Press release -
Next-generation microscope: the CRIMSON project, coordinated by Politecnico di Milano, will revolutionize the study of the cellular origin of diseases
A breakthrough in microscopy and endoscopy will soon revolutionize the study of the cellular origin of diseases, advancing the field of precision medicine. This is the goal of CRIMSON, a trans-disciplinary and trans-national research project recently funded by European Commission. It will develop the next-generation bio-photonics imaging device for biomedical research, combining advanced laser techniques with artificial-intelligence data analysis. This groundbreaking microscope will provide three-dimensional quantitative maps of sub-cellular compartments in living cells and organoids and enable fast tissue classification with unprecedented biomolecular sensitivity. High acquisition speed will allow the observation of intra and inter-cellular dynamic changes by time-lapse imaging.
The CRIMSON project, starting 1 December 2020, lasting 42 months and with a budget exceeding 5M€, will also simulate future in-vivo studies and demonstrate the capability to image inside the body, realizing an innovative endoscope and applying it to ex-vivo thick tissue samples. The results have potentially profound societal impacts, improving patients’ quality of life and reducing public healthcare costs.
A multidisciplinary team of world-leading organizations with vertical integration of all required skills composes the consortium, coordinated by Politecnico di Milano (Italy). Three research centers (Politecnico di Milano - Italy, Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology e.V - Germany and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - France), with long-standing expertise in photonics, spectroscopy and nonlinear microscopy, will develop the technology. Three biomedical partners (Istituto Nazionale Tumori - Italy, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale - France and Jena University Hospital - Germany) will validate the imaging system on open biological questions related to cancer, as paradigmatic examples of the complexity and heterogeneity of cellular diseases.
Four innovative SMEs (Active Fibre Systems GmbH - Germany, Lightcore Technologies - France, Cambridge Raman Imaging Limited - UK and 3rdPlace S.r.l. - Italy), including a biomedical equipment manufacturer, will commercially exploit the innovation, thus creating a competitive advantage in the European biophotonics-related market for microscopes and R&D tools.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101016923. This communication reflects only the author’s view and the Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
More info on www.crimson-project.eu
Video CRIMSON Project presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEtjOCjNe2s
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Politecnico di Milano is a scientific-technological university which trains engineers, architects and industrial designers.
The University has always focused on the quality and innovation of its teaching and research, developing a fruitful relationship with business and productive world by means of experimental research and technological transfer.
Research has always been linked to didactics and it is a priority commitment which has allowed Politecnico Milano to achieve high quality results at an international level as to join the university to the business world. Research constitutes a parallel path to that formed by cooperation and alliances with the industrial system.
Knowing the world in which you are going to work is a vital requirement for training students. By referring back to the needs of the industrial world and public administration, research is facilitated in following new paths and dealing with the need for constant and rapid innovation. The alliance with the industrial world, in many cases favored by Fondazione Politecnico and by consortiums to which Politecnico belong, allows the university to follow the vocation of the territories in which it operates and to be a stimulus for their development.
The challenge which is being met today projects this tradition which is strongly rooted in the territory beyond the borders of the country, in a relationship which is developing first of all at the European level with the objective of contributing to the creation of a single professional training market. Politecnico takes part in several research, sites and training projects collaborating with the most qualified European universities. Politecnico's contribution is increasingly being extended to other countries: from North America to Southeast Asia to Eastern Europe. Today the drive to internationalization sees Politecnico Milano taking part into the European and world network of leading technical universities and it offers several courses beside many which are entirely taught in English.
