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BRAIN organoids unTanglement with SERS
Abstract

Neuropsychiatric disorders and neurological diseases have a devastating impact on patients’ lives and represent a heavy social and economic load for global societies. Despite the great social and economic importance, the complex symptomatology together with the lack of objective analysis methodology and the limitation of current biological model have made disorders difficult to classify and study. The recent development of brain organoids derived from human stem cells have enormous potential as a physiologically accurate downscaled in vitro models of the human brain. Even though this system offers promising approach for investigating the phenotypic foundation of these complex disorders, the lack of reliable and non-disruptive system for investigating their properties limits their applicability in both basic research and pharmaceutical testing. The BRAINtSERS project aim to answer to this need combining advanced brain organoids models together with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), providing a multidimensional dataset of a developing human neuronal tissue resolved both in time and space. In detail, the action will provide: (i) a label-free, highly sensitive technique for quantification and detection of biomolecules in brain organoids (ii) a minimally-invasive system for cellular phenotyping, thus a non-distructive method for characterization of brain organoids during all developmental stages. Complementarily, the ER will deliver (iii) SERS-active bio-mimetic devices conceived for integration with organoid model and its genesis.

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Project information
Acronym
BRAINtSERS
Start date
01/12/2021
End date
31/12/2023
Role
Coordinator
Funds
European
People involved
Giulia Bruno
Plasmon Nanotechnologies
Budget
Total budget: 175.255,68€
Total contribution: 175.255,68€