Smartpolymer · Developing smart polymer compositions for highly sensitive multiplex PCR assays

The project aims at designing, synthesizing and optimizing thermothickening polymer compositions that would behave as liquid miscible with water, exhibit a low viscosity at room temperature and turn into a homogeneous hydrogel during PCR with MCT assay, with the limited diffusion of the DNA target and PCR products and high enough diffusion of PCR reagents to permit efficient DNA amplification. For this purpose copolymers consisting of a water-soluble backbone with side chains exhibiting LCST will be the topic of choice. The proposal is very innovative because in the first time thermothickening polymers will be applied in MCT PCR assays allowing fast, sensitive and selective quantifying multiple targets within the single reaction. The contribution of the project will be in digitalizing assays and making multiple target quantification straightforward, making them high sensitive and readily incorporative into a rapid Point of Care device. This project will meet the best of the competences of the Experienced Researcher (ER) in all aspects of Organic Chemistry (high level expertize in classical Target Oriented Organic Synthesis and state-of-the-art synthetic methodologies including Diversity Oriented Synthesis, modern methods for activation of chemical processes, physicochemical methods of elucidation of the compounds structure) and BforCure expertise in the FASTGENE technology, Polymerase Chain Reaction and the microfluidic techniques. Through the present project, the ER will reach a level of maturity on several technological aspects but also on managerial and industrial aspects that will provide her new career perspectives. Following this new experience, the ER will be one step closer to act as a leader or manager of a research team.