Project acronym BIOQ
Project Diamond Quantum Devices and Biology
Researcher (PI) Martin Bodo Plenio, Fedor Jelezko, Tanja Weil
Host Institution (HI) Universitaet Ulm, University Of Ulm
Country Germany
Call Details Synergy Grants (SyG), SyG, ERC-2012-SyG
Summary Many of the most remarkable contributions of modern science to society have arisen from interdisciplinary work of scientists enabling novel imaging and sensing technologies (NMR, X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy). BioQ will revolutionize the state of the art to create novel sensing technologies for the broad field of life sciences research that provide unprecedented access and insight into structure and function of individual bio-molecules under physiological conditions and apply these to the observation of biological processes down to the quantum level and with atomic resolution. At this level quantum properties are predicted to play an important role for the function of biological systems subject to environmental noise. BioQ will unravel the interplay of quantum coherent dynamics, molecular vibrations and environmental noise due to molecular vibrations in biological processes and design and carry out experimental tests of its predictions. BioQ will achieve new levels of understanding and control of biological systems, culminating in new ways to interface biological systems with quantum devices. To this end BioQ will exploit the ability of biological systems to arrange themselves into highly ordered structures to form novel hybrid materials of functionalized nano-diamonds that are capable of harnessing complex quantum dynamics at room temperature.
A deeper understanding of biological processes will open new roads towards drug design and bio-imaging. The elucidation of energy transport processes and dynamics may pave the way towards the design of more efficient light harvesting systems. Self-assembled hybrid bio-quantum devices provide a novel perspective towards quantum nanotechnology. The broad challenges that this ambitious programme present will be solved by an interdisciplinary team led by three PIs from experimental solid-state physics, theoretical quantum physics and bio-chemistry whose combination of expertise is essential for the success of BioQ.
Summary
Many of the most remarkable contributions of modern science to society have arisen from interdisciplinary work of scientists enabling novel imaging and sensing technologies (NMR, X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy). BioQ will revolutionize the state of the art to create novel sensing technologies for the broad field of life sciences research that provide unprecedented access and insight into structure and function of individual bio-molecules under physiological conditions and apply these to the observation of biological processes down to the quantum level and with atomic resolution. At this level quantum properties are predicted to play an important role for the function of biological systems subject to environmental noise. BioQ will unravel the interplay of quantum coherent dynamics, molecular vibrations and environmental noise due to molecular vibrations in biological processes and design and carry out experimental tests of its predictions. BioQ will achieve new levels of understanding and control of biological systems, culminating in new ways to interface biological systems with quantum devices. To this end BioQ will exploit the ability of biological systems to arrange themselves into highly ordered structures to form novel hybrid materials of functionalized nano-diamonds that are capable of harnessing complex quantum dynamics at room temperature.
A deeper understanding of biological processes will open new roads towards drug design and bio-imaging. The elucidation of energy transport processes and dynamics may pave the way towards the design of more efficient light harvesting systems. Self-assembled hybrid bio-quantum devices provide a novel perspective towards quantum nanotechnology. The broad challenges that this ambitious programme present will be solved by an interdisciplinary team led by three PIs from experimental solid-state physics, theoretical quantum physics and bio-chemistry whose combination of expertise is essential for the success of BioQ.
Max ERC Funding
10 293 309 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-07-01, End date: 2019-06-30
Project acronym HyperQ
Project Quantum hyperpolarisation for ultrasensitive nuclear magnetic resonance and imaging
Researcher (PI) Fedor JELEZKO, Jan Henrik Ardenkjaer-Larsen, Martin Plenio
Host Institution (HI) Universitaet Ulm,Technical University Of Denmark, University Of Ulm
Country Germany, Denmark
Call Details Synergy Grants (SyG), SyG, ERC-2019-SyG
Summary Many of the most remarkable contributions of modern science to society have arisen from the interdisciplinary work of scientists enabling novel methods of imaging and sensing. Outstanding examples are nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which have enabled fundamental insights in a broad range of sciences extending from Chemistry to the Life Sciences. However, the key challenge of NMR and MRI is their very low inherent sensitivity due to the weak nuclear spin polarisation under ambient conditions. This makes the extension of magnetic resonance to the nanoscale (small volumes) and to the observation of metabolic processes (low concentrations) impossible.
