Multidisciplinary Training of Young Researchers in Novel Implantable Bio-inspired sensors

Project Information

BioInspireSensing

Grant agreement ID: 955643

DOI

10.3030/955643

Project closed

EC signature date 13 August 2020

Start date 1 January 2021

End date 31 December 2024

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 2 856 013,20

EU contribution

€ 2 856 013,20

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE CATALUNYA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - BioInspireSensing (Multidisciplinary Training of Young Researchers in Novel Implantable Bio-inspired sensors)

Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

BioInspireSensing (H2020-MSCA-ITN-2020) is an ambitious European project aimed at training PhD students to create a new generation of implantable sensors capable of monitoring pressure, temperature, and acidity. These innovative sensors will be composed of hybrid materials that integrate natural molecules and synthetic biopolymers, designed to be both biocompatible and bioresorbable, eliminating the need for surgical extraction after their function is complete. A core objective of the project has been to provide Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) with not only cutting-edge scientific and technical knowledge but also transferable skills, through a dynamic blend of research, industry internships, and specialized workshops addressing this complex scientific challenge. The project has placed a strong emphasis on professional mobility and knowledge transfer, significantly enhancing the employability of ESRs in the biotechnology and medical device industries, making a lasting impact on their future careers.

This technology will improve the quality of life of European citizens, by providing less invasive, more reliable and earlier diagnosis, which ultimately also has a strong positive impact in the sustainability of healthcare systems. Several Universities, private and public companies participate in this project. The collaboration between public and private sector is considered essential in the current research training programs implemented in Europe. Within the consortium, the involvement of the private sector is very substantial in relation to the research and training programs, as well as their implementation. In this sense, the collaboration between the public and private sectors will be strengthened.

The main objectives of this project are:

O1. Training a new generation of ESRs on the methods and techniques associated to novel bioinspired sensors.
O2. Creation of new engineered ion channel proteins with potentiated gating response to act as a sensor.
O3. Study of new materials with high biocompatibility and programmed lifetime
O4. Integration and testing of bioabsorbable sensors as a proof-of-concept.
O5. Build an “organ in a chip” platform type to test biosensors and minimize the impact of animal testing.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The project development provided significant insights into ion channel proteins by designing, characterizing, and selecting new ion channel ASIC1a mutants for pH sensing and ion channel TRPM8 mutants for temperature sensing. It optimized the integration of specific ion channels into biomimetic membranes. Additionally, a biomimetic platform was successfully developed to support 3D cell spheroid cultures under perfused conditions, simulating in vivo environments, thus avoiding potential in vivo animal testing. This platform represents a valuable tool for preclinical sensor validation, with potential applications in research on diabetes, kidney disease, and tumor microenvironments. Moreover, the project achieved the development of a cholesterol peptide-based recognition system, alongside other biosensors and immunosensors utilizing functionalized carbon quantum dots. These systems enable the detection of analytes such as dopamine and biomarkers for early thrombosis detection. These systems demonstrated strong potential for assessing sensor functionality and reliability.

Additionally, each ESR has been assigned a unique researcher identifier (Researcher ID or ORCID) to facilitate the indexing of published articles. All publications have been made available in open-access journals, while conference posters and other outreach materials have been published in the Zenodo repository.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

● Beyond state-of-the-Art achievements

- Next-Generation ASIC1a and TRPM8 Mutants: Engineered novel and enhanced ASIC1a mutants for superior pH sensing and TRPM8 mutants for more precise temperature detection.
- Revolutionary Hybrid Vesicle Systems: Designed and developed stable polymer-lipid hybrid vesicles to support membrane proteins.
- Advanced Biomimetic Membranes for Ion Channels: Created planar supported tethered bilayer lipid membranes (stBLMs) on functionalized PLA surfaces.
- Breakthrough Electrode Fabrication: Developed carbon quantum dot (CQD)-based electrodes, incrementing the limits of sensitivity
- Innovative Functionalized Drug Delivery Particles: Developed porous and nonporous PLA-PEG-Cholesterol particles for drug delivery and enzymatic activity analysis.
- Functional incorporation of VacA Toxin and gramicidine pores in planar biomimetic membranes.
- Real-Time Cholesterol Biosensing: Engineered a novel cholesterol recognition system by integrating cholesterol-sensitive peptides into biomimetic functionalized PLA surfaces for cholesterol detection.
- Integration of muscle models for testing: Established functional muscle models for sensor validation and bioelectronic applications.
- State-of-the-Art Organ-on-a-Chip Platform: Developed a groundbreaking organ-on-a-chip system capable of sustaining 3D cell spheroid cultures under dynamic perfusion, replicating in vivo physiological conditions with unprecedented accuracy.
The expected impacts that BioInspireSensing generated cover from education to new product development, thanks to the participation of selected supervisors and PhD students with an extensive experience in high quality research and leadership. This project will train the young future leading scientists in Europe and future business leaders with a strong academic background. In addition, it will create a high competitive technology, increasing Europe’s global competitiveness through the development and commercialization of new implantable sensors.

● BioInspireSensing social networks

All activities and events where BIS consortium members are involved and participate are subject to be published in each available social network to increase the visibility of the BIS project.
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bioinspiresensing/

Twitter
https://twitter.com/bioinspsensing

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/bioinspiresensing

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/bioinspiresensing/

The use of various communication channels is essential in order to promote and to demonstrate the added value of the BioInspireSensing project across the European Union. The outreach activities carried out aim to build people's trust in scientific activities as well as heighten young people’s interest in science and research careers. The emphasis is put on the visibility of the BioInspireSensing project among the scientific community as well as among the public.

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