MONAD · Molecular Motors-based Nanodevices

The MONAD project will focus on the design, fabrication and implementation of dynamic nanodevices based on the purposeful interaction of nano-structured surfaces and nano-objects with protein linear molecular motors - ubiquitous biological nano-machines responsible for biological functions as diverse as cell movement and division, transport of vesicles and muscle contraction. The project will develop novel hybrid nano-bio-devices which will allow (i) quasi-immediate diagnostics, compared with the present hours-long response time; (ii) entirely new, efficient high throughput drug discovery for critical diseases, e.g., cancer; and (iii) new methodologies to study the information storage and processing processes in individual cells, with wider impact on medicine and health care industry. This high level of inter-disciplinary innovation will lead to further future new industrial applications, such as immediate, personalised diagnostics. The research consortium will undertake the whole innovation path on molecular-motors based devices, starting from fundamental science to the implementation of the research in demonstration devices for health care and industry. We can pursue this comprehensive science, technology and engineering knowledge transfer because of the existing synergism within the consortium between academia, research institutes and industry. In the context of NMP-2008-1.1-1 the MONAD project will advance the development of protein molecular motors-based devices, well beyond the state of the art, leveraging on, consolidating, and making sustainable the already commanding position of European research in this very specific, paradigmatic-shift emerging area. On a more general level, MONAD will advance and consolidate the high added value of European biomedical industry in the global world market, as well as providing a new high-added value economic rationale to the excellent European semiconductor device knowledge and capability.