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NANOTIC in a few words :

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The NANOTIC project targets a radical shift of paradigm when compared to current diagnostic approaches. In the long term, it may become possible to disperse a swarm of specific sensors, randomly in the field to be investigated (biological fluid, sample, environment, reactor, gas pipe...), each realizing a particular diagnostic function (DNA hybridization, antigen-antibody binding, molecular adsorption, cell culture analysis ...).

One innovation could be that the recognition realized by the transducer is gathered and processed in real time by a central unit without physical contact with the medium under study. This is implemented by means of parallel communications between the sensors and this unit. Ideally, the communications will simultaneously allow to

1. identify the sensor,
2. locate it and
3. interpret the transducer response.
   

While allowing simultaneous detection, this approach will avoid, on one hand, the use of
complex and cumbersome matrix systems such as micro-arrays or biochips in the clinical domain. On another hand, the use of sophisticated micro-fluidic systems would also be avoided to direct the analyte on to the sensing parts (thereby eliminating  problems of contamination and reusability of the system).

The programme is divided in five main projects run in parallel, completed by a demonstrator integrating the different components and illustrating the potential applications of the developed technological platform.

The structure of the NANOTIC programme is as follows :

• Project 1 "FEELING": Molecular recognition and first signal generation (WP1)

• Projet 2 "CITE": Integrated electronics transducing components (WP2)

• Projet 3 "TSARINE": Stochastic signal processing for searching nano-data in swarms (WP3)
• Projet 4 "COSMOS": Secured communication wireless objects (WP4)
• Projet 5 "DEDICCAS": Deciphering of the various assembled cell compartments (WP5)
  

A public presentation of the program can be downloaded.
See also the List of partners of NANOTIC programme to learn about the UCL units and
laboratories which are part of the project.

This project is funded by the Ministery of the "Région wallonne" (Belgian regional funding).