Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Selective isolation of biopharmaceuticals with fluid zwitterionic polymeric coacervates

Objective

"Gene therapy and RNA-based therapeutics hold significant promise for treating a range of debilitating disorders. A key challenge for these therapies is the effective targeted delivery, which relies on nanovehicles to ensure the stability of the delicate nucleic acids involved. Biogenic nanoparticles, such as adeno-associated viruses (AAVs), are becoming increasingly promising for these applications, with some AAV-based therapies already receiving regulatory approval. However, maintaining the physicochemical properties essential for the efficacy and safety of these products presents significant challenges, particularly due to their complex manufacturing processes, which often result in a high degree of impurities or perturbations in their structures. Traditional bioseparation methods, such as chromatography, struggle to efficiently isolate these nanoparticles without compromising their quality.
To address these issues, this project proposes a novel isolation technique for AAVs using functionalized, programmable liquid-like coacervates formed from zwitterionic polymers. Previous applications on extracellular vesicles demonstrated significant improvements in purity, yield, and processing time compared to conventional methods. The liquid nature of coacervates preserves particle integrity during isolation while their anti-fouling properties enhance specificity in capturing target molecules. This scalable approach integrates the benefits of existing purification methods, offering a gentler, efficient, and simple solution for bioseparation.
Building on the success of the Consolidator ERC-funded ""VELCROproteins"" project, this initiative translates insights obtained from biological condensate research to design coacervates with tunable properties for diverse biotechnological applications, particularly in the healthcare sector. The project aims to establish a new purification processes for crucial nanomaterials, paving the way for advanced therapeutic strategies."

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.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

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.

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.

HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2025-POC

See all projects funded under this call

Host institution

EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 150 000,00
Address
Raemistrasse 101
8092 Zuerich
Switzerland

See on map

Region
Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Zürich Zürich
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

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.

No data

Beneficiaries (1)

My booklet 0 0