Project description
A brownish-black pigment in humans could be integral to bioelectronics
Engineers and scientists are intensifying the quest for non-toxic, biocompatible materials with bioinspired properties to be used in tissue engineering, organic bioelectronics and more. One of the most exciting biomaterials on the horizon is melanin and melanin-related polymers, and particularly eumelanin with its unprecedented high electronic conductivity and joint ionic conductivity. The EU-funded BIOMOSAIC project will investigate its interactions with environments typical of those in living systems. Experiments will lead to the characterisation of its interactions with water and electrolytes, leading to a model of mixed conduction that can inform the design and development of new bioelectronic devices.
Objective
The overall aim of this proposal is to build a comprehensive model of ionic and electronic transport in organic bioelectronics considering a prototypical material, eumelanin, as a proof of concept. Bioelectronic devices are used in nanomedicine for implantable, wearable and sensing applications. Eumelanin is a natural biocompatible semiconductor with great potential in bioelectronics due to its joint electronic and ionic conductivity. However, a full picture of its interactions with water and electrolytes and how these influence its semiconducting properties is still missing, thus holding back a systematic improvement of eumelanin-based devices. This project will provide the first unified picture of eumelanin’s mixed conduction by simulating electronic and ionic charge transport at device-relevant scales and combining them in a numerical model. This will be achieved through four innovative steps towards eumelanin characterisation: i) reactive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations will capture the details of water-eumelanin interactions; ii) a classical MD approach will describe ionic conduction in hydrated eumelanin; iii) electronic structure methods will relate eumelanin’s morphology to its electronic conductivity. iv) The previous insight will be combined in a model describing mixed conduction in eumelanin-based devices, allowing the formulation of general design rules for the development of new bioelectronic materials. Planned collaborations with leading groups in eumelanin bioelectronics will provide experimental data to build and validate the model, resulting in high-impact publications and contributing to European competitiveness in bioelectronics. The complementary nature of the researcher and host’s research profiles is instrumental in fulfilling the complex, interdisciplinary aims of the project. The Fellowship will allow the researcher to expand her knowledge beyond her existing skills, enabling her transition towards an independent academic career.
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 medical biotechnology nanomedicine
- natural sciences physical sciences electromagnetism and electronics semiconductivity
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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.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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.
MSCA-IF-EF-RI - RI – Reintegration panel
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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) H2020-MSCA-IF-2018
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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.
L69 7ZX LIVERPOOL
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.