Objective
Capturing cancer biomarkers, such as circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), from liquid biopsies is a significant challenge because these biomarkers are typically present at very low concentrations and are embedded within highly heterogeneous and high background solutions. Current capture and separation technologies do not achieve the necessary sensitivity to detect stage I cancer in many cancer types, e.g. breast, lung, kidney and brain.
Capturing, separating and enriching cancer biomarkers will allow more precise and earlier stage diagnoses, in turn saving millions of lives each year.
In this PoC, we will demonstrate DNA nanotechnology as a solution for this challenge, focusing on the design of smart condensates for one-pot detection, capture and enrichment of ctDNA from liquid biopsies.
Specifically, we will design molecular structures that can quickly diffuse in heterogeneous solutions and selectively bind to and uptake target biomarkers. These structures can then be easily isolated and yield simple readouts without the need of sophisticated equipment.
Our technology will be designed to seamlessly integrate with current target enrichment workflows offered by several companies.
Thanks to the rapid decrease in the cost of DNA synthesis, we expect that DNA nanotechnology will become a commercially viable solution in several high value markets. We thus believe that this PoC is timely and will allow us to demonstrate the use of DNA nanotechnology to solve current outstanding challenges in the cancer biomarker space.
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
- engineering and technology nanotechnology
- engineering and technology chemical engineering separation technologies
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
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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-2026-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.
EH8 9YL Edinburgh
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.