The MeBioS (Mechatronics, Biostatistics and Sensors) division at the University of Leuven in Belgium first began investigating fiber-optic biosensing based on surface plasmon resonance in 2006 and named it FO-SPR. The technology quickly attracted national and international funding, along with winning first place in the Battle of Talents competition for young entrepreneurs in Belgium.
FOx BIOSYSTEMS was founded in 2017 by Filip Delport and Jeroen Lammertyn as a spin-off from MeBioS and still maintains close collaborations with MeBioS scientists.
The CONSENSE project forms part of the European Commission’s Innovative Training Networks that support joint research training and/or postdoctoral programs. It has been created to stimulate the development of new sensor technologies that can measure a range of biomolecules in blood, with the aim of creating truly personalized medicine and improving patient outcomes.
This approach requires an interdisciplinary (molecular engineering, sensing technology, clinical applications) and intersectoral (academic, hospital, industry) approach by sufficiently high-quality groups, which will be provided by this collaboration. In addition, CONSENSE will secure the competitiveness of European higher education as well as the European medical technology industry, which is an important and innovative sector with high impact for the future.
FOx BIOSYSTEMS will use this funding to investigate the potential of the fiber-optic based surface plasmon resonance technology for continuous immune monitoring of patients in critical care settings. This will be of great benefit in the emerging field of novel cancer immunotherapies since it will allow the early detection and timely treatment of severe complications such as cytokine release syndrome.
Historic Collaborations & Projects