Participant list

COCHISE, with competences ranging from electronic design and manufacturing to bioengineering and immuno-oncology, features a consortium team whose size is at European level dimensions. The consortium team is listed below:

ARCES - University of Bologna (UniBo) has strong competence in microelectronic and circuit design for sensor and actuators. It will be in charge of simulating the structures, designing them and implementing the sensing circuitry. UniBo will benefit from the close collaboration with the Biology groups in order to set the precise parameters of the sensor and with IMZ and MI for the manufacturing of the platforms. UniBo will also provide system integration to interface the biosensor to external devices needed to place the cells in the correct positions and preserve the right environment for them, avoiding for instance, evaporation.

Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung (FhG-IZM) can provide excellent facilities for micro and nano fabrications using the most advanced integration technology. It can also provide strong competence in micro fluidic devices. Currently, FhG-IZM is involved in a leading role in the Network of Excellence "Multi Material Micro Manufacture - 4M", serving with their expertise in microfluidics, mechanical and electronic structuring as well as assembly and biocompatible packaging.

Micronit Microfluidics develops and delivers microfluidic systems with integrated electrodes. Micronit is able to advise on design, materials, feasibility, process-related know-how and also on general microfluidic issues, in order to develop industrial strength demonstrators.

Università degli Studi di Ferrara (UniFe) can provide strategic knowledge in the lab-on-a-chip application to biotechnology. It has long experience in the field of biotechnology. The activity is also supported by Laboratory of Immunology, Regina Elena Cancer Institute, Rome which will provide UniFe with CTL, NK and tumor cells. In conclusion, UniFe can provide a general and strategic vision and application of the proposed biosensor to biotechnology and cellular biology of the immune system.

Christian de Duve Institute of Cellular Pathology (ICP) can provide unique tools to assess the applicability of the biosensor to the field of diagnostics and immunotherapy of tumors, since it has generated a number of anti-tumor CTL clones and characterized the antigenic peptides. For each of them, ICP can provide the relevant HLA-peptide tetramer, antigenic peptide and control target for lysis. ICP is actively involved in the detection of anti-vaccine T cell response in vaccinated cancer patients and, in a second step, can provide blood samples to test the biosensor in real situations.

Aziende Chimiche Riunite Angelini Francesco is a pharmaceutical company with a large experience in the development of novel drugs. In its research laboratories several in vivo models are available for the study of pharmacologically active molecules in the field of inflammation, analgesia, autoimmune disorders, CNS disorders and oncology. In more details, it will provide samples from selected animal models to validate the COCHISE technology with biological material derived from an in vivo environment.

Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique develops microsystem and liquid handling solutions for academic and industrial research issues in the field of the biochip technology. CEA is also member of the Nano2Life Network of Excellence dedicated to promote nanobiotechnology research programs in Europe. In the coordinator position of the SSP2004 TOXDROP STREP Project, the Biochips Laboratory has developed a cell dispensing instrument which will be used to accurately position single cells into every microwells of the sensor microplate. Moreover, dedicated liquid withdrawal equipment will be developed to extract, few hours after cell deposition, specific cells emitting impedance and/or optical signals of interest from the selected microwells.

MindSeeds Laboratories is a startup company working in the field of biomedical devices. The core-business of the company is the design, prototyping, and licensing of biomedical devices. MindSeeds Laboratories Intellectual Property covers protocols for immunology and devices supporting them. It has expertise in the design of impedance-based sensors and will provide management support to the consortium.