ON-Target: One-Step Activation of PEGylated Nanocarriers for Targeted Bioimaging
Daniela Wilson, Institute for Molecules and Materials
Early cancer detection dramatically improves survival, yet despite more than 30 years of research and a market worth over €1 billion per year, no targeted MRI contrast agent has ever reached the clinic. Current agents flood the body indiscriminately; what is missing is an agent that homes in on tumour tissue. The barrier has always been technical: loading both a contrast agent and a targeting molecule onto a nanocarrier in a way that is simple, stable, and scalable has proven extremely difficult, until now.
The ON-Target project builds on a patented technology (PCT/EP2025/060843) developed within Wilson's ERC Consolidator Grant "SynMoBio." The method exploits a discovery published in Nature Chemistry (2023): small molecular anchors spontaneously insert into the protective PEG coating of nanocarriers, allowing an MRI contrast agent and a cancer-targeting ligand to be loaded simultaneously in a single two-minute mixing step, at room temperature, in water. No complex chemistry, no harsh conditions.
The result is a targeted bioimaging system that can steer nanocarriers towards tumour cells, enhancing MRI imaging precision and enabling earlier, more accurate cancer detection. Because the design is modular, the targeting ligand can be exchanged to address different cancer types.
Crucially, ON-Target repurposes nanocarriers that are already clinically approved, which opens access to accelerated regulatory pathways in both the US (FDA 505(b)(2)) and Europe, potentially cutting preclinical development timelines by two to three years compared to programmes based on novel carriers.
SIDEROSENSE - Siderophore-mediated delivery of antibacterial antisense agents
Willem Velema, Institute for Molecules and Materials
Antibacterial resistance represents a major and growing threat to global public health, while the development of new antibiotics with novel mechanisms of action has largely stagnated. The SIDEROSENSE project addresses this challenge by advancing a fundamentally new antibacterial modality based on antisense technology. SIDEROSENSE enables selective intracellular delivery of antibacterial antisense oligonucleotides, overcoming a long-standing barrier to the clinical translation of antisense-based antibacterials. Proof-of-principle studies have demonstrated potent antibacterial activity.
This ERC Proof of Concept project aims to establish whether the SIDEROSENSE technology translates into a safe and effective antibacterial strategy. The project will generate critical experimental data while simultaneously strengthening the IP position and assessing regulatory and commercial pathways. In parallel, a market and exploitation strategy will be developed to support informed go/no-go decisions and downstream translation. SIDEROSENSE will deliver the essential technical and strategic validation required to assess the feasibility of antisense-based antibiotics as a new therapeutic class and to position the technology for subsequent translational funding and clinical development.