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Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) approves second funding phase for Freiburg innovation network nanodiag BW.
Nanopores are channels in the nanometre range that can be used to examine individual biomolecules such as proteins. The Future Cluster nanodiag BW uses this technology to analyse epigenetic factors that play a central role in the development of many diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Since 2023, the network coordinated by the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Freiburg and the Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft für angewandte Forschung e. V. (Hahn-Schickard Society for Applied Research) has been working on making this technology faster, more cost-effective and more personalised for use in everyday clinical practice.
Nanodiag BW has now received €15 million in funding from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) for a further three-year implementation phase as part of the Clusters4Future initiative. This will enable the innovation network to continue its work seamlessly from April 2026. The University of Freiburg, together with the Medical Center – University of Freiburg, will receive funding of around €4.2 million. Of this, approximately €3.1 million will go to the University of Freiburg and around €1.1 million to the Medical Center – University of Freiburg.
Prof. Dr Jan C. Behrends from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Freiburg, deputy cluster spokesperson and co-initiator of nanodiag BW, emphasises the importance of the funding. “We have created a strong, interdisciplinary network in recent years. By transferring our basic research into clinical practice, especially for new approaches in epigenetics and proteomics, we are creating direct benefits for patients.”
Facilitating personalised diagnostics
The nanodiag BW future cluster is developing a new generation of molecular diagnostics based on nanopore technology. This technology allows individual protein segments and their disease-relevant changes to be examined directly and in real time, a promising approach for the targeted detection of diseases based on individual molecular characteristics and the selection of more precisely tailored therapies. The long-term goal is to make personalised diagnostics more widely available and to create a cost-effective, on-site alternative to established, complex analytical methods such as mass spectrometry. The participating working groups at the University of Freiburg cover a broad spectrum ranging from basic biophysical research and structural biochemistry to micro- and nanotechnology.
Focus on clinical application
Important scientific and technological foundations were laid during the first funding phase. Among other things, the partners involved developed various nanopore platforms, microfluidic systems for sample processing, and AI-supported methods for evaluating the electrical signals of individual molecules. In the second implementation phase, the focus is now shifting more towards the need for future clinical applications in epigenetic diagnostics.
“For us, this funding decision is not only a confirmation, but above all a responsibility and an opportunity,’ says Dr Hanna Hasselblatt, cluster manager at nanodiag BW. “Looking ahead to the upcoming implementation phase, we are motivated and fully committed to transferring our nanopore technology from the laboratory to clinically relevant applications.”
About nanodiag BW
nanodiag BW is an interdisciplinary innovation network in Baden-Württemberg. The cluster is coordinated by the Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft für angewandte Forschung e. V. in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Freiburg. More than 20 partners from research and industry work together here to make nanopore technology usable for the molecular diagnostics of the future.
The cluster is part of the Clusters4Future initiative of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, which supports regional innovation networks in quickly translating excellent research results into economically and socially relevant applications. After a successful evaluation, the 14 future clusters can be funded for up to three implementation phases of three years each.
More about nanodiag BW: https://nanodiag.de/en/home/
Contact
University and Science Communications
University of Freiburg
Tel.: +49 761 203 4302
E-Mail: kommunikation@zv.uni-freiburg.de
https://uni-freiburg.de/en/nanopore-technology-for-tomorrows-molecular-diagnosti...
The members of the Future Cluster nanodiag BW at the Cluster Conference 2024 in Freiburg.
Copyright: nanodiagBW
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