Project overview
Understanding ME through collaborative research
DISCOVER-ME is a Horizon Europe research project working to transform how Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME or ME/CFS) is understood, diagnosed and treated, through biomarker-driven, patient-centred science.
ME/CFS has no confirmed biological test and no approved treatment. DISCOVER-ME is a four-year Horizon Europe research project working to close that gap. Bringing together clinical, immunological and computational research across Europe, the project aims to deliver a biologically validated framework for identifying distinct ME/CFS subtypes, laying the groundwork for more accurate diagnosis, better care planning, and future clinical trials.
To understand the condition itself, see What is ME?
DISCOVER-ME at a Glance
48 Months
2026 – 2030
21 Partners
Collaborative consortium
Across Europe and beyond
12 Countries
International collaboration
FIRST EU Funded
Dedicated to ME/CFS
Horizon Europe
Translating
Identification • Validation • Prioritisation • Discovery
Discovery across the biology of ME/CFS
DISCOVER-ME investigates biological evidence across five key domains – (epi)genetic, immune, metabolic, neuroendocrine and vascular – bringing findings together to build a more detailed understanding of ME/CFS.
By examining these interconnected areas alongside clinical information, the project aims to identify biological patterns, strengthen the evidence base and support the development of more reliable biomarkers and future approaches to diagnosis and treatment.
What DISCOVER-ME aims to achieve
Our objectives
- Develop harmonised clinical case definitions and identify distinct ME/CFS patient subgroups
- Identify and validate biomarkers across immune, metabolic, neuroendocrine and vascular systems
- Build an integrated disease map and computational models linking clinical and biological data
- Test the mechanisms these models reveal, using both computational and laboratory methods
- Assess the personal, social and economic impact of ME/CFS to inform policy and care
- Keep services and data open and accessible, so they continue to benefit patients beyond the project’s four-year lifetime
- Share findings widely and work with policymakers and health authorities to help translate research into real-world clinical and policy impact
The DISCOVER-ME approach
From identification to discovery
DISCOVER-ME’s research follows four connected steps: Identification, Validation, Prioritisation and Discovery.
Candidate biological signals and biomarkers are identified across five interconnected areas of research (Identification), tested for reliability across independent patient cohorts, samples and biobanks (Validation), and ranked so that the strongest candidates are taken forward (Prioritisation). Together, these steps lead towards biologically defined patient subgroups and new understanding of ME/CFS (Discovery).
Linking every step is translation: carrying findings forward so they can inform future diagnosis and care.
This structure links laboratory and computational research directly to patient benefit, rather than treating them as separate tracks.
For the full detail behind each stage, see Research Programme and Work Packages.
A European collaborative project
Collaboration across Europe and Canada
DISCOVER-ME unites an experienced, multidisciplinary consortium from the European ME Research Group (EMERG), with expertise spanning clinical research, molecular biology, computational modelling and patient engagement. The consortium works closely with Young EMERG, a network of early-career ME/CFS researchers gaining hands-on experience across the project’s work packages. Patients are involved throughout the project, from the design of research tools to advisory input on how findings are used, through the project’s own Patient Advisory Group.
Full partner details are on The EMERG Consortium page.