Project description DEENESFRITPL Manipulation and analysis of single cells steps into the age of automation Cells are the building blocks of tissues that make up organs, organ systems and whole organisms. Understanding and manipulating them is critical to a myriad of applications including clinical research, drug development and forensics. The diameter of individual eukaryotic cells ranges between 1 and 100 micrometres (microns). Since light microscopes can only resolve objects down to about 500 microns, you need a high-tech electron microscope to even see them. Clearly, handling individual cells is even harder. Single-cell collection and analysis is expensive and challenging, necessitating not only the ability to 'pinch' them but also to keep them alive and well throughout numerous procedures. Most methods are still highly labour-intensive. The EU-funded LUCERO project is developing a solution to overcome all these difficulties with contactless optical tweezers, microfluidics and automation – all compatible with microscopes already in use. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective The goal of Lucero is to create autonomous micromanipulation solutions for biological applications integrating optical manipulation, microfluidics, and machine intelligence. Single-cell analysis is critical in many biomedical applications, such as clinical trials, in-vitro fertilization, forensic analysis, and single-cell omics. In fact, it is an ideal moment to enter the single-cell analysis market, because this market is valued at $1.4 billion globally and expected to keep on growing with a compound annual rate higher than 17%. While some techniques are already commercially available, single-cell approaches still have several limitations. Mechanical tools (e.g. motorised micropipettes and microneedles, centrifugation) are invasive and prone to damage the cells. Labeled-sorting methods (e.g. flow-cytometry) can affect cell viability for subsequent protocols. Non-invasive sorting procedures based on microfluidics require high amounts of cells and numerous repetitions to obtain a significant fraction of target cells. Furthermore, in all cases these methods require expert handling and are labor intensive. With Lucero, we propose a solution that overcomes these problems based on a smart optofluidic platform: contactless thanks to the use of optical tweezers, capable of controlling the local cellular environment thanks to the use of microfluidics, and capable of autonomous and accurate operation thanks to machine intelligence. Lucero will be compatible with standard microscopes already available in biomedical laboratories, permit to completely automatize single-cell protocols, and therefore drastically lower the cost of biomedical research. Lucero already counts with an outstanding core team of scientists and experienced business people, and it will provide ~20 jobs to university-educated individuals in the EU within the next 5 years. Lucero has already received initial funding and support from two different organizations that support and believe in Lucero's venture. Fields of science natural sciencesphysical sciencesclassical mechanicsfluid mechanicsmicrofluidicsnatural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsmicroscopynatural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencemachine learningdeep learningmedical and health sciencesother medical sciencesforensic sciences Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2020-POC - Call for proposals for ERC Proof of Concept Grant Call for proposal ERC-2020-PoC See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-POC-LS - ERC Proof of Concept Lump Sum Pilot Coordinator GOETEBORGS UNIVERSITET Net EU contribution € 150 000,00 Address Vasaparken 405 30 Goeteborg Sweden See on map Region Södra Sverige Västsverige Västra Götalands län Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window EU contribution No data Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all GOETEBORGS UNIVERSITET Sweden Net EU contribution € 150 000,00 Address Vasaparken 405 30 Goeteborg See on map Region Södra Sverige Västsverige Västra Götalands län Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window EU contribution No data
