About

The World Health Organization has emphasized the importance of early and accurate diagnosis of bacterial infections. An ideal diagnostic tool would possess high speed, high throughput, accuracy, low cost and simplicity of use for the clinical laboratory or bedside applications.

Diagnostic tools that possess all these properties currently do not exist. To address this knowledge gap, in the BUG-ID consortium, seven European universities, one research institute, one hospital and six private companies have teamed up. Our consortium will train 15 doctoral candidates with skills in interdisciplinary research, spanning from nanotechnology and materials science to molecular microbiology, biochemistry, infection medicine to AI-based data analysis.

Private sector participants will bring their full capacity to bear on intersectoral training, allowing doctoral students to forge links between science and innovation. At the core of the BUG-ID concept is the 2D nanomaterial graphene. Versatile surface chemistry, sensing capacity and possibility of integration with electronic and optical devices will be the key properties of graphene exploited by our consortium.

Together, we will develop the knowledge base and methods for accelerated pioneering of innovative solutions for infection diagnostics, based on functionalized graphene and AI, train a cohort of interdisciplinary experts who can effectively address challenges related to diagnostics, and strengthen the European capacity for intersectoral collaboration on key societal challenges, such as infection.