Two chemists from Ghent University both win an ERC Proof of Concept Grant
(14-07-2025) With two new ERC-PoC grantees, Ghent University is strengthening its position at the top of of research in Europe once again. Notably, the two winning projects are in chemistry. This is a field in which Ghent University holds a firm reputation.
The winning projects
BIGTOP: pioneering molecular tagging for plastics, ready for market introduction (Filip Du Prez)
In a world where sustainability and transparency are becoming ever more important, verifying the origin of plastic materials and detecting counterfeits remain a significant challenge. This not only undermines consumer trust, but also hinders recycling efforts and the environmentally responsible production of plastics.
The BIGTOP project, led by Filip Du Prez, is developing an innovative technology that adds an invisible molecular “barcode” to plastic materials. These molecular tags are made from specially designed oligomers – small molecular chains – that carry information through the precise sequence of their building blocks (monomers). As a result, products can be reliably identified and traced throughout the entire supply chain, from production to end-user.
Earlier research from Filip Du Prez’s ERC project CiMaC demonstrated that these tags can be produced on a large scale and remain stable even under high temperatures. This is crucial, as plastic processing often takes place under intense heat, such as during extrusion and curing. BIGTOP is now focused on testing the tags in real industrial environments and is developing detection methods using UV light, fluorescent techniques, and advanced mass spectrometry for precise identification.
This technology directly responds to growing regulatory demands for sustainable production and offers companies a powerful tool to combat counterfeiting in their supply chains. BIGTOP brings chemistry and industry together to prepare this promising innovation for widespread industrial adoption.
HEAT-CAMERA: Towards early cancer diagnosis and treatment (Anna M. Kaczmarek)
Early cancer detection gives patients the best chance for successful treatment – but today’s imaging techniques can still miss very small tumours. Also, diagnosis alone is not enough, fast and efficient therapies are the next step. Conventional chemotherapy however causes severe side effects, as it also affects healthy tissue. The ideal route to overcome these issues is designing a system where cancer is diagnosed and treated using a single advanced nanoplatform.
This project builds on ERC Starting Grant NORTH and on the latest scientific advances. It focuses on constructing and validating theranostic nanoplatforms that can both identify tumors through temperature readout and release drugs locally (on-demand) using light.
The successful outcome of the project will bring theranostic nanoplatforms one step closer to being practical tools in everyday medical care.
ERC Proof of Concept Grants 2025
These two new grants bring the total for Ghent University to 31 ERC-PoC projects. This puts our university in the top ten for ERC PoC projects out of the 437 institutions that have participated in ERC PoC so far. Among universities alone, we are even in sixth position for the number of ERC-PoC projects.
Notably, seven of our ERC-PoC projects fall within the chemistry domain, ranging from the extremely small (nanoparticles) to the very large (large industrial reactors).
About the ERC
The ERC, set up by the European Union in 2007, is the premier European funding organisation for excellent frontier research. It funds creative researchers of any nationality and age, to run projects based across Europe. The ERC offers four core grant schemes: Starting Grants, Consolidator Grants, Advanced Grants and Synergy Grants. With its additional Proof of Concept Grant scheme, the ERC helps grantees to bridge the gap between their pioneering research and early phases of its commercialisation.
“Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation, said: ‘These ERC grants are our commitment to making Europe the world’s hub for excellent research. By supporting projects that have the potential to redefine whole fields, we are not just investing in science but in the future prosperity and resilience of our continent. In the next competition rounds, scientists moving to Europe will receive even greater support in setting up their labs and research teams here. This is part of our “Choose Europe for Science” initiative, designed to attract and retain the world’s top scientists.”
Researchers within and outside of Ghent University who wish to apply for an ERC Grant with our university as host institution, can contact the EU Team for advice and support.
Contact
EU-team UGent, eu-team@ugent.be