly onto CMOS imaging chips, eliminating the need for traditional bulky optics and filter wheels. This breakthrough enables simultaneous spectral discrimination of multiple fluorophores in a compact, cost-effective, and scalable format, making high-quality multicolour fluorescence imaging more accessible for emerging applications such as high-throughput screening and point-of-care diagnostics. This 18-month project will advance PolaritonPixels from TRL 2-3 to TRL 4, demonstrating a fully functional prototype with validated multicolour fluorescence imaging performance. The system will be optimized to ensure precise spectral separation, high signal-to-noise ratio, and stable imaging performance across diverse biological applications, including live-cell imaging, tissue-scale fluorescence analysis, and multiplexed assays. By addressing key technical challenges and validating the technology’s real-world applicability, the project will position PolaritonPixels as a novel alternative to traditional fluorescence microscopy. By significantly reducing cost, complexity, and footprint while maintaining high imaging performance, PolaritonPixels has the potential to democratize microscopy, enabling broader adoption in biomedical research, pharmaceutical development, and decentralized diagnostics. The project will lay the foundation for further commercialization and scale-up, supporting an EIC Transition application to bring this disruptive imaging technology to market.
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 condensed matter physics quasiparticles
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
- social sciences sociology social issues social inequalities
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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-2025-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.
KY16 9AJ ST ANDREWS
United Kingdom
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.