Background. Clinical decisions frequently rely on biochemical and cellular analyses of blood and urine. Recent research has highlighted that these body fluids also contain numerous small (<0.001 mm) extracellular vesicles, commonly referred to as exosomes. These vesicles originate from a variety of cells and play roles in intercellular communication, coagulation, and inflammation. The properties of these vesicles, such as their biochemical composition, cellular origin, and concentration, undergo changes in conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Consequently, the ability to characterize vesicles enhances our understanding of major disease development and offers a method for early detection.

Problem. Despite the growing recognition of the clinical importance of extracellular vesicles, their reliable detection and characterization remain challenging. Due to their small size and low refractive index, vesicles are often below the detection threshold of modern techniques. As a result, no device currently exists that can comprehensively characterize all vesicle sizes directly in body fluids to provide clinical information.

Goal. My goal is to develop biomarkers for cardiovascular diseases and cancer based on extracellular vesicles. To achieve this goal, I have outlined the following objectives:

• To develop and test novel optical techniques for characterizing individual vesicles.
• To standardize measurements by reporting all signals in standard units to ensure data reproducibility.
• To make single vesicle characterization techniques, such as customized flow cytometers, 1,000 times faster.

Profile and team. I defended my PhD cum laude and have received several prestigious personal talent grants, including a Research Excellence Grant from the EU and a VENI and VIDI grant from NWO. Currently, I manage 5 active projects and lead a team of 15 dedicated members at the Amsterdam Vesicle Center. Additionally, I serve as the Chief Scientific Officer of Exometry and direct a start-up company named EVcount. For more information and a complete list of my peer-reviewed publications, please visit edwinvanderpol.com.

My areas of expertise are:

• Detection and characterization of extracellular vesicles as disease biomarkers
• Development and implementation of laboratory standardization software
• Flow cytometry of nanoparticles
• Optical detection of single nanoparticles