2D-BioPAD 4th Consortium Meeting

Leading European experts in Alzheimer’s Disease and in-vitro diagnostics, along with key clinical, and industrial partners, gathered, on March 24 and 25, 2025, in Olomouc, Czechia, for the 4th project meeting of the 2D-BioPAD project. Hosted by CATRIN at the RCPTM building, the consortium had a highly productive meeting, checking progress, discussing challenges, and planning the next steps toward developing a fast, reliable, affordable, and digital system for supporting early Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) detection.

On the first day, the team engaged in discussions on the project’s key technology and clinical aspects. They reviewed the latest research on aptamer candidates, examining new aptamer sequences, and their performance. Additionally, they explored recent results from developed computational models for accelerating aptamer selection. The partners thoroughly discussed progress on targeting key biomarkers under study, such as the Aβ40, Aβ42, pTau-217, NfL and GFAP proteins.

The discussion continued with updates on the progress of the developed magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) focusing on the conjugation with the aptamers and the successful end-to-end protocol for binding to selected proteins, based initially on thrombin as a proof of concept.

Then, technical partners led interactive workshops on the development of the 2D-BioPAD electrochemical and GFET biosensors. The group discussed most recent achievements, current challenges and ways to solve technical issues. A clear plan was set to deliver the first integrated prototypes, which should be ready for testing by September 2025. Members of the Scientific and Industrial Advisory Board (SIAB) joined the discussion, providing valuable advice on technical, clinical and regulatory aspects.

The day ended with a discussion on the clinical pilot studies protocols, that are set to be updated based on most recent technical developments and regulatory requirements. Following the guidelines of the in-vitro diagnostics regulations, all partners interacted in a co-design workshop to refine the profile and specification of the 2D-BioPAD device.

The second day initiated with updates on dissemination, communication and outreach, highlighting the significant progress of the consortium to reach over 15,000 stakeholders. Discussions then shifted to the Graphene Flagship activities, with a particularly focus on the upcoming Graphene Week 2025. Partners explored opportunities for collaboration on joint workshops and synergistic activities with other projects and initiatives, agreeing on strengthening further knowledge transfer and scientific cooperation.

Then the team turned its attention to bringing the 2D-BioPAD device to market. After covering market segments and relevant trends, partners worked together to identify the needs of different customer groups, and how the 2D-BioPAD solution can provide value to them, working on the Value Proposition and Business Model Canvases.

With valuable key takeaways from the meeting, the team attended the Nanobiosensors and Printed Biosensors workshop (March 25–27) of the synergy project SUSNANO to connect with experts and explore related developments in nanotechnology and future collaboration opportunities.

Through teamwork, research, and careful planning, the 2D-BioPAD project is making steady progress toward creating a cost-effective PoC IVD system for Alzheimer’s Disease to support early detection and progression monitoring. The next major goal is to release the first integrated prototype in September 2025, leading to the technical validation with real blood samples, under the retrospective clinical pilot study.

About 2D-BioPAD

Funded by Horizon Europe under Grant Agreement No.101120706, the 2D-BioPAD aims to develop innovative PoC IVD solutions for early detection and progression monitoring of Alzheimer's Disease. Leveraging novel 2D materials and nanotechnologies, the project seeks to make significant advancements in medical diagnostics, particularly in primary healthcare settings.