Project description
Opening a window into human neural development
While neural tube defects (NTDs) are common birth defects, affecting over 300 000 births annually, little is known about their origins in human embryos. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, the LANTERN project aims to study this by creating an in vitro model of the human neural tube. It will use advanced organoids and cutting-edge bioengineering, including light-responsive gold nanorods and dynamically reshaped hydrogels. Researchers will use this to replicate the spatial and temporal signals that drive embryonic patterning. Ultimately, this allows for the investigation of molecular and mechanical causes of defects without relying on animal studies. The goal is to develop a tool for drug screening and reinforce Europe’s leadership in biomedical research.
Objective
Neural tube (NT) defects, such as spina bifida and encephalocele, affect over 300000 births worldwide each year and originate from alterations in the earliest stages of embryogenesis. Understanding their causes remains challenging because human NT development is inaccessible to direct investigation. To overcome this limitation, LANTERN aims to create a dynamic and shape-controlled reproducible in vitro model of human NT development using hiPSC-derived Neural tube and Somites Advanced Organoids (NSAO). The main objective is to reproduce, with unprecedented precision, the spatial and temporal signals that drive NT patterning, thereby providing a reliable platform to study NT defects.
The project integrates complementary innovations: (i) a biomimetic hydrogel niche, engineered from extracellular matrix-like biopolymers and dynamically reshaped through multiphoton microscopy; (ii) nanoparticle-mediated morphogen delivery, exploiting photosensitive gold nanorods to establish adaptive gradients of morphogens; (iii) advanced organoid culture, where NSAO grow under controlled mechanical constraints and are exposed to tunable morphogen sources. Together, these technologies will yield reproducible tissue architecture and accurate dorsal-ventral axis regionalization, validated through advanced imaging and RNA sequencing.
By integrating bioengineering, nanotechnology, and stem cell biology, LANTERN goes beyond the state of the art in organoid systems, scaffolds, and morphogen delivery strategies. The outcomes will provide a robust model to identify the molecular and mechanical causes of NT defects, reduce reliance on animal studies, and establish a platform with translational potential for drug screening. Aligned with the MSCA work programme, the fellowship will foster interdisciplinary training, enhance the researcher’s independence and employability, and contribute to Europe’s leadership in innovative and ethically responsible biomedical research.
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.
- engineering and technology nanotechnology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA transcriptomes
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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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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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
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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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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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.
35122 Padova
Italy
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.