We are pleased to introduce CapCell, a new Horizon Europe project led by Maastricht University that aims to transform forensic investigations by enabling reliable DNA profiling from even the most complex biological traces. CapCell addresses a critical challenge in sexual assault cases, where current forensic methods struggle to separate and analyse mixed or degraded samples, often leaving victims without interpretable evidence.
With €4.5 million in funding under the call HORIZON-CL3-2024-FCT-01-02 – Open Topic, the project will develop the first modular, mobile forensic toolkit capable of capturing, isolating, sequencing and interpreting individual cells from mixed DNA evidence. The toolkit will combine advanced microfluidics, next-/long-generation sequencing and automated machine-learning pipelines, and will be validated in real forensic settings. Once completed, it is designed for adoption by forensic institutes and police authorities across Europe.
CapCell brings together 13 partners from eight countries, including universities, forensic institutes, police forces and industry, ensuring strong scientific expertise and practical end-user involvement (see our network page). The project launched on 1 October 2025 and will run for four years.
Download and read the full project announcement here.
