Objective "PROSPER is a multidisciplinary project covering the emerging fields of photonics, bio-chemistry and endoscopy, targeting to contribute to the development of a new class of biochemical optical sensors that would significantly improve the healthcare of the future.PROSPER will address this objective through the demonstration of biosensors based on a functionalized polymer optical fibre (POF) in which specially-designed refractive-index gratings have been written. Immobilised biomolecular receptors on the grafted fibre surface will allow label-free recognition through the monitoring of wavelength shifts in the grating spectral response. Such biosensors are predicted to exhibit a surrounding refractive index detection limit of 10-6 in real time, which is classical for biodetection. Although generic and able to work in various areas such as environmental monitoring, food analysis, agriculture or security, the proposed biosensors will be targeted for medical diagnostics where they present the most ground-breaking nature. Indeed, unlike bulk structures, they require reduced reaction volumes for ex-vivo measurements and present the advantageous possibility of assaying several parameters simultaneously (e.g. several cancer-associated antigens in one sample). As a result, statistical analysis of these parameters can potentially increase the reliability and reduce the measurement uncertainty of a diagnostic over single-parameter assays. More importantly, the proposed biosensors have the unique potential to be used in-vivo in an endoscope (for this reason POFs are privileged over silica), which would considerably improve the diagnostic. The ultimate target of PROSPER is thus to demonstrate the feasibility of diagnostics outside of laboratory settings. A final prototype consisting of a packaged polymer biosensor will be validated." Fields of science engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsbiosensorsengineering and technologyenvironmental biotechnologybiosensingengineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsoptical sensorsnatural scienceschemical sciencespolymer sciencesnatural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsfibre optics Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-SG-PE8 - ERC Starting Grant - Products and process engineering Call for proposal ERC-2011-StG_20101014 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant Coordinator UNIVERSITE DE MONS Address Place du parc 20 7000 Mons Belgium See on map Region Région wallonne Prov. Hainaut Arr. Mons Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Christophe Caucheteur (Mr.) Principal investigator Christophe Caucheteur (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window EU contribution No data Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSITE DE MONS Belgium EU contribution € 1 438 368,00 Address Place du parc 20 7000 Mons See on map Region Région wallonne Prov. Hainaut Arr. Mons Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Christophe Caucheteur (Mr.) Principal investigator Christophe Caucheteur (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data
