Imagine trying to move tiny droplets of liquid through channels thinner than a human hair — that's what this project figured out. A network of 15 research groups across 9 countries studied how fluids, particles, and soft materials behave when squeezed into spaces just nanometers wide. They built working prototype devices like microscopic pumps and valves that can push fluids in one direction, and special graphene-based tools that let you control what happens at the nanoscale. The results matter for everything from better batteries to smarter drug delivery systems.
Companies developing miniaturized devices — from medical diagnostics to batteries — need precise control over how fluids and particles move through nanometer-scale channels. Current tools for measuring and manipulating matter at this scale are limited, expensive, or require bulky equipment that defeats the purpose of going small.
The project produced 3 prototype devices: nanofluidic osmotic diodes and ionic pumps for one-directional fluid control, a graphene-based apparatus with adjustable 0–100 nm sheet separation for voltage experiments, and a breadboard DP-OCT system for measuring nanoparticle surface charge. In total, 33 deliverables were produced across the network.
If you are a diagnostic device maker struggling with precise fluid control in miniaturized test cartridges — this project developed prototype nanofluidic devices including osmotic diodes and ionic pumps that enable one-directional fluid flow at the nanoscale. These could replace bulky external pumps in portable diagnostic kits, reducing device size and cost.
If you are a battery manufacturer looking to improve ion transport efficiency in next-generation energy storage — this project built an apparatus for controlling voltage between graphene sheets with separation adjustable from 0 to 100 nm. This gives you a precision tool for testing and optimizing how ions move through nanoscale gaps, directly relevant to graphene-based battery and supercapacitor design.
If you are a pharma company developing targeted drug delivery nanocarriers and need to understand how your particles behave in biological fluids — this project created a breadboard prototype system for low-coherence zeta potential measurements using DP-OCT. This lets you characterize nanoparticle surface charge in realistic conditions, improving formulation stability predictions.
The project was a training network coordinated by the University of Cambridge. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated directly with the university's technology transfer office. Since these are prototype-stage devices, expect research collaboration or co-development agreements rather than off-the-shelf licensing.
The deliverables are at prototype stage — osmotic diodes, ionic pumps, and a breadboard measurement system. Scaling from lab prototypes to industrial volumes would require significant engineering work. The 4 industry partners in the consortium may have insights into manufacturability, but no production-scale evidence is available.
IP from MSCA-ITN projects typically belongs to the institution that generated it, following Horizon 2020 grant agreement rules. With 15 partners across 9 countries, IP may be distributed across multiple institutions. The University of Cambridge as coordinator would be the first point of contact for IP inquiries.
Based on available project data, no regulatory testing or certification is mentioned. The project focused on fundamental research and training, with prototype demonstrations. Any regulatory pathway for medical devices or energy storage applications would need to be pursued separately.
The project ended in 2020 and delivered 3 prototype demonstrations out of 33 total deliverables. Moving from breadboard prototypes to commercial products typically takes 3-5 years of additional development. Some of the 4 industry partners may have continued development independently.
The DP-OCT breadboard prototype for zeta potential measurements and the graphene voltage apparatus are standalone lab instruments. Based on available project data, integration specifications with commercial equipment are not detailed, but the measurement principles are compatible with standard optical and electrical lab setups.
NANOTRANS brought together 15 partners from 9 countries, with the University of Cambridge leading the effort. The consortium includes 8 universities and 2 research organizations providing deep scientific expertise, alongside 4 industry partners (27% industry ratio) and 1 SME. This is a training-oriented network, so the academic weight is expected. For a business looking to engage, the 4 industry partners signal that real-world applications were considered during research. The broad geographic spread (AT, CH, DE, ES, FR, NL, SI, UK, US) means the knowledge base is distributed, and reaching the right partner for a specific prototype may require navigating multiple institutions.
University of Cambridge technology transfer office — search for NANOTRANS project contacts or Cambridge Enterprise for licensing inquiries
Want to explore licensing the nanofluidic prototypes or connect with the industry partners? SciTransfer can identify the right contact and set up an introduction.
