WatchPlant will develop a new biohybrid system technology, a wireless wearable self-powered sensor for in-situ monitoring of urban environments. This system equips urban biological organisms -plants- with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create a smart sensor for measuring both, environmental parameters and the responding physiological state of plants, in a very early stage by the use of a barely explored fluid, phloem sap, in combination with chemical, and physical sensors. It will be integrated into complex network that allows performing distributed information processing, decision making, modeling and data fitting, paving the way for the self-awareness or self-adaptation. Additionally, it will constitute a clean energy self-powered device due to the novel use of sap, not only for transforming plants into living sensors, but also for clean energy generation. A consortium of EU research, technology centers and ambitious high-tech SMEs will stretch and combine the limits of plant physiology and bioelectronics with microtechnology, multiphysics modelling, sensor engineering, AI and environmental modelling, to transform plant into living autonomous and self-powered sensors. The project has the ambition to solve how to extract sufficient sap volume in a healthy plant, how to make long-lasting bioelectronics, and how create a smart self-powered wearable phytosensor in a single device. It also has the challenge of modelling urban environments using novel combinations of exiting parameters and explores the future role of sap in this sense. Thus, it is a promising tool to carry out weather/pollution/pandemics development forecasting systems up to social networks for proving an ecological/environmental feedback to citizens. Thus it will be possible to perform specific actions and apply efficient use of resources and correct policies, which can have a great impact not only in urban monitoring but a huge range of plant-related sectors such as agro-food industry or forestry.

Antiviral drugs will be key in the management of future virus outbreaks. For each virus family with epidemic/pandemic potential, stockpiles of potent drugs are needed that can be deployed when a new pathogen emerges. Such broader-acting drugs (targeting conserved viral functions) are needed as of “day one” of an outbreak, for treatment and prophylaxis (e.g., in HCW and frail patients). In combination with quarantine measures, such drugs will delay (global) spread, allowing time for vaccine-development. Since the 2003 SARS outbreak, PANVIPREP’s core partners have successfully collaborated in leading European antiviral drug research projects. This provides a solid scientific basis in combination with translational drug discovery expertise. The team includes virologists, biochemists, structural biologists, medicinal chemists and pharmacokinetics experts. Previously developed know-how and toolboxes will be a major asset to achieve immediate impact. PANVIPREP aims to greatly expand the antiviral portfolio and identify novel druggable targets of high-risk RNA viruses. Hits will be identified through (i) phenotypic antiviral screening of compound libraries (ii) structure-based drug design, (iii) in silico screening, supported by the latest machine-learning methods. We will deliver 25 to 50 high-quality, broad(er)-spectrum (pan-genus/pan-family) hit molecules/hit series. Two of these will be developed to the early lead stage, including proof of concept in animal infection models. Remaining hits will serve as chemical tool-compounds to explore mechanisms of action thereby identifying novel druggable targets in RNA virus replication. This in turn will accelerate target-based drug design efforts. The workflow will integrate best practices in antiviral drug discovery with a range of methodological innovations, including AI-based methods, thus renovating and accelerating the antiviral hit discovery pipeline future use and contributing to pandemic preparedness.