The real challenge in the field of nanomaterials is to fabricate hybrid systems that can function as smart materials in a wide variety of applications. Hybrid systems possessing protein templates can be potential candidates in this direction due to the wide variety of applications possible in biological systems. The project outlined below aims at the synthesis of novel hybrid conjugates based on protein templates and gold/silver nanoparticles (NPs)/nanorods (NRs) as plasmonic materials to generate chiral plasmons. Different proteins will be utilized for the fabrication of two different chiral templates: (i) helical one dimensional aggregates and (ii) chiral crystals. The plasmonic metal NPs/NRs can be introduced on these templates utilizing electrostatic and covalent interactions resulting in chiral plasmons. The mechanism of chirality transfer from the template to NPs/NRs can be studied by the detailed crystallographic investigations of the template, nanoparticle and their heterojunctions. The extent of chirality transfer would depend largely on the nature of the template and hence the project aims at fabricating hybrid systems wherein the transfer of chirality from the template to the plasmonic material is efficient. The hybrid systems can be used for enhancing the spectroscopic signals of molecules in Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS). Our ultimate goal is to utilize the hybrid chiral systems as biosensors (i) for the detection of assembly and disassembly of proteins as well as (ii) for understanding crystallographic changes in medication. The importance of the first part is emphasized by the fact that the assembly of proteins is the cause for various neurodegenerative diseases and its disassembly can be an effective mode of therapy. On the other hand, the insulin is delivered to diabetic patients in the form of crystals and the slow crystal dissolution is the mode of supplying insulin into the blood stream. The importance of the two biological phenomena m

BIORIMA stands for Biomaterial Risk Management. BIORIMA aims to develop an integrated risk management (IRM) framework for nano-biomaterials (NBM) used in Advanced Therapeutic Medicinal Products (ATMP) and Medical Devices (MD). The BIORIMA RM framework is a structure upon which the validated tools and methods for materials, exposure, hazard and risk identification/assessment and management are allocated plus a rationale for selecting and using them to manage and reduce the risk for specific NBM used in ATMP and MD. Specifically, the IRM framework will consist of: (i) Risk Management strategies and systems, based on validated methodologies, tools, and guidance, for monitoring and reducing the risks together with methods for evaluating them; (ii) Validated methodologies and tools to identify the potential Exposure and Hazard posed by NBM to humans and the environment; (iii) A strategy for Intelligent Testing (ITS) and Tiered Risk Assessment for NBM used in ATMP and MD. BIORIMA workplan consists of 7 workpackages covering the major themes: Materials, Exposure, Hazard and Risk. BIORIMA will generate methods and tools for these themes for use in risk evaluation and reduction. The BIORIMA toolbox will consist of validated methods/tools for materials synthesis; reference materials bank; methods for human/environment exposure assessment and monitoring; (eco)-toxicology testing protocols; methods for prevention of accidental risks – massive release or explosion – A tiered risk assessment method for humans/environment; An intelligent testing strategy for NBM and risk reduction measures, including the safer-by-design approach. BIORIMA will deliver a web-based Decision Support System to help users, especially SME, evaluate the risk/benefit profile of their NBM products and help to shorten the time to market for NBM products.

The INTERfaces program will train 14 ESRs within an EID network jointly designed by European academic and industry partners in innovative research projects dedicated to developing clean bioprocesses for the production of chemicals. The assembly of biocatalysts to reaction sequences allows avoiding steps for isolation and purification of intermediates and thus a significant improvement of the environmental footprint of catalytic processes. The main goal of INTERfaces is the extension of this concept towards multi-step biocatalytic reactions in immobilized form. These “Heterogeneous Biocatalytic Reaction Cascades” will greatly facilitate re-use of the catalysts and further simplify downstream-processing. INTERfaces combines material science and protein engineering to design tailored enzymes and (bio-based) materials that will complement each other to obtain optimized heterogeneous biocatalysts. These tools will be applied to solve synthetic challenges in the use of two biobased monomers as starting materials to synthesize products for application fields like antioxidants and biopolymers. Process optimization and up-scale in industry will reveal key factors for synthetic utilization of the biocatalysts. INTERfaces emphasizes particularly the engineering of the designed cascades in solid phase. This includes the design of reactors, use of computational modeling tools, application of the right operational modes, and reaction medium needed for desired space-time-yields and product titers. Commercial relevant processes will be up-scaled together with industry for technical implementation. 13 Non-academic partners ranging from high-tech SMEs to large producing companies and 9 academic institutions offer an intersectoral and interdisciplinary environment to provide 14 Ph.D. candidates with outstanding employability profiles for the European Biotech Sector. Dedicated workshops and well-balanced supervisory team aim at increasing the gender diversity in biotech research.

Optical bioimaging is limited by visible light penetration depth and stability of fluorescent dyes over extended periods of time. Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) offers the possibility to overcome these drawbacks, through SERS-encoded nanoparticle tags, which can be excited with near-IR light (within the biological transparency window), providing high intensity, stable, multiplexed signals. SERS can also be used to monitor relevant bioanalytes within cells and tissues, during the development of diseases, such as tumours. In 4DBIOSERS we shall combine both capabilities of SERS, to go well beyond the current state of the art, by building three-dimensional scaffolds that support tissue (tumour) growth within a controlled environment, so that not only the fate of each (SERS-labelled) cell within the tumour can be monitored in real time (thus adding a fourth dimension to SERS bioimaging), but also recording the release of tumour metabolites and other indicators of cellular activity. Although 4DBIOSERS can be applied to a variety of diseases, we shall focus on cancer, melanoma and breast cancer in particular, as these are readily accessible by optical methods. We aim at acquiring a better understanding of tumour growth and dynamics, while avoiding animal experimentation. 3D printing will be used to generate hybrid scaffolds where tumour and healthy cells will be co-incubated to simulate a more realistic environment, thus going well beyond the potential of 2D cell cultures. Each cell type will be encoded with ultra-bright SERS tags, so that real-time monitoring can be achieved by confocal SERS microscopy. Tumour development will be correlated with simultaneous detection of various cancer biomarkers, during standard conditions and upon addition of selected drugs. The scope of 4DBIOSERS is multidisciplinary, as it involves the design of high-end nanocomposites, development of 3D cell culture models and optimization of emerging SERS tomography methods.

Infectious zoonotic diseases that jump from animals to humans are on the rise, and the risk of a new pandemic is higher now than ever before. Future health models need to consider the close connection between human and animal health, and new technologies capable of continuously monitor places where the risk of pathogens transmission is higher (shared by animals and humans) are urgently needed to prevent the human, socio-political and economic cost from pandemics. Continuous monitoring and harmonized data collection of animal farms are required by the European Parliament. However, current methods are not suitable for an in-situ, continuous and automatic detection, so today only a limited number of specific pathogens are monitored. FLUFET will be the first automatized sensor able of continuously detecting a broad spectrum of viral targets, and with the unprecedent capability of detecting unknown viruses. This sensor will be based on graphene Field Effect Transistors (gFETs). FLUFET will detect infectious zoonotic threats before they spread to humans and create potential outbreaks, opening the door for a pandemic’s prevention continuum. It will bring the possibility to incorporate the long-distance external factors heavily affecting human health at worldwide level. FLUFET brings interesting opportunities for Health and pandemics experts and managers, Policymakers and regulatory/ standardization bodies, Animal farmers and their associations, Precision livestock farming solution providers, Investors and researchers in the multiple disciplines involved in the consortium. FLUFET requires an interdisciplinary consortium including partners from computational biophysics, graphene technology, nanotechnology, sensing, microfluidics, virology, surface engineering and sensor design and electronics.