Project description
Novel mass spectrometry technique to assess reproductive health and pregnancy outcomes
The vaginal microbiome (VM) plays an important role in reproductive health, with studies showing that dysbiosis can result in bacterial vaginosis, urinary tract infections and premature birth. The current methods of VM analysis are time-consuming and expensive. The EU-funded MUMVIP project is introducing a desorption ionisation mass spectrometry technique for the characterisation of the VM based upon metabolomic analysis. The researchers have successfully demonstrated this technique in a range of applications. The goal of the current project is to finalise the commercial development of the method as a diagnostic tool, assessing its potential applications in in vitro fertilisation treatments and patient stratification in cases of preterm birth.
Objective
There is ever increasing evidence that the vaginal microbiome plays an important role in reproductive health. Studies have shown that dysbiotic states can culminate in bacterial vaginosis, urinary tract infections and premature birth. Although the microbiome is usually characterised by 16S rRNA sequencing, the methodology is time consuming and expensive. Here we describe the development of a desorption ionisation mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) based technique which characterises microbial community structures based upon metabolomic analysis. The technique has been successfully demonstrated for a range of applications and here we describe its commercial development as a diagnostic tool, firstly, for assessing the potential success rates of in vitro fertilisation treatments and, secondly, for stratifying patients at higher risk of pre-term birth. During the first 12 months of the project the technology will be assessed using a unique sample set collected as part of two longitudinal cohort studies. During the later stages a thorough market assessment will be performed to identify the addressable demand and to evaluate market competitors. It is envisioned that this information will allow an in depth business case, including our current intellectual property position, to be written, from which further funding can be obtained for the eventual creation of a spin out company.
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.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine urology
- medical and health sciences health sciences social biomedical sciences sexual health
- natural sciences chemical sciences analytical chemistry mass spectrometry
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology
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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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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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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-POC - Proof of Concept 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-2018-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.
SW7 2AZ London
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.