IVBM-4PAP | Development of an In-Vivo Brillouin Microscope (with application to Protein Aggregation-based Pathologies)

Summary
The role and importance of mechanical properties of cells and tissues in cellular function, development and disease has widely been
acknowledged, however standard techniques currently used to assess them exhibit intrinsic limitations (invasive, lack of 3D capability
and of sub-cellular resolution). Recently, Brillouin Microscopy (BM), a type of optical elastography, has emerged as a non-destructive,
label- and contact-free method that can probe the viscoelastic properties of biological samples with diffraction-limited resolution in
3D. This led to increased attention amongst the biological and medical research communities. However, due to the long acquisition
time (hours), this novel technique has been applied only to fixed samples. One important open challenge is to use this approach to
follow the mechano-biological processes in living cells and in real time. Aim of our project is overcome the spectral-imaging
acquisacknowledged, however standard techniques currently used to assess them exhibit intrinsic limitations (invasive, lack of 3D capability and of sub-cellular resolution). Recently, Brillouin Microscopy (BM), a type of optical elastography, has emerged as a non-destructive, label- and contact-free method that can probe the viscoelastic properties of biological samples with diffraction-limited resolution in 3D. This led to increased attention amongst the biological and medical research communities. However, due to the long acquisition time (hours), this novel technique has been applied only to fixed samples. One important open challenge is to use this approach to follow the mechano-biological processes in living cells and in real time. Aim of our project is overcome the spectral-imaging acquisition time limitation by applying the heterodyne detection scheme, allowing the collection of viscoelastic properties in living sample at a sub-second timescale. We will attempt solving specific physio-pathological open problems in biomedicine for the first time.
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More information & hyperlinks
Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101098989
Start date: 01-03-2023
End date: 31-08-2026
Total budget - Public funding: 3 333 513,00 Euro - 3 333 513,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

The role and importance of mechanical properties of cells and tissues in cellular function, development and disease has widely been
acknowledged, however standard techniques currently used to assess them exhibit intrinsic limitations (invasive, lack of 3D capability
and of sub-cellular resolution). Recently, Brillouin Microscopy (BM), a type of optical elastography, has emerged as a non-destructive,
label- and contact-free method that can probe the viscoelastic properties of biological samples with diffraction-limited resolution in
3D. This led to increased attention amongst the biological and medical research communities. However, due to the long acquisition
time (hours), this novel technique has been applied only to fixed samples. One important open challenge is to use this approach to
follow the mechano-biological processes in living cells and in real time. Aim of our project is overcome the spectral-imaging
acquisacknowledged, however standard techniques currently used to assess them exhibit intrinsic limitations (invasive, lack of 3D capability and of sub-cellular resolution). Recently, Brillouin Microscopy (BM), a type of optical elastography, has emerged as a non-destructive, label- and contact-free method that can probe the viscoelastic properties of biological samples with diffraction-limited resolution in 3D. This led to increased attention amongst the biological and medical research communities. However, due to the long acquisition time (hours), this novel technique has been applied only to fixed samples. One important open challenge is to use this approach to follow the mechano-biological processes in living cells and in real time. Aim of our project is overcome the spectral-imaging acquisition time limitation by applying the heterodyne detection scheme, allowing the collection of viscoelastic properties in living sample at a sub-second timescale. We will attempt solving specific physio-pathological open problems in biomedicine for the first time.

Status

SIGNED

Call topic

HORIZON-EIC-2022-PATHFINDEROPEN-01-01

Update Date

31-07-2023
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Horizon Europe
HORIZON.3 Innovative Europe
HORIZON.3.1 The European Innovation Council (EIC)
HORIZON.3.1.0 Cross-cutting call topics
HORIZON-EIC-2022-PATHFINDEROPEN-01
HORIZON-EIC-2022-PATHFINDEROPEN-01-01 EIC Pathfinder Open 2022