HyperQ will address this challenge with the development of room-temperature quantum control of solid-state spins to increase nuclear spin polarisation several orders of magnitude above thermal equilibrium and thereby revolutionise the state-of-the-art of magnetic resonance. Essential for this development is the synergy of an interdisciplinary team of world leaders in quantum control and hyperpolarised magnetic resonance to enable the development of quantum control theory (“Quantum Software”), quantum materials (“Quantum Hardware”), their integration (“Quantum Devices”) and applications to biological and medical imaging (“Medical Quantum Applications”). HyperQ will target major breakthroughs in the field of magnetic resonance, which include chip-integrated hyperpolarisation devices designed to operate in combination with portable magnetic resonance quantum sensors, unprecedented sensitivity of bio-NMR at the nanoscale, and biomarkers of deranged cellular metabolism.
The HyperQ technology will provide access to metabolic processes from the micron to the nanoscale and thereby insights into metabolic signatures of a broad range of disease such as cancer, Alzheimer and the mechanisms behind neurodegenerative disease. This will enable fundamentally new insights into the Life Sciences.
Summary
Many of the most remarkable contributions of modern science to society have arisen from the interdisciplinary work of scientists enabling novel methods of imaging and sensing. Outstanding examples are nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which have enabled fundamental insights in a broad range of sciences extending from Chemistry to the Life Sciences. However, the key challenge of NMR and MRI is their very low inherent sensitivity due to the weak nuclear spin polarisation under ambient conditions. This makes the extension of magnetic resonance to the nanoscale (small volumes) and to the observation of metabolic processes (low concentrations) impossible.
HyperQ will address this challenge with the development of room-temperature quantum control of solid-state spins to increase nuclear spin polarisation several orders of magnitude above thermal equilibrium and thereby revolutionise the state-of-the-art of magnetic resonance. Essential for this development is the synergy of an interdisciplinary team of world leaders in quantum control and hyperpolarised magnetic resonance to enable the development of quantum control theory (“Quantum Software”), quantum materials (“Quantum Hardware”), their integration (“Quantum Devices”) and applications to biological and medical imaging (“Medical Quantum Applications”). HyperQ will target major breakthroughs in the field of magnetic resonance, which include chip-integrated hyperpolarisation devices designed to operate in combination with portable magnetic resonance quantum sensors, unprecedented sensitivity of bio-NMR at the nanoscale, and biomarkers of deranged cellular metabolism.
The HyperQ technology will provide access to metabolic processes from the micron to the nanoscale and thereby insights into metabolic signatures of a broad range of disease such as cancer, Alzheimer and the mechanisms behind neurodegenerative disease. This will enable fundamentally new insights into the Life Sciences.
Max ERC Funding
9 374 860 €
Duration
Start date: 2020-07-01, End date: 2026-06-30
Project acronym NDI
Project Nano-diamond tracers for MRI molecular imaging
Researcher (PI) Fedor Jelezko
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITAET ULM
Country Germany
Call Details Proof of Concept (PoC), PC1, ERC-2014-PoC
Summary "Molecular imaging is the current standard of care for the diagnosis (staging) of cancer, the evaluation of cancer treatment effectiveness, and is generating evidence as the best predictor for earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Molecular imaging differs from traditional imaging in that probes known as biomarkers are used to help image particular pathways. The goal is to image injected bio-active molecules (biomarkers) in vivo, allowing targeted imaging of the processes these molecules participate in. Currently, the most common clinical modality for molecular imaging is Positron Emission Tomography (PET), a nuclear imaging method with high costs that exposes patients to potentially harmful radiation. It is currently impossible to perform molecular imaging with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners due to low molecular sensitivity.
Our primary goal is the development and commercialization of a novel technology for molecular imaging using existing MRI scanners, which could dramatically improve the early diagnosis of cancer and Alzheimer's disease, and serve as a platform for future medical research. We will develop a new ""tracer"" agent for MRI, using nano-diamonds. Using a novel polarization scheme, as well as 13C enriched diamonds, we increase the nano-diamond MRI signal more than a 10,000,000-fold at room temperature. This will provide a solution for molecular imaging which is cheaper, does not expose patients to ionized radiation, and allows earlier diagnosis of cancer metastasis due to the superior spatial resolution of MRI.
