Seven projects selected after the 2024 PSL Valorisation / Qlife call for Proof-of-Concept proposals
Proof of concept, creation of startups and transfer of breakthrough innovations into the socio-economic world: find out about the seven winners of the 2025 call for Proof-of-Concept projects, launched by PSL Valorisation and the Institut Convergences Qlife.
Picture: © Alain MURIOT/CNRS Photothèque
PSL Valorisation and the , supported by the Institut Carnot , have launched a call for proposals aimed at selecting deep tech, innovative projects with high potential impact, in all disciplines and fields of application. This call relies on funding from the Fonds National de Valorisation, and aims to sponsor studies, prototypes or validations to support the development of the winning innovations.
16 high-potential projects applied to the call, from 5 PSL member schools; after evaluation by independent experts, 7 projects were selected:
- Ayako Yamada (Processus d'Activation Sélectif par Transfert Electronique Unimoléculaire ou Radiatif, PASTEUR - UMR 8640, ENS - PSL): In-situ formation and microvascularization of human brain organoids integrated in a microfluidic chip for dynamic studies of brain development
- Brent Strikland (Institut Jean Nicod - UMR8129, ENS - PSL): Cognitive Football - Measuring the cognitive and perceptual capacities underlying “Football IQ” to predict on field performance
- Jean Baptiste D’Espinosse (Sciences et Ingénierie de la Matière Molle, SIMM - UMR 7615, ESPCI Paris - PSL): Study of the stability of latex produced from guayule.
- Nathan Van Zee (Chimie moléculaire, macromoléculaire, matériaux , C3M - UMR7167, ESPCI Paris - PSL): Universal method for improving the properties of recycled plastics
- Philippe Nghe & Reza Kowsari-Esfahan (Institut Chimie Biologie Innovation, CBI - UMR 8231, ESPCI Paris - PSL): Microfluidic platform for high throughput testing of drug combinations on 3D cell models
- Samuel Bianchini & Dominique Cunin, EnsadLab: MobColl - Software development for users collectively participating a creative project, providing a low/no code environment (video game, entertainment, performing arts, education, museography, etc.).
- Zoher Gueroui & Laura Galezowski, (Processus d'Activation Sélectif par Transfert Electronique Unimoléculaire ou Radiatif, PASTEUR - UMR 8640, ENS - PSL): Magnetic bacterial biosensor for in vitro diagnostic of infectious diseases
Projet MagEcoliSensor
The "MagEcoliSensor" project is led by Zoher Gueroui, Research Director, and Laura Galezowski, Research Engineer, in the Physical and Biological Chemistry of Living Matter team of the PASTEUR laboratory (); (ENS-PSL/CNRS/Sorbonne Université). The "MagEcoliSensor" project focuses on the diagnosis of infectious diseases (sepsis, nosocomial diseases), that cause at least 15 million deaths per year, largely due to a lack of fast diagnosis. Current diagnosis methods are based on many steps and may take several days, whereas a response within a few hours is necessary for certain diseases. The project aims to develop an in vitro diagnosis platform targeting infectious diseases through the use of magnetic bacterial biosensors, that are more sensitive, specific, rapid and easy to use. This technology will reduce the time required to obtain results, and it will improve patient care, and reduce costs.
Projet Unicycle
The "Unicycle" project is led by Nathan Van Zee, a Researcher in the Chemistry and Macromolecular Design team of the laboratory (C3M, ESPCI Paris – PSL / CNRS). Unicycle aims to improve the mechanical recycling of plastics. Today, recycled plastics shows poor physical properties owing to the presence of incompatible polymeric impurities, a consequence of inefficient sorting and purification. The team has developed a new strategy that allows for plastics to be recycled without sorting. This project is supported by the PSL Valorisation team for the filing of a patent application. As the C3M laboratory is part of the IPGG Microfluidique Carnot Institute, the project will benefit from additional funding in order to accelerate its development.
SyneBio Projet
The SyneBio project is led by Philippe NGHE, Senior Lecturer, and Reza Kowsari-Esfahan, PhD student, attached to the Biophysics and Evolution team of (CBI ; ESPCI Paris – PSL / CNRS). The team has developed a microfluidic platform for high-throughput screening of drug combinations on 3D cell models. The discovery of new drug synergies makes it possible to accelerate the development of new therapies by combining authorized drugs. This technology combines high-throughput fluidic networks and 3D cell cultures, thus increasing the success rate of drug development. Indeed, a single chip can analyze the dose-response of 144 drug combinations. This funding will help demonstrate the compatibility of the technology with human cells, paving the way for the commercialization of drug development applications. Supported by PSL, the project was previously a winner of a student entrepreneurship call for proposals launched by PSL and also received a . As the CBI laboratory is part of the IPGG Microfluidique Carnot Institute, the project will benefit from additional funding to accelerate its development.
Projet Revobiom
Le projet « Revobiom » est porté par Wilfried Sire, post-doctorant au sein du Laboratoire de Chimie Biologie Innovation – Laboratoire Colloïdes et Matériaux Divisés (CBI – LCMD) de l’ESPCI Paris – PSL (UMR 8231) dirigé par Jérôme Bibette.
Revobiom a été lauréat en 2023 du prestigieux concours iLab organisé par Bpifrance et le MESR.
Dans la nature, les fonctions complexes (fermentation, biostimulation, biocontrôle, dégradation de polluants : pesticide, plastique, hydrocarbures, etc.) sont réalisées par des communautés microbiennes, aujourd’hui difficiles à établir et à exploiter dans l’industrie.
Grâce à sa technologie disruptive, basée sur la millifluidique digitale, REVOBIOM propose une solution innovante pour développer des consortium de microbes naturels stables et efficaces pour les secteurs de l’agroalimentaire, de l’agriculture, de l’écologie, de l’énergie et de la santé.
PSL's partners in the PSL Valorisation / Q-Life proof-of-concept call for proposal 2022
- The Fonds National de Valorisation (PIA - France 2030), that supports PSL since 2017, in relation to the originality of its technology transfer model, focused on disruptive innovation and start-up creation;
- The , dedicated to quantitative biology, i.e. to the interdisciplinary study of the behavior and dynamics of living systems. Qlife contributes to this call for proposals and supports 2 projects in this field.
- The Institut Carnot , which aims to foster relations with companies that wish to draw on the expertise of researchers and in the Institut Pierre-Gilles de Gennes (IPGG), one of the world leaders in transdisciplinary research in microfluidics.