Flagship 1- Microtechnologies for early disease signatures

Scalable micro-technologies are a key challenge in the development of sensitive and precise diagnostics that detect diseases or relapse much earlier than currently possible, and potentially before clinical symptoms occur. Innovative biomedical technologies, new materials and nanotechnologies, biomedical AI, molecular, spatial and single-cell multi-omics together with advanced human disease models promise to revolutionize early detection of complex multi-genetic and multi-organ diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia, diabetes, infectious diseases and guide therapeutic intervention before disease onset or progression.

For this, Helmholtz researchers are best positioned to identify disease signatures and biomarkers and engineer new diagnostic technologies for their detection – operating at the forefront of single-cell and spatial multi-omics technologies, high-resolution imaging and AI-based analyses. Across the research fields, there is also strong expertise in portable optical and electronic biosensors and lab-on-a-chip technologies with the potential to be used towards digital health. Thus, integrative research within this flagship will deliver unprecedented strategies for primary disease prevention and the monitoring of disease progression or treatment response. Our ultimate goal is to switch from reacting to diseases rather to proactively recognizing them before they progress, thereby increasing an individual’s healthy life span and contributing to a healthier society.