Nanophotonic Nanomechanical Mass Spectrometry for Biology and Health

Objective

« Mass Spectrometry has become a routine analytical tool in modern biological research, and has gained in recent years a foothold in the realm of clinical diagnostic and screening. However, it is still costly, complex and because its principle relies on ionization, it is incapable of analyzing biomolecules with masses greater than a few MDa. Averaging more than 100 million particles per measurement, it is also incapable of characterizing the diversity of such heavy entities. ENLIGHTENED aims at demonstrating a breakthrough concept based on Photonic Nano-Mechanical Mass Spectrometry, able to perform analysis of bioparticles of high biomedical significance, of ultra-high mass, never so far characterized, with single-molecule sensitivity and unprecedented resolution. The long-term vision beyond the current proposal is to provide the biologists with a tool which will be transformative for fundamental knowledge, and to make possible cheap, handheld devices for personalized medicine.
ENLIGHTENED proposes to use photons to shed light on unexplored species at the individual level, which is of high biomedical significance and will expand our understanding of simple life forms.”

Field of science

• /natural sciences/biological sciences/biochemistry/biomolecules
• /natural sciences/physical sciences/theoretical physics/particles
• /natural sciences/physical sciences/theoretical physics/particles/photons
• /natural sciences/chemical sciences/analytical chemistry/mass spectrometry

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-CG-2013-PE7 - ERC Consolidator Grant - Systems and Communication Engineering

Call for proposal

ERC-2013-CoG
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

Host institution

Beneficiaries (1)