STEMPREDICT
COST Innovator Grant (CIG)
Predictive AI Imaging for Stem Cell and Organoids
- STEMPREDICT is a COST Innovator Grant (CIG), granted to CorEuStem COST Action
- Designed for those ending COST Actions which demonstrate innovation potential to turn the research network outcomes into either a commercial, a technical or a societal new outcome.
- Provides up to 125.000 EUR for one year
- In line with the Rules and Principles for COST activities, including eligibility and reimbursement rules within the same financial scope
STEMPREDICT aim to develop an affordable AI-powered smart camera and FAIR data pipeline to provide real-time, non-invasive assessment and prediction of stem cell culture states. Its goal is to replace subjective protocols with standardized, automated quality control tools, enabling reproducible, scalable, and globally accessible stem cell workflows for research and therapy.
- By combining label-free imaging with artificial intelligence, STEMPREDICT aims to not only identify cellular states in real time but also predict their evolution over time
- A prototype device already exists, and the project will adapt it into a standalone, highly affordable smart camera that can analyse standard phase-contrast images.
- By compiling and curating image datasets from hundreds of cell lines, STEMPREDICT will establish a FAIR database to train AI models, enabling reproducibility and collaboration across Europe and beyond.
STEMPREDICT
STEMPREDICT
Objectives
Aim - Primary objective
- Develop affordable, label-free phase-contrast imaging with on-board machine-learning algorithms to deliver real-time, non-invasive predictions of the state and evolution of pluripotent stem-cell, differentiated-cell and organoid cultures. By standardising quality-control workflows across Europe’s core facilities, the tool will boost reproducibility, cut costs and accelerate translation into therapeutics
Secondary objectives
- Build and validate a proof-of-concept AI pipeline, establishing reference image baselines for pluripotency, monolayer and organoid differentiation; train and test the algorithms across multiple labs to demonstrate usability, accuracy and scalability of the predictive workflow.
- Draft a preliminary business and exploitation plan that defines the value proposition, business and financial models and marketing strategy, paving the way for commercialisation and broad adoption of STEMPREDICT.
- Assemble a multidisciplinary team of stem-cell biologists, imaging technologists and AI/data-science experts to design FAIR data-collection protocols, interoperable analysis pipelines and benchmark datasets that underpin predictive imaging of hundreds of cell lines.
STEMPREDICT
CIG Objectives
Assemble a multidisciplinary expert team covering stem cell biology, imaging technologies and artificial intelligence to address the challenges of stem cell research and predictive imaging by:
- Define optimal strategies for data collection and protocols management: ensuring maximum reusability and transparency (FAIR principles).
- Evaluate and optimize data analysis workflows and AI pipelines to ensure their interoperability and applicability across different systems and contexts.
- Platform usability and proof-of-concept: validate applicability across different systems and contexts.
Create an innovation task force for the generation of a preliminary business plan. Draft a plan to outline the:
- Business concept, target market and voice-of-customers to align our device with the needs of the field.
- A business model and financial plan.
- A marketing plan.
STEMPREDICT
Work Plan, tasks and deliverables
Working Group | Tasks |
|---|---|
WG1: Business and exploitation | Define a strong value proposition |
Analyse the market and competitors’ market strategies | |
Define tech stack and community building by engaging initial beta-testers and “catapulters” | |
Evaluate business and financial plan models | |
Develop a marketing plan with monetization-ready features and strategy | |
Build an ecosystem and pre-commercialization strategy (brand, early adopters plan) | |
Set a commercialization strategy and governance model | |
Define a final go-to-market strategy aligned with technology development milestones | |
WG2: AI powered tool for stem cell field PoC SmartCam and next smart protocols | Establish reference image baseline parameters for pluripotent state and differentiation protocols |
Define and develop AI algorithms, training plan and interface | |
Create data management plan using FAIR practices | |
Smart camera setup and associated training strategy | |
Define initial PoC, validation, and smart protocols plan for next steps | |
Deliverables | WG1
WG2
|