Project description
Smart plasmonic dressings: sensing and treating biofilms
Chronic wounds affect millions globally, leading to amputations and high healthcare costs. A major obstacle is bacterial biofilms - communities of bacteria that resist standard treatments and stall healing. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the PROMPT project aims to transform care by creating an ‘all-optical’ dressing that combines diagnosis and treatment in a single device. Incorporating plasmonic nanoparticles, the dressing detects specific bacteria using light and then converts that same light into targeted heat to eliminate biofilms. The project will focus on manufacturing these dressings and establishing feedback-guided therapy. Ultimately, PROMPT will enable molecularly informed real-time management, laying the groundwork for next-generation wearable devices capable of treating a range of medical conditions beyond wound care.
Objective
Chronic wounds affect millions of people worldwide, consume 1–3% of healthcare spendings in developed countries, and cause amputations and death. More than 60% of these wounds contain bacterial biofilms, which are treatment-resistant bacterial communities that impede healing and increase the incidence of medical complications. Current biofilm treatments are ineffective due to delayed treatment, lack of specificity toward the infecting biofilm, and poor performance against biofilm defenses. This project addresses these challenges by developing an all-optical wound dressing that integrates molecular diagnostics and therapy (theranostics) in a closed-loop format, enabling treatment guided by real-time diagnostic feedback. These dressings incorporate plasmonic nanoparticles that serve dual roles: confining light for molecular sensing via surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and converting light into heat (thermoplasmonics) for therapy. The research will pursue three aims: (1) establish a nanomanufacturing strategy for dressing fabrication; (2) design a multistep therapeutic approach based on controlled heating via integrated temperature feedback; and (3) demonstrate closed-loop therapy guided by diagnostic feedback, benchmarking outcomes against unguided treatments. Together, these aims will validate the feasibility of molecularly informed, closed-loop biofilm management. In the long term, this work will lay the foundation for next-generation wearable and implantable theranostic devices, extending beyond wound care to enable dynamic, molecularly-informed management of various medical conditions.
The project combines the host lab’s expertise in thermoplasmonics with the candidate’s complementary background in SERS and nanoengineering. The fellowship will support the candidate’s career development by advancing skills in thermoplasmonics, strengthening interdisciplinary and clinical collaborations, and enhancing leadership, management, and networking capacity.
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 nano-materials
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology bacteriomes
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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)
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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.
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.
8092 Zuerich
Switzerland
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.