Objective
Engineers can actively contribute to fields thought to be out of their “comfort zones”. We can be leaders of discoveries that translate into advances in the understanding of disease and improving human health. Engineers might use different language and tools than Life Sciences Scientists but we find a common ground, as the laws of Thermodynamics, Physics, and Mathematics also apply to biological phenomena.
The development of microbioreactors (μBRs) reconstructing biologically sound niches can revolutionize medical research.
In our bodies cells reside in a complex milieu, the microenvironment (μEnv), regulating their fate and function. Most of this complexity is lacking in standard laboratory models, leading to readouts poorly predicting the in vivo situation. This is particularly felt in cancer research, as tumors are extremely heterogeneous and capable of conditioning both the local μEnv and distant organs. Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common and difficult to cure pediatric malignant solid tumor. Secreted exosomes are means by which NBs reshape their μEnv and induce local and long-range changes in cells, regulating progression and prognosis. But the mechanisms involved are yet not completely understood. A major limitation is the difficulty to model in vitro the local in vivo dynamic μEnv.
We hypothesize that μBRs exploiting classical engineering principles will solve the limitations of existing classical culture models.
We propose to develop platforms and test their edge over classical approaches in decoding the role of exosomes and μEnv in NB. Our μBRs generate time and space-resolved concentration gradients, support fast dynamic changes and reconstruct complex interactions between cells and tissues while performing multifactorial and parallelized experiments.
We expect that our technologies will bridge the gap between in vitro techniques and in vivo biological phenomena leading to significant and novel results, shedding light on previously unexplored scenarios.
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 physical sciences thermodynamics
- natural sciences biological sciences cell biology
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- natural sciences mathematics
- social sciences law
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - 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.
ERC-STG - Starting Grant
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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-2017-STG
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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.
35122 PADOVA
Italy
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.