Bio4Dreams is the lead partner of NERD, a project funded under the Interreg Italy–Switzerland Programme, aimed at developing new key skills to strengthen competitiveness in precision oncology medicine in Lombardy and Canton Ticino.

A project for training and competitiveness in precision oncology

NERD (Next generation diagnostics: cross-border network for the development and transfer of molecular methodologies in precision oncology medicine) was created to address a concrete challenge: the shortage of specialized professionals, which today represents one of the main limiting factors to the growth and competitiveness of companies active in precision medicine in Lombardy and Canton Ticino.

The project foresees the creation of an interdisciplinary training pathway integrating molecular biology, bioinformatics, and technology transfer, structured across multiple levels. Activities include the exchange of young researchers among partner laboratories, courses within doctoral schools, two summer schools dedicated to bioinformatics and entrepreneurship, and a Level I Master’s degree in Molecular Pathology.

In parallel, the project will develop an innovative platform to support the early identification of tumor response to targeted therapies. Two proof-of-principle studies are planned to test and validate the platform, one focused on glioblastoma and the other on prostate cancer.

Bio4Dreams as lead partner

Bio4Dreams leads a consortium involving six additional academic and industrial partners specialized in biotechnology and bioinformatics: Nuova Genetica Italiana (a startup incubated in Bio4Dreams), Stemgen S.p.A., the University of Insubria, the University of Milano-Bicocca, the Foundation for the Institute of Oncology Research (Canton Ticino), and BigOmics Analytics SA (Canton Ticino).

The budget allocated to Bio4Dreams amounts to €212,814.00, with a non-repayable grant of €170,251.20.

The Interreg Italy–Switzerland call and its objectives

The project was submitted under Specific Objective 1.1 of the Interreg Italy–Switzerland call, dedicated to strengthening research and innovation capacities and fostering technology transfer. In the Insubria Region, the initiative aligns with the priority focused on supporting startups and networking between companies and research centers, with a strong emphasis on cross-border collaboration and the valorization of skills and infrastructures.