ICN2 Hosted the 2nd Semester Meeting of EU-Funded Project Aiming to Detect Alzheimer’s Disease at Early Stages

by Arlet Lozano Arenas

The meeting was organised by members of the Nanobioelectronics and Biosensors Group and took place on April 17^th and 18^th, 2024, at ICN2. Representatives from 11 institutions across eight European countries attended.

The 2D-BioPAD project officially launched in October 2023 with a kick-off meeting in Greece, during which the 11 partners defined their responsibilities to ensure the achievement of the project’s objectives. Now, six months later, they gather once more to review progress, assess the current status, strategise, and join their efforts to address potential challenges for the upcoming semester.

To align efforts, the agenda for this second in-person meeting included presentations, workshops, co-creative exercises, updates, and the development of an action plan for the 2nd semester (including activities, key deadlines, responsible partners, etc.). Recent advances in lateral flow assay technology, device development, graphene-based platform design, and ethics were among the featured topics discussed. The consortium intends to maintain its rigorous research and development efforts, scheduling additional meetings to ensure the project remains aligned with its objectives.

An EU-Supported Initiative

Thanks to a budget of nearly €6 million granted by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action, the 2D-BioPAD project, funded under Grant Agreement No.101120706, will focus on developing a diagnostic system for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease over the next four years. Moreover, by harnessing innovative materials and technologies, the project seeks to significantly advance medical diagnostics, especially within primary healthcare settings.

Member of the Graphene Flagship and Part of a Collaborative European Network

2DBioPAD stands as a cornerstone within the Graphene Flagship, a pioneering initiative dedicated to advancing Europe’s technological advancements reliant on graphene and other 2D materials.

This collaborative endeavour involves 11 partners: Palacky University Olomouc (UP) representing Czechia, the Catalan Institute of Science and Nanotechnology (ICN2) from Spain, Grapheal and Novaptech hailing from France, Q-Plan International, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), Greek Association of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders (GAADRD), the last three contributing from Greece, the University of Eastern Finland (UEF), Evnia from Denmark, the Central Institute of Mental Health in Manheim (ZI) based in Germany, and University College Dublin /National University Of Ireland (NUID UCD - CeADAR) from Ireland.