SeCtOR ENABleRs – Standard Collagenous ORgans-on-chip Envisaging Advanced Biological Researches
The main scientific and industrial challenge of SeCtOR ENABleRs* is to develop, validate and industrialize a multipurpose convenient platform to unleash the power of microfluidics. The project aims to provide the scientific community of a user-friendly and tailorable platform able to replicate the complexity of tissue and organs. The core of the concept is based on a set of standard biomimetic extracellular matrix formulations that will be used to mimic specific cell niches and to produce the stem of a vascular system that will be continuously perfused by means of microfluidics. Essential for the whole project is the possibility to rapidly change the temperature of the chip; a task in which Cherry Temp has no equals.
* Standard Collagenous ORgans-on-chip ENvisaging Advanced Biological Researches
Figure 1: SeCtOR ENABleRs goal: the organs-on-chip starting pack. The whole platform is composed of: a microfluidic pump; a dedicated extracellular matrix/cells injector device; collagenous extracellular formulations ready to use; Cherry Temp, a dedicated chip and online tutorials that will guide step-by-step scientist in producing their ideal experimental setting.
INFO
- PERIOD : 2017-2019
- PROGRAM : H2020
- CALL NAME : H2020-MSCA-IF-2017
SKILLS
FIELD OF APPLICATIONS
3D CELL ANALYSIS
DRUG TESTING
TARGETS : DESIGNING A MULTIPURPOSE PLATFORM
The long term goal of SeCtOR ENABleRs is to provide the scientific community of a robust, simple as possible and complex as a needed platform to increase the more realistic 3D-cells culture models based on microfluidics. The chip design is mainly intended to obtain highly reproducible miniaturized tissues/organs models to be used as an alternative to in vivo models; in vitro drug screening; in vitro system for personalized medicine. Nevertheless, its design is also intended to facilitate the research of stem cell differentiation in complex and realistic environments.
- Figure 2: SeCtOR ENABleRs platform: one system for many applications
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN ACADEMICS AND INNOVATIVE INDUSTRIES
Academic and innovative enterprises are the main innovator actors but often speak “different languages” since they have often different goals. As an academic scientist, Dr. Dario Fassini could experience how difficult can be attracting into a project consortium, strong industrial partners. In the frame of the European research plan H2020 much emphasis has been put in promoting a stronger collaboration between the two sides of innovation. Still too often academic scientists have little clues on what is essential for industrial partners. Establish sound consortium and goals are key aspects to accelerate innovation which is true only when is available for the community.
The project manager: Dr. Dario Fassini
Dr. Dario Fassini is a Marie Curie Fellow. He has worked in the physiology of invertebrates connective tissues and later on biomimetic collagen crosslinking strategies dedicated to 3D-bioprinting.
Dario will do a full immersion in the young and dynamic CherryBiotech SAS environment to achieve new expertise and get a deep insight on the fundamental requirements of the future of European innovative industries thus acquiring the vision to promote stronger and more efficient research consortium reducing the gap between academic and industries.
SPREADING THE MESSAGE
The European Commission is actively promoting innovation through a significant amount of economic efforts. Nevertheless, those are often unreported or poorly understood by the general community outreach. Considering the potential impact of SeCtOR ENABleRs in the field with high ethical significance, as the possibility to replace/reduce animal tests, the meaning and the results achieved by the project will be disseminated to the community through selected articles in generalistic magazines as well as promoting a dedicated symposium in a scientific festival.
CONSORTIUM
Dr. Dario Fassini
Project manager
Dr. Thomas Guérinier
CO-FOUNDER & CSO
Dr. Jérémy Cramer
FOUNDER & CEO
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 752277
Disclaimer: this content reflects only the author’s view and the EU Agency is not responsible for the information it contains.
