Neumosensor

DESCRIPTION

This project aims to develop a highly innovative rapid diagnostic test technology to face crucial challenges in health, environment, and food control, by a new approach relying on superparamagnetic nanostructures. COVID19 spread is a good example of the urgent need for new rapid diagnostic test techniques. Other are marine phycotoxins expansion, and freshwater poisonous bacteria blooming.

Pneumonia is the leading cause of death from infectious diseases worldwide and the leading cause of individual causes of child mortality. Despite these records, establishing the aetiology of pneumonia remains challenging because the site of infection (lung tissue) is not easily accessible for specimen collection, which is particularly challenging in children.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is the highly contagious bacterium behind most pneumonia, while Mycoplasma pneumoniae is the origin of many atypical pneumonia, often co-infection with the former. However, pneumonia can also be caused by viruses. Determining the etiologic agent of pneumonia is essential to guiding the therapy (avoiding antibiotics over-prescription) and prevention strategies.

In the NEUMOSENSOR project, it is aimed a rapid diagnostic test in urine for pneumococcal pneumonia, with sufficient sensitivity and specificity for both groups, adults and children, to yield a reliable response without additional sophisticated techniques.

To this end, a multidisciplinary consortium will collaborate in developing a portable and affordable device and kit to detect pneumolysin (biomarker protein for pneumococcus) in urine.

NANOGAP's role focuses on the industrial scale-up and production of necessary magnetic nanoparticles for sensor development. In close collaboration with the rest of the consortium and in particular with the Foundation IMDEA Nanoscience, NANOGAP will carry out the study and implementation of the scaling of those prototypes detected as optimal for the application and it will make use of all its knowledge and resources on synthesis of nanomaterials and in particular of magnetic nanoparticles.

Funding info

This project is funded by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (MICINN) through the call PROYECTOS I+D+I EN LÍNEAS ESTRATÉGICAS (Colaboración Público-Privada) of the Spanish Goverment within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PERTE) 2022, grant number PLEC2022-009490.

Consortium members

• FUNDACION INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIÓN SANITARIA DE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
• UNIVERSIDAD DE OVIEDO
• FUNDACION PARA LA INVESTIGACION E INNOVACION BIOSANITARIA EN EL PRINCIPADO DE ASTURIAS
• TÁCTICA DESARROLLO INDUSTRIAL, S.L.
• FUNDACION IMDEA NANOCIENCIA
• NANOGAP SUB-NM-POWDER,SA
• UNIVERSIDAD INTERNACIONAL DE LA RIOJA S.A.