Project description
Microvasculature scaffolds will help 3D tissue models survive and thrive
Despite the extreme complexity involved in inducing cells to form 3D tissues and functional mini-organs in vitro, science has accomplished this incredible task. However, for model systems to grow in volume and eventually simulate a realistic organ, vascularisation supporting cells with oxygen and nutrients must be simpler and more effective. Many studies have focused on promoting ‘natural’ vascularisation with varying degrees of success. The EU-funded project Design2Flow is pursuing a novel idea: sacrificial scaffolds resembling native microvasculature that can be utilised with multi-well plates for passive perfusion of the tissue without the need for expensive equipment or highly specialised personnel. Further, the system can be adapted to perfusion pump set-ups for active and controllable perfusion mimicking physiological blood flow even better. The technology promises to accelerate drug development while supporting the transition away from animal testing.
Objective
Functional 3D tissue models could replace animal experiments and significantly reduce the cost of over 100 million € that pharmaceutical companies spend on failed drug development every year. The main bottleneck in the in vitro creation of 3D tissues is the need for perfusable vascularization in tissues bigger than 1 mm. So far, no generally applicable product exists
for that purpose. This hampers advances in drug development as well as in research.
Design2Flow will develop products, which overcome this limitation and enable the individualized on-demand creation of perfusable and therefore larger and more complex tissues. This will fundamentally reform research in life sciences by offering easy-to-use, customizable, perfusable 3D cell culture products of interest to the pharmaceutical industry and research labs.
To achieve this goal melt electrowriting will be utilized to fabricate sacrificial scaffolds, which resemble the native microvasculature. The fabricated scaffolds will be combined with insert clips as easy-to-use designs for multiwell plates, which will allow a passive perfusion of the construct to keep the tissue alive without the need for a special pump – a beginner friendly way to
start advanced 3D cell culture with basic laboratory equipment, without the need for expensive devices or experienced personal.
For customers working with perfusion pumps, the proposed solution will be adapted to perfusion chambers for an active and controllable perfusion of the tissue by flow reactors, mimicking the in vivo blood flow even more accurately. This will provide an advanced and customizable way to create tissues as accurate as possible for physiological cultivation in bioreactors.
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 basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy drug discovery
- engineering and technology environmental biotechnology bioremediation bioreactors
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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-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-2019-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.
97080 WURZBURG
Germany
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.