Bovine tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium bovis and other members of the M. tuberculosis complex, is a serious global disease with significant impact on animal health, public health, and international trade. This study will focus on investigating the feasibility of a non-invasive methodology for the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis in cattle. Our approach will be based on the detection via volatile organic compounds of the disease fingerprint in several non-invasive samples, employing analytical methods and chemical sensing devices.

NanoMaterials safety is of great societal concern and raises many questions for the general public, governments, industry, scientists and regulators. Identifying and controlling the hazards associated with NMs is required to ensure the safety in parallel to exploiting the technological benefits. NANOGENTOOLS answers this challenge by creating a collaborative excellence-based knowledge exchange network that will: i) push forward knowledge via method development and pre-validation, ii) train scientists in new methodologies to assess long term nanosafety, and iii) support their inclusion in standardization and EU regulations. NANOGENTOOLS combines toxicogenomics, proteomics, biophysics, molecular modeling, chemistry, bio/chemoinformatics to develop fast in vitro high throughput (HTS) assays, with molecular based computational models for nanotoxicity. Its objectives are to: · Provide solutions for faster, more reliable assessment of NM toxicity and propose HTS and omics tools for predicting toxicological properties of NMs. · Develop new bioinformatics methodologies for analyzing -omics data and create an open database in collaboration with the EU Nanosafety Cluster. · Conduct research and training on biophysical techniques and mathematical models for accurate and fast nanotoxicity prediction. · Build/improve the safe by design concept, demonstrated using carbon-NMs and nanosensors. · Place our new knowledge in the context of regulations and EU roadmaps. NANOGENTOOLS brings together cutting edge research, innovative knowledge-transfer and co-development, and cross-sectoral and cross-disciplinary secondments linking EU academic institutes/networks with industry and policy makers across 8 countries. Expected impacts include pre-validated tools for efficient cost-effective nanosafety assessment applicable to SMEs for incorporation into regulatory frameworks, and translation of knowledge via development of a CNT-based nanosensor based on safe-by-design principles.

PULSE-COM aims to explore technological breakthroughs developing and integrating a new class of Photo-Piezo-Actuators to open a radical new future technology. Our vision is based on the use of low cost photo-mobile polymer (PMP) films and a lead-free piezo-composite (PZL) to target their use in innovative new fields never before considered. Starting from phenomenological and modelling aspects of the composite materials, we will fabricate and experimentally characterize Photo-Piezo-Actuators (PMP-PZL) proof of concept devices. The project will address through an ambitious interdisciplinary research to the employment of proper materials and the appropriate optical strategies to increase and tune the absorption of the light and finally to increase the PMP devices efficiency. With the same target electromechanical models and innovative growth processes will guide the optimization of the piezocomposite to improve its performance, and thus its sensitivity when coupled with the PMP. The PMP-PZL device will be integrated into more complex opto-electronic systems through high-risk incremental research to achieve pioneering industrial implementation. Specifically, we target the realization of cutting-edge applications based on photo-activated Meso-scale machines as opto-switches and opto-microvalves, Reconfigurable Optics and Photoenergy Harvesting Systems. Our study can open a new window on the future development of light-driven nanomotors and their potential applications in different areas such as biomedical, environmental and nanoengineering fields.

This project aims at demonstrating the feasibility of a non-invasive, safe and patient-friendly methodology for on-site rapid diagnosis of tropical diseases. The proposed approach is based on breath samples analyses, which are easy to obtain and present no discomfort or risk for patients health. In this study will be enrolled patients with three different types of neglected tropical diseases (Hydatidosis, Leishmaniasis and Dengue) from different geographical locations (Europe, South America and Maghreb). Breath sampling will follow a standardised procedure. Analytical chemistry methods will be employed for the identification of the breath volatile biomarkers of these diseases. A pool of potential nanomaterials with high affinity towards the identified VOCs will be selected (e.g., gold nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes and semiconducting nanowires, either pristine or functionalised with selected hydrophobic organic molecules and/or bio-molecules). For maximising the possibility of success of our methodology, we will investigate the synergic effect of different advanced and complementary chemical sensing techniques: Mid-Infrared Quantum Cascade Laser spectroscopy and different types of Chemical Gas Sensors devices. These techniques are particularly attractive, since they can be miniaturised and are suitable for building on-site portable systems. Advanced pattern recognition algorithms will be employed for building discriminative models for the identification of the fingerprints of the different tropical diseases studied, and multisensors data fusion will be then applied for obtaining enhanced resulyts. A point of care prototype will be proposed on the basis of the results obtained and validated on-site.