2D-BioPAD: A new Horizon Europe project kicked off!
With a nearly €6 million budget, 2D-BioPAD will develop a diagnostic system for early Alzheimer's disease detection. This Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action funded by the European Union, officially commenced on October 2023 and will last 48 months.
2D-BioPAD is developing a fast, reliable, cost-effective and digitally enabled point-of-care in vitro diagnostic system for early Alzheimer's disease detection. The 2D-BioPAD system employs cutting-edge 2D materials (i.e., graphene), nanomaterials and aptamers, to enhance biocompatibility, sensitivity and specificity for the simultaneous detection of up to five Alzheimer’s biomarkers in blood. The device will be accompanied by a user-friendly mobile app that will give healthcare professionals real-time access to quantified results in primary healthcare settings. Along the way, artificial intelligence will be used to optimise the design and implementation of the 2D-BioPAD system.
Two clinical pilot studies will be conducted in three European clinical centres, in Germany, Greece and Finland, offering the necessary evidence for technical and clinical validation. Regulatory and ethical considerations will be included in the 2D-BioPAD’s design to allow for faster and more widespread adoption.
2D-BioPAD team at their kick-off meeting held in Thessaloniki, Greece in October 2023.
The project’s kick-off meeting took place 10-11 October 2023, in Thessaloniki, Greece, hosted at the prestigious Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (CIRI) of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The kick-off meeting saw all project partners converge to discuss their roles, responsibilities, and aspirations for the successful realization of the project's specific objectives.
The 2D-BioPAD consortium, under the leadership of CATRIN-RCPTM at Palacky University Olomouc, is composed of 11 partners across 8 European countries: Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland and Spain. The consortium members include: Palacky University Olomouc (UP), Q-Plan International, Catalan Institute of Science and Nanotechnology (ICN2), Grapheal, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), Novaptech, University of Eastern Finland (UEF), Greek Association of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders (GAADRD), Envia, Central Institute of Mental Health in Manheim (ZI), and University College Dublin/National University Of Ireland (NUID UCD - CeADAR).
Being one of the core governing members of the Graphene Flagship Initiative, 2D-BioPAD is part of a large network of academic and industrial stakeholders, contributing to the advancement of Europe’s strategic autonomy in technologies that rely on graphene and other 2D materials.
The 2D-BioPAD project has officially kicked off! Our project aims to introduce a graphene- enabled fast, cost-effective, non-invasive and reliable point-of-care diagnostic for supporting the early diagnosis and monitoring of Alzheimer's disease directly in primary healthcare settings.”
Project coordinator, Palacky University Olomouc
Author bio
Graphene Flagship
Bringing together 118 academic and industrial partners in 12 research and innovation projects and 1 coordination and support project, the Graphene Flagship initiative will continue to advance Europe’s strategic autonomy in technologies that rely on graphene and other 2D materials. The initiative, which builds on the previous 10-years of the Graphene Flagship, is funded by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. The 2D-Experimental Pilot Line, addressing the challenges of upscaling 2D material production processes for the semiconductor industry, is another key component of the Graphene Flagship eco-system.