Key information / Informations

•   

•    Funding programme / Programme de financement: HORIZON EUROPE – EIC Pathfinder Open
•    Coordinator / Coordinateur: J. Margueritat (UCBL-ILM)
•    Partners’ list / Liste des partenaires :

o    Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (France) – Coord
o    Lyon Ingenierie Projets (France)
o    Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique CNRS (France)
o    Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones cientificas (Espagne)
o    Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (Pays-Bas)
o    NOSTICS BV (Pays-Bas)
o    Universitaet Siegen (Allemagne)

•    Budget : 5 473 554€
•    Grant / Subvention : 5 473 554€
•    Début – Fin : 01/09/2023 – 31/08/2027

Context / Contexte

Viral particles are nanoscale entities with specific dimensions, contours, and flexibility, and they can trap acoustic waves within themselves. This creates unique vibration modes that correspond to the overall motion of the entire viral particle.
The VIRUSong project aims at implementing and realizing a simple and radically new way to identify viral particles on the basis of these vibrations.

Objectives / Objectifs

The goal of this project is to develop a groundbreaking technology that can quickly and accurately identify viral particles using light. By utilizing the latest advancements in stimulated inelastic light scattering spectroscopy, designing nanoparticle resonators, and implementing efficient artificial intelligence models, this project will push the current limits to achieve high selectivity (specific vibrational signature) and sensitivity, with the ability to identify a single viral particle in just a few minutes.

Expected impact and results / Impact et résultats attendus

The development of new spectroscopic methods in the low vibrational frequency range necessary for the success of the project will also have an impact well beyond the VIRUSong project. The vibrations of all types of NPs can be measured from hard matter (metallic, semi-conductor, oxide NPs) to protein vibrations. In close relation to the project, detection of proteins, for example in real time on the production lines to validate the quality of the vaccines produced, or the composition of the drugs (in addition to the Raman measurements already implemented). But more generally at the industrial scale, access to low-frequency measurements at a high rate will make it possible to characterise the structural properties of all types of materials containing NPs during production, such as perovskite doped with quantum dots for solar cell applications or materials whose mechanical properties are reinforced by the integration of NPs (car bumpers, windows...).

LIP’s contribution / Rôle de LIP

LIP will ensure efficient project management by supporting the consortium and the Coordinator in the management of the administrative, financial and legal aspects and assisting the VIRUSong participants in the definition and implementation of the project dissemination and exploitation strategy.