nanodiag BW secures €15 million funding for the next three years

The Clusture4Future nanodiag BW has secured funding from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) for a further three-year implementation phase. With the approval of €15 million, the Cluster will be able to continue its work on nanopore-based diagnostic methods seamlessly from April 2026 onwards.

nanodiag BW is an interdisciplinary initiative that aims at developing a new generation of molecular diagnostic tools based on nanopore technology, to enable the direct, real-time analysis and identification of individual protein segments. The focus lies in particular on epigenetic markers – protein modifications that play a central role in the development of many diseases such as cancer or neurodegenerative disorders. The goal of nanodiag BW is to develop  a cost-effective, readily available, and point-of-care alternative to established mass spectrometry methods, which will make the personalized diagnostics of epigenetic markers more accessible.

AMO GmbH, one of the few partners of nanodiag BW outside Baden-Württemberg, is involved in one of the most exploratory parts of the initiative, namely the development of molecular analyzers based on nanopores in solid-state membranes. To this project, AMO contributes its long-standing expertise in the deposition, transfer and patterning of 2D materials.

“Receiving continued support from the BMFTR is a testament to the hard work of the entire nanodiag BW cluster, in particular the project-team. This second implementation phase allows us to build on our successes — further optimizing our unique fabrication processes while putting new concepts to the test. AMO and the entire Cluster are ready to push the boundaries of nanopore technology even further in the coming three year,” says Dr. Jens Bolten, lead of the nanodiag BW effort at AMO.

The main objectives of the second implementation phase include the optimization of the biological nanopores and target enrichment. In the field of solid-state nanopores, the focus is on scaling up pore fabrication and on system integration. In the development of a digital nanopore sequencer, the focus lies on preparing for clinical application and validating an epigenetic biomarker panel. In addition, all necessary measures will be taken to ensure the long-term sustainability of the cluster – through the selection of an appropriate legal structure – so that nanodiag BW remains viable beyond the nine-year funding period.

Background 

Clusters4Future is an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) to support regional innovation networks in translating excellent research results into economically and socially relevant applications. AMO GmbH is partner in two of the 14 Clusters funded under this initiative, namely the Cluster NeuroSys (spokesperson: Prof. Max Lemme), and nanodiag BW (spokesperson: Prof. Felix von Stetten, Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft).

About nanodiag BW 

nanodiag BW is an interdisciplinary innovation network based in Baden-Württemberg. The cluster is coordinated by Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft für angewandte Forschung e.V. in cooperation with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Freiburg. It brings together more than 20 partners from research and industry with the goal of making nanopore technology usable for the molecular diagnostics of the future. The goal is to develop novel diagnostic methods based on the analysis of individual proteins and their modifications, which can be applied in clinical practice in a faster, more cost-effective, and more personalized manner.

Nanodiag BW Imagefilm