CANDOIT

Can Do It [EPSRC, 3 years, £1,010,971]

Key staff on the project are doctoral candidate Tahereh Azargoshasb and doctoral candidate Paria Kamkar, who recently obtained her MSc in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Glasgow.

Their research is located within Doctoral Centre (DC) 11: Handheld pico-Tesla resolution TMR magnetic Lab-on-Chip platform for breast cancer biomarkers detection and Doctoral Centre (DC) 12: Biodegradable micro/nanofluidic platform for TMR biosensors calibration and testing at the University of Glasgow within meLAB. Their main supervisor is Professor Hadi Heidari. Their academic co-supervisors/mentors are Dr. E. Hosseini (DURU) / Dr. Nazarpour (NEUX). (https://candoit-dn.eu/candidates)

The detection of BC biomarkers through magnetic sensors possesses significant benefits such as low background noise, high sensitivity, short assay time, and the ability to detect multiple biomarkers at the same time. These DCs project aim to develop a new scientific and engineering paradigm to measure biomagnetic signals for diagnostic and treatment monitoring of early BC. The magnetic detection of biofluidic can be realised as a rapid and cheap diagnostic tool without the need for high-level expertise or research-grade instruments.

Figure 1 – The overall goal of the work is to integrate the magnetic sensor with the microfluidic system

Sensing Mechanism Tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) is a quantum mechanical phenomenon fundamental to the operation of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), wherein spin-polarized electrons tunnel through an ultrathin insulating barrier. This results in a resistance that strongly depends on the relative orientation of the ferromagnetic (FM) layers. A typical MTJ comprises two FM electrodes separated by a nanometer-scale insulating barrier, commonly magnesium oxide (MgO. When the magnetizations of the FM layers are aligned in a parallel (P) configuration, electrons with matching spin orientations tunnel more efficiently, yielding a low-resistance state (RP). Conversely, in the antiparallel (AP) configuration, spin mismatch between the layers significantly reduces tunneling probability, resulting in a high-resistance state (RAP).

TMR-based MTJ sensors are highly sensitive biosensors capable of detecting biomarker bound magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). These sensors are composed of a free layer, an insulating barrier (e.g., MgO), and a fixed layer. TMR sensors offer higher sensitivity than giant magnetoresistance (GMR) sensors, achieving detection limits in the femtomolar range for cancer biomarkers. When biomarker-functionalized MNPs are introduced, they locally alter the magnetic field, changing the tunneling current through the MTJ. This technology has been successfully applied in the detection of various biomolecules, including DNA and proteins, with high specificity and sensitivity. By integrating TMR sensors with microfluidics and CMOS electronics, compact, low-cost, and highly sensitive biosensor-on-chip platforms have been developed for point-of-care diagnostics. The magnetic biosensor developed in DC11and 12 employs magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) coated with antibodies specific to biomarkers and extracellular vesicle (EV) markers (e.g., CD63). It operates in two distinct modes:

1. Biofluid exposure: MNPs are introduced into biological samples, where they selectively bind to target biomarkers.

2. Magnetic signal detection: Changes in the magnetic signal are measured via a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) sensor.

About the Project

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women. According to a WHO report in 2022, 2.3 million women were diagnosed worldwide, with 670,000 deaths worldwide. Additionally, approximately 0.5–1% of breast cancers occur in men. Breast cancer is a multifactorial disease with genetic and environmental risk factors, including increasing age, obesity, smoking, history of radiation exposure, as well as mutations in high-penetrance genes such as BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB2, along with a family history of breast cancer.

Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment face persistent challenges, with current methods often lacking the precision and ease of use required for optimal patient care. Existing techniques may lead to misdiagnosis, delayed intervention, or non-adapted treatment. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions program, the CanDoIt project aims to integrate breakthrough technology—a multimodal, multi-physical biosensor array for the identification and quantification of peripheral biomarkers in liquid biopsies. By collaborating with industry and academia, the project will develop breast cancer diagnostic technologies and establish a high-impact structure for extensive dissemination. The overall goal is to revolutionize breast cancer research and treatment, bringing forth a new era of accuracy and efficiency in diagnostics and therapeutic monitoring.

CanDoIt is a Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network. It integrates 18 teams, academic and non-academic participants from 5 European countries, with unique and outstanding expertise: Centrale Lille (FR), University of Lille (FR), University of Naples Frederico II (IT), University of Bordeaux (FR), University of Chieti-Pescara (IT), Kiel University (DE), Caretronic (SI), University of Glasgow (UK), Novatec Immunodiagnostica GmbH (DE), TDK Corporation (DE), Centro Nazionale delle Ricerche (IT), Oscar Lambret Cancer Center (FR), Durham University (UK), University of Paris Saclay (FR), Jozef Stefan Institute (SI), Neuranics (UK), Hand in Hand (IT).

CanDoIt aims to train 12 doctoral candidates for the development of multimodal biosensors for Breast Cancer diagnosis and therapeutic response monitoring. This project has received funding for 10 Doctoral candidates (DC) from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the MSCA grant agreement No 101120186 and funding of 2 DC from the UK Research and Innovation.

News

First Online Meeting (July 2024): Tahereh and Paria attended the initial CanDoIt online meeting, where they introduced themselves, presented their background, and discussed the scope of their planned research within DC11 and DC12.

In January 2025, the first CanDoIt Project Workshop and Annual Network Meeting took place in Lille, bringing together leading experts, researchers, and industry leaders to discuss the latest advancements in breast cancer diagnostics and treatment monitoring. Read more here: news

Mid-term Meeting (April 3, 2025, Centrale Lille): Tahereh and Paria attended the Mid-term Meeting online, where they discussed their project background, ongoing work, and future plans.

Bordeaux Summer School (June 30 – July 4, 2025, University of Bordeaux): Tahereh participated in the Innovative technologies and clinical applications in cancer research Summer School, where she presented her research progress and took part in academic training sessions (30 hours certified).

Progress Reports (Deliverables):

According to the project plan, doctoral candidates are required to submit technical progress reports.

Tahereh (DC11) submitted her first report in July 2025 (D4.1: Progress report on each biosensor system).

Paria (DC12) submitted her first report in June 2025 (D3.2: Report on nano/micro fluidic platform for biosensor integration).

Project partners

It integrates 18 teams, academic and non-academic participants from 5 European countries, with unique and outstanding expertise: Centrale Lille (FR), University of Lille (FR), University of Naples Frederico II (IT), University of Bordeaux (FR), University of Chieti-Pescara (IT), Kiel University (DE), Caretronic (SI), University of Glasgow (UK), Novatec Immunodiagnostica GmbH (DE), TDK Corporation (DE), Centro Nazionale delle Ricerche (IT), Oscar Lambret Cancer Center (FR), Durham University (UK), University of Paris Saclay (FR), Jozef Stefan Institute (SI), Neuranics (UK), Hand in Hand (IT).