Pathfinder Pilot ROSE

Partial and total loss of smell (hyposmia / anosmia) impacts 20% of the global population with adverse effects on quality of life. The Covid pandemic has shown that nearly one in two Covid-positive people worldwide suffers from olfactory loss which persists in some cases. Unlike other sensory systems, there is currently no technology that can restore the sense of smell. The ROSE project, coordinated by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, France), combines the efforts of seven international partners to provide a proof of concept of a new technology that would help people suffering from anosmia to perceive their olfactory environment. The ROSE project has been awarded over 3 million euros in European funding under the H2020 European Innovation Council Pathfinder Pilot programme (formerly known as FET-Open). It includes collaboration from CNRS (France), Politecnico di Milano (Italy), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland), University of Thessaloniki (Greece), University of Dresden (Germany), Aryballe (France), and Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux énergies alternatives (France). The interdisciplinary research project combines nanotechnology, microtechnology, biotechnology, mechanical design, neurosurgery, clinical olfaction, neuroscience and cognitive psychology. The ultimate goal of the ROSE project is to develop a proof of concept combining miniaturized odor sensors and stimulation arrays that will be evaluated in patients with smell disorders.