Missing data on immune status

The problem

Missing data on immune status

Wearable biosensors are of substantial interest to the clinical research community due to their potential to provide continuous, real-time physiological information via dynamic, minimally invasive measurements of biomarkers in biofluids. However, as opposed to the continuous measurement of glucose, the continuous measurement of protein biomarkers comes with significant additional hurdles such as their low concentration and the difficulty of performing repeated immunoassays on a sensor placed inside the human body. We aim to overcome some these hurdles and develop a proof-of-principle setup for a continuous inflammation monitor with the ultimate goal to increase the understanding of the interaction between nutrition, the microbiome, the immune system and cancer. Having such a system at hand would greatly increase our understanding of the impact of individual diets on disease, both chronic and otherwise.

The solution

The Deep Immunity Project

The Deep Immunity Project (DIP) is a Seerave-initiated and -led project that explores the possibility of developing a wearable biosensor for continuous inflammation monitoring. In 2021, we have established a multidisciplinary, collaborative consortium that is now working towards comparing different biosensor technologies head-to-head in 2022. To achieve this, three different sensor prototypes will be developed as well as a test platform to enable comparison of all three technologies. Furthermore, we have been creating our own library of capture molecules against inflammatory biomarkers, which are essential building blocks for the future biosensors. Key aspects that are being developed by the DIP Consortium are:

 

  • Capture Molecule Library
    Capture Molecule Library

    Dedicated capture molecules against inflammatory biomarkers.

  • Test platform
    Test platform

    A unified test platform will allow head-to-head comparison of different biosensor prototypes.

  • Biosensor technologies
    Biosensor technologies

    Three different label-free biosensor technologies are characterised for suitability and performance.

The progress

Achieved milestones

February

2022

Test platforms delivered to consortium partners

July

2021

First Deep Immunity Project consortium meeting

March

2021

Capture molecules production campaign launch

February

2021

Dedicated Seerave project manager onboarded

June

2020

Theoretical feasibility study finalised

Exploration phase
Theoretical feasibility
Prototyping / PoC
Scaling and implementation
Self-sustainablity
The Deep Immunity Project
is currently in this phase

The team

The Deep Immunity Consortium

The grantees and collaborators work together towards the goal of establishing
proof-of-principle for continuous inflammation monitoring.