Project description
Towards the next generation of organ-on-a-chip technology
Organs-on-a-chip are micro-engineered systems that enable the in vitro culture of cells in a 3D environment. They employ microfluidics and polymer-based scaffolds to closely recapitulate the physiological properties of the microenvironment and structure of the respective organ. Organ-on-a-chip technology has revolutionised drug discovery efforts, offering reliable data on the efficacy and toxicity of pharmaceuticals. The mission of the EU-funded EUROoC project is to provide multidisciplinary training to young researchers for a career in the organ-on-a-chip manufacturing field. From an experimental perspective, trainees will aim to construct next-generation organ-on-a-chip devices of gut, liver, bone, heart, retina and adipose tissue.
Objective
EUROoC will create a trans-European network of industrially oriented specialists fully trained in development and application of the emerging Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) technology. OoC technology is advancing at breath taking pace due to its potential impact in drug development and personalised treatments of disease. New researchers entering this field must be equipped with a multidisciplinary background ranging from biology to microfluidic chip engineering. EUROoC will offer the first complete and coherent European training program on OoC by gathering multidisciplinary participants (biologists, physicists, chemists, engineers) in a multi-sectoral network composed of 4 companies (3 SMEs), 2 regulation entities and 10 academic institutions. EUROoC will qualify the next generation of interdisciplinary scientists for all aspects of OoC development and utilisation, including understanding of commercialisation pathways and regulatory aspects. EUROoC furthermore comprises a collection of innovative research projects addressing the development of advanced OoC systems with higher physiological significance going beyond current in vitro testing. The EUROoC project will create advanced OoCs, which closely recapitulate properties of the respective organ tissues in vivo regarding cell types, microenvironment, organ-specific tissue structure and function as well as concepts for the interconnection of individual OoCs. The various OoC models to be developed comprise heart-on-a-chip, bone-on-a-chip, retina-on-a-chip, lung-on-a-chip, adipose- on-a-chip, gut-on-a-chip to liver-on-a-chip. The OoC systems will be able to monitor and analyse tissue functionality and response in situ by integrating various novel sensing elements. The OoCs developed will be pre-validated with the regulatory partners through in vitro-in vivo correlations. The research and training program planned will increase European competitiveness sustainably in this emerging key technology.
Fields of science
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Keywords
Programme(s)
Coordinator
72770 Reutlingen
Germany
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Participants (12)
07747 Jena
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8010 Graz
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3012 Bern
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751 05 Uppsala
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7522 NB Enschede
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2333 ZA Leiden
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4365 ESCH-SUR-ALZETTE
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1015 Lausanne
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10589 Berlin
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Participation ended
51429 Bergish Gladbach
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51429 Bergisch Gladbach
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80686 Munchen
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Partners (10)
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
72074 Tuebingen
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CB2 0AA Cambridge
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4051 Basel
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53175 Bonn
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5629 GZ Eindhoven
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55218 Ingelheim
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67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden
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00100 Helsinki
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3721 MA Bilthoven
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Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
52072 AACHEN
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.