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Nanoscale virus imaging X-ray microscope based on incoherent diffractionbroad

NanoXCAN · Horizon Europe grant · 2022-05-01–2026-04-30

EC contribution

€3,723,551

Total cost

€3,723,551

Beneficiaries

8
About the data

Source: CORDIS (official EU open data), Horizon Europe. Framework HORIZON · call HORIZON-EIC-2021-PATHFINDEROPEN-01 · scheme HORIZON-EIC · topic HORIZON-EIC-2021-PATHFINDEROPEN-01-01. CORDIS record →

Objective

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease that emerged in late 2019. By March 2020, the outbreak was declared a devastating pandemic and clearly illustrated the threat that viruses pose to our society. The characterization of viral structures and the identification of key proteins involved in each step of the cycle of infection are crucial to developing treatments. Yet imaging single viruses can only be performed in a few specialized centers in Europe, while every hospital could benefit from it.  NanoXCAN proposes to develop a tabletop virus imaging X-ray microscope, with foreseeable impact as revolutionary as the invention of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy, paving the way towards determination of structure and dynamics of matter to a large community. For this purpose, we will develop an original digital laser that delivers, on a daily operation, subwavelength focusing, reaching relativistic intensities at MHz repetition rates. This will be used to create a nano-source of hard X-rays from the Kalpha plasma emission of metallic nano-targets at an average power comparable to that of a synchrotron beamline.  We will capitalize on this high brilliance, high average power hard X-ray source to perform lensless nanoscale biomedical imaging based on recent findings in incoherent imaging and machine learning. All these ingredients will create a unique nanoscopy platform that our consortium will illustrate by imaging a single virus. In the future, our X-ray IDI microscope could help to study mechanisms involved in viral infection and antiviral design. X-rays have the advantage of performing in-situ non-destructive and non-invasive imaging over competing techniques. NanoXCAN will create a transformative positive effect on our economy and society by proposing this new technology for single virus imaging.

Beneficiaries (8)

OrganisationCountryRoleEC contributionSME
IST-ID ASSOCIACAO DO INSTITUTO SUPERIOR TECNICO PARA A INVESTIGACAO E O DESENVOLVIMENTO PT coordinator €1,100,000
ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FR participant €1,385,626
GOTTFRIED WILHELM LEIBNIZ UNIVERSITAET HANNOVER DE participant €881,938
NANEO PRECISION IBS COATINGS GMBH DE participant €174,988
RIGAKU INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES EURO SRO CZ participant €172,750
MONTFORT LASER GMBH & Co KG AT participant €8,250 Yes
CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS FR thirdParty €0
ARCOPTIX SA CH associatedPartner Yes

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