Objective
Drug-induced cardiotoxicity remains a primary cause of late-stage clinical attrition. Current preclinical safety assessments are focused heavily on electrophysiology assays and animal models and shows limited predictivity for human outcomes, largely failing to detect critical cardiac liabilities.
Heart-on-Chip models represent a transformative New Approach Methodology (NAM) to address this gap. However, their routine industrial adoption is severely hindered by biological variability and a lack in standardisation. Current Heart-on-Chip models undergo open-loop, fixed maturation protocols (e.g. via electro/mechanical training), resulting in high sample-to sample variability which creates baseline noise that obscures subtle toxicological signals.
BATTITO aims to demonstrate the industrial feasibility of transforming our validated beating heart-on-chip (uHeart) into a self-standardising cardiac NAM. The platform relies on the proprietary uBeat technology, a breakthrough actuator patented by Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) and licensed to BiomimX, which provides heartbeat like training to cardiac cells. Building on the findings of the ERC Starting Grant EvOoC, which demonstrated that mechanobiological closed-loop feedback enhances tissue maturation, BATTITO will engineer an automated quality loop directly linking optical contractility readouts to the uBeat actuation controller. This autonomous adaptation of the training mechanical forces using the real-time functional state of each individual microtissue will force biological convergence toward a highly standardised functional window.
POLIMI will lead the complex mechatronic integration and the quantitative biological validation of standardisation metrics. Simultaneously, the industrial stakeholder BiomimX will execute market analysis, validate the workflow against industrial constraints, and draft the commercial exploitation roadmap.
BATTITO will deliver an automated NAM platform for robust cardiotoxicity screening.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project has not yet been classified with EuroSciVoc.
Be the first one to suggest relevant scientific fields and help us improve our classification service
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2026-POC
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
20133 Milano
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.