The proposed project aims to bring this idea to the proof-of-concept level by demonstrating the imaging of cancerous tumors in a biological model, using an industrial MRI scanner and nano-diamond tracers. In parallel, we will also develop our future regulatory strategy, explore the market potential and secure potential customers. Ultimately, we intend to launch a company to bring this product to market."
Summary
"Molecular imaging is the current standard of care for the diagnosis (staging) of cancer, the evaluation of cancer treatment effectiveness, and is generating evidence as the best predictor for earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Molecular imaging differs from traditional imaging in that probes known as biomarkers are used to help image particular pathways. The goal is to image injected bio-active molecules (biomarkers) in vivo, allowing targeted imaging of the processes these molecules participate in. Currently, the most common clinical modality for molecular imaging is Positron Emission Tomography (PET), a nuclear imaging method with high costs that exposes patients to potentially harmful radiation. It is currently impossible to perform molecular imaging with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners due to low molecular sensitivity.
Our primary goal is the development and commercialization of a novel technology for molecular imaging using existing MRI scanners, which could dramatically improve the early diagnosis of cancer and Alzheimer's disease, and serve as a platform for future medical research. We will develop a new ""tracer"" agent for MRI, using nano-diamonds. Using a novel polarization scheme, as well as 13C enriched diamonds, we increase the nano-diamond MRI signal more than a 10,000,000-fold at room temperature. This will provide a solution for molecular imaging which is cheaper, does not expose patients to ionized radiation, and allows earlier diagnosis of cancer metastasis due to the superior spatial resolution of MRI.
The proposed project aims to bring this idea to the proof-of-concept level by demonstrating the imaging of cancerous tumors in a biological model, using an industrial MRI scanner and nano-diamond tracers. In parallel, we will also develop our future regulatory strategy, explore the market potential and secure potential customers. Ultimately, we intend to launch a company to bring this product to market."
Max ERC Funding
147 500 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-12-01, End date: 2016-05-31
Project acronym PREPROCESSING
Project RIGOROUS THEORY OF PREPROCESSING
Researcher (PI) Fedor Fomin
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITETET I BERGEN
Country Norway
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE6, ERC-2010-AdG_20100224
Summary The main research goal of this project is the quest for rigorous mathematical theory explaining the power and failure of heuristics. The incapability of current computational models to explain the success of heuristic algorithms in practical computing is the subject of wide discussion for more than four decades. Within this project we expect a significant breakthrough in the study of a large family of heuristics: Preprocessing (data reduction or kernelization). Preprocessing is a reduction of the problem to a simpler one and this is the type of algorithms used in almost every application.
As key to novel and groundbreaking results, the proposed project aims to develop new theory of polynomial time compressibility. Understanding the origin of compressibility will serve to build more powerful heuristic algorithms, as well as to explain the behaviour of preprocessing.
The ubiquity of preprocessing makes the theory of compressibility extremely important.
The new theory will be able to transfer the ideas of efficient computation beyond the established borders.
Summary
The main research goal of this project is the quest for rigorous mathematical theory explaining the power and failure of heuristics. The incapability of current computational models to explain the success of heuristic algorithms in practical computing is the subject of wide discussion for more than four decades. Within this project we expect a significant breakthrough in the study of a large family of heuristics: Preprocessing (data reduction or kernelization). Preprocessing is a reduction of the problem to a simpler one and this is the type of algorithms used in almost every application.
As key to novel and groundbreaking results, the proposed project aims to develop new theory of polynomial time compressibility. Understanding the origin of compressibility will serve to build more powerful heuristic algorithms, as well as to explain the behaviour of preprocessing.
The ubiquity of preprocessing makes the theory of compressibility extremely important.
The new theory will be able to transfer the ideas of efficient computation beyond the established borders.
Max ERC Funding
2 227 051 €
Duration
Start date: 2011-04-01, End date: 2016-03-31
