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H2020Doctoral network2018–2023

EUROoC · Interdisciplinary training network for advancing Organ-on-a-chip technology in Europe

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2018-12-01 → 2023-05-31
EU contribution
€3,942,861
Participants
23
Scheme
MSCA-ITN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

Interdisciplinary training network for advancing Organ-on-a-chip technology in Europe

Organ-on-Chip (OoC) technology is rapidly advancing due to its potential impact on drug development and personalised disease treatments. Researchers entering the field must be equipped with a multidisciplinary background ranging from cell biology and toxicology to biomaterial and microsystem engineering. EUROoC offered the first complete and coherent European training program by gathering multidisciplinary participants (biologists, physicists, chemists, engineers) in a multi-sectoral network composed of 8 companies (7 SMEs), 2 regulation entities, and 14 academic institutions. At the initial stage of the program, 15 early-stage researchers (ESRs) were recruited and trained in all aspects of OoC development and utilisation. EUROoC furthermore comprised a collection of innovative research projects addressing the development of advanced OoC systems with higher physiological significance going beyond current state of the art. During the program, each ESR developed a fit-for-purpose OoC and readout methodologies based on their individual project. This was achieved by extensive collaboration between ESRs and partner organisations. EUROoC successfully created advanced OoCs, which closely recapitulate properties of the respective organ tissues (heart, fat, liver, gut, & lung) in vivo regarding cell types, microenvironment, organ-specific tissue structure, and function as well as concepts for the interconnection of individual OoCs. The developed systems enable monitoring & analysing tissue functionality and response in situ by integrating novel sensing elements as well as novel microscopic techniques. At the end of the program, under the guidance of the regulatory partners, the developed OoCs were validated against currently established in vitro methods as well as through comparison with in vivo literature data. The research and training program proved to increase European competitiveness sustainably in this emerging key technology.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project 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.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • NATURWISSENSCHAFTLICHES UND MEDIZINISCHES INSTITUT AN DER UNIVERSITAET TUEBINGEN · ReutlingenCoordinatorGermany
  • ACADEMISCH ZIEKENHUIS LEIDEN · LeidenNetherlands
  • ASTRAZENECA UK LIMITED · CAMBRIDGEUnited Kingdom
  • BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM PHARMA GMBH &CO KG · IngelheimGermany
  • BUNDESINSTITUT FUER RISIKOBEWERTUNG · BerlinGermany
  • BUNDESINSTITUT FUR ARZNEIMITTEL UND MEDIZINPRODUKTE · BonnGermany
  • EBERHARD KARLS UNIVERSITAET TUEBINGEN · TuebingenGermany
  • ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE · LausanneSwitzerland
  • FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG EV · MunchenGermany
  • MILTENYI BIOTEC BV & CO KG · Bergisch GladbachGermany
  • MILTENYI BIOTEC GMBH · Bergish GladbachGermany
  • PYRO SCIENCE GMBH · AACHENGermany
  • RIJKSINSTITUUT VOOR VOLKSGEZONDHEID EN MILIEU (RIVM) · BILTHOVENNetherlands
  • STICHTING INSTITUTE FOR HUMAN ORGAN AND DISEASE MODEL TECHNOLOGIES · EindhovenNetherlands
  • TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET GRAZ · GrazAustria
  • TRANSGENE SA · Illkirch-GraffenstadenFrance
  • UNIVERSITAET BERN · BernSwitzerland
  • UNIVERSITAT BASEL · BaselSwitzerland
  • UNIVERSITATSKLINIKUM JENA · JenaGermany
  • UNIVERSITE DU LUXEMBOURG · ESCH-SUR-ALZETTELuxembourg
  • UNIVERSITEIT TWENTE · EnschedeNetherlands
  • UPM-KYMMENE OYJ · HELSINKIFinland
  • UPPSALA UNIVERSITET · UppsalaSweden

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union