Major success: Three researchers from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have been awarded Proof of Concept (PoC) Grants by the European Research Council (ERC): medical informatics expert Prof. Dr. Bernhard Kainz, biomechanist Prof. Dr. Alessandro Del Vecchio and pharmaceutical scientist Prof. Dr. Gregor Fuhrmann. Each grant provides €150,000 to evaluate the commercial and societal potential of their research projects.
Bernhard Kainz aims to enable cooperating AI models to identify patterns in patient data associated with specific diseases. Alessandro Del Vecchio is developing biocompatible electrodes designed to restore some motor function to people with spinal cord injuries. Gregor Fuhrmann is working on packaging novel antibiotics into nanoparticles for targeted delivery within the body.
Teaching AI agents to collaborate: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Kainz
Patient data contains enormous untapped knowledge. Artificial intelligence makes it possible to identify previously unknown patterns and biomarkers in large datasets that are associated with specific diseases. “Such connections are often completely unexpected,” says Bernhard Kainz, Professor of Image Data Exploration and Analysis at the Department of Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Engineering (AIBE) at FAU. “For example, abnormalities in the retina may indicate heart disease.”
Kainz aims to enable multiple AI agents to interact with one another in order to uncover new links between phenotypes and diseases. Unlike conventional large language models, AI agents operate largely autonomously. His goal is to create collaborative environments in which scientific discussions can take place and findings are independently challenged and refined.
As part of the new ERC funding, Kainz is focusing on pancreatic cancer, a disease that is particularly difficult to detect at an early stage and is associated with poor outcomes. The AI system will structure extensive clinical data, molecular findings and laboratory results, group phenotypes and link imaging data with molecular patterns. The researchers expect the AI agents to generate publishable, clinically relevant insights, advancing not only cancer research but also helping transform biomedical research into an automated, data-driven process.
Helping people with paralysis regain hand function: Prof. Dr. Alessandro Del Vecchio
Spinal cord injuries severely restrict mobility. However, a small number of motor neurons in the muscles often remain functional and are still capable of translating motor commands into movement. Alessandro Del Vecchio, Professor of Neuromuscular Physiology and Neural Interfaces at FAU, is building on this principle by developing hand prostheses that detect a patient's intention to move and enable real-time grasping movements. “We detect the electrical activity of the muscles and process these signals with AI to control assistive systems,” explains Del Vecchio.
A key challenge lies in the electrodes, which must provide precise signals while minimizing the burden on patients. Del Vecchio's team is therefore developing new biocompatible implants that can remain in the muscle for extended periods. “Currently, we use stainless steel needles coated with plastic,” says Del Vecchio. “The new electrodes do not require this coating, making them only half as thick—about the diameter of a human hair. At the same time, they deliver even better data, allowing us to implant fewer electrodes.”
The development of the new material is supported by FAU's Chair of Materials Science and Engineering for Metals, which has unique expertise in materials science and ultra-hard coatings. The long-term goal is to develop electrodes that can remain in the body for months or even years.
Developing antibiotics and bacterial nanocapsules: Prof. Dr. Gregor Fuhrmann
Antibiotic resistance has increased dramatically over recent decades and is estimated to cause around 1.3 million deaths worldwide each year. Researchers are therefore not only searching for new antibiotics but also for more effective ways to deliver them to specific sites within the body.
Gregor Fuhrmann, Professor of Pharmaceutical Biology at FAU, is focusing on myxobacteria. These soil-dwelling bacteria produce a wide range of natural compounds with antibiotic properties. “Our idea is to stimulate myxobacteria to produce active compounds against specific disease-causing pathogens,” says Fuhrmann.
At the same time, Fuhrmann is developing biological “drug taxis” to transport these antibiotics. “The concept itself is not new, but synthetically produced capsules are often not biocompatible, are rapidly cleared from the bloodstream and lack precise targeting.” To overcome these limitations, he plans to package the antibiotics into nanocapsules naturally produced by the myxobacteria themselves, known as extracellular vesicles. These tiny particles, enclosed by a lipid membrane, are also released by human cells and serve as natural biological messengers.
The European Research Council's Proof of Concept (PoC) Grant scheme is aimed at researchers who already hold an ERC Grant and wish to further develop results from an ongoing or completed ERC-funded project beyond basic research. The funding is intended to explore the commercial or societal potential of research results and represents a first step towards transferring innovations into practical applications and the marketplace. Each PoC Grant provides €150,000 over a period of 18 months.