Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
This Pathfinder Challenge aims to overcome the technological challenges to harness the engineering potential of nature for materials’ production. The specific objectives of this call are to support the development of new technologies and platforms enabling the controlled production of made-on-demand living materials with multiple predictable dynamic functionalities, shapes and scales; and to build a community of researchers and innovators in ELMs. Reaching these objectives requires a research team that strongly integrates, among others and not exclusively, expertise in synthetic biology, materials engineering, control engineering, artificial intelligence, synthetic or engineered morphogenesis as well as ethical, legal and social aspects (ELSA).
Detailed Call Description
Projects under this call are expected to develop technologies for the production of a minimum of two different living materials (i.e. with different applications, scale – 10 x difference- and cellular composition). The specific expected outcomes depending on the choice of the ELM production process (top-down or bottom-up) are:
- a proof of principle of technologies far beyond the current state-of-the-art enabling the production of a minimum of two novel biological ELMs bigger than 1 cm in all dimensions by programmable and controlled synthetic or engineered morphogenesis (whether with eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells);
or
- a laboratory validated, automated and computer-aided design-build-test-learn (DBTL) platform far beyond the current state-of-the-art able to produce a minimum of two novel HLMs in multiple scales with enhanced or unprecedented properties.
The material needs to be formed by living cells as per the definition of ELMs in the introduction of this call. Alternatively if a synthetic cell is used, the synthetic cell must have, prior to the start of the project, a demonstrated ability (via a peer-reviewed scientific publication) of cellular reproduction via cell division and adaptation to environmental clues.
Τhe proposal also needs to define an integrative approach to assess the needs and implications of the technologies and their limits, including ethical and regulatory requirements.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
100%
Thematic Categories
- Education and training
- Information Technology
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Small-Medium Enterprises and Competitiveness
Eligibility for Participation
- Educational Institutions
- National Contact Points - NCPs
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia
P.O.Box 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Phone Number: +357 22205000
Email Address: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Persons:
Ms Katerina Karakasidou
Scientific Officer
Contact Phone: +357 22 205 036
Contact Email: kkarakasidou@research.org.cy
Dr Kalypso Sepou
Head of European Programmes Department
Contact Phone: +357 22 205066
Contact Email: kalypso@research.org.cy
EU Contact Point
European Innovation Council: https://eic.ec.europa.eu/contact-form_en