Project description
Cost-effective, sensitive nuclear magnetic resonance could radically enhance molecular analysis
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is used to study molecule structure and composition. Despite being powerful tools in many fields, traditional NMR systems are expensive and complex, which limits their widespread adoption. Benchtop NMR spectrometers offer a more affordable and compact alternative, but their lower sensitivity reduces performance. To boost signal strength, the ERC-funded BenchHyp project plans to develop a breakthrough hyperpolarisation system that helps align more atomic nuclei in the same direction. The use of an innovative flow cryostat with a sliding-sample mechanism will enable continuous, reusable hyperpolarisation without waste. This advancement will make NMR more cost-effective and practical for routine applications, transforming its use in chemical analysis, pharmaceutical quality control and metabolomics.
Objective
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful analytical technique in chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and metabolomics, but requires complex and expensive infrastructure, limiting its widespread adoption. Since recently, the development of Benchtop NMR spectrometers offers a simple, compact, and low-cost alternative compared to traditional high-field systems, and their market has seen a significant growth. However, benchtop NMR faces a critical restraint which is its order of magnitude lower sensitivity. Hyperpolarization by dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization (dDNP) offers a solution by dramatically enhancing NMR signal strength but is limited to a handful of groups due to its complexity and dramatic costs, as it operates at high-fields and very low temperatures. The BenchHyp project introduces a breakthrough approach by developing a compact, reusable, and scalable hyperpolarization system compatible with benchtop NMR spectrometers. The core innovation is a flow cryostat with a sliding-sample mechanism, enabling continuous hyperpolarization without sample destruction or dilution. Unlike conventional dDNP, BenchHyp allows multiple reuses of hyperpolarized solutions, significantly reducing costs and enabling real-time, repeated measurements for applications in chemical analysis, pharmaceutical quality control, and metabolomics. This Proof of Concept will advance the technology from TRL 2 to TRL 4, focusing on prototype optimization, industrial validation, and market assessment. The project will also explore commercialization pathways, evaluating licensing, co-development with industry, or a spin-off. An IP strategy and freedom-to-operate analysis will be conducted to safeguard the innovation. BenchHyp has the potential to revolutionize benchtop NMR, bridging the gap between cutting-edge hyperpolarization and routine laboratory applications, paving the way for its widespread industrial adoption and market deployment.
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.
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs
- natural sciences physical sciences optics spectroscopy
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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)
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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-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.
69622 Villeurbanne Cedex
France
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.