ERC FUNDED PROJECTS

Spacetime defines existence and evolution of materials. A key path to human’s sustainability through materials innovation can hardly circumvent materials dimensionalities. Despite numerous studies in electrically distinct 2D semiconductors, the route to engage them in high-performance photocatalysts remains elusive. Herein, CATCH proposes a cross-dimensional activation strategy of 2D semiconductors to implement practical photocatalysis. It operates electronic structures of dimensionally paradoxical 2D semiconductors and spatially limited nD (n=0-2) guests, directs charge migration processes, mass-produces advanced catalysts and elucidates time-evolved catalysis. Synergic impacts crossing 2D-nD will lead to > 95%/hour rates for pollutant removal and >20% quantum efficiencies for H2 evolution under visible light. CATCH enumerates chemical coordination and writes reaction equations with sub-nanosecond precision. CATCH employs density functional theory optimization and data mining prediction to select most probable heterojunctional peers from hetero/homo- dimensions. Through facile but efficient wet and dry synthesis, nanostructures will be bonded to basal planes or brinks of 2D slabs. CATCH benefits in-house techniques for product characterizations and refinements and emphasizes on cutting-edge in situ studies to unveil photocatalysis at advanced photon sources. Assisted with theoretical modelling, ambient and time-evolved experiments will illustrate photocatalytic dynamics and kinetics in mixed spacetime. CATCH unites low-dimensional materials designs by counting physical and electronic merits from spacetime confinements. It metrologically elaborates photocatalysis in an elevated 2D+nD+t, alters passages of materials combinations crossing dimensions, and directs future photocatalyst designs. Standing on cross-dimensional materials innovation and photocatalysis study, CATCH breaks the deadlock of practical photocatalysis that eventually leads to sustainability.

1 999 946 €

Start date: 2021-05-01, End date: 2026-04-30

It has been recognized that growing cells within 3D structures reduces the gap between 2D in vitro cell cultures and native tissue physiology. This has been paving the way for the development of reliable 3D in vitro cell-based platforms with major impact in the reduction/elimination of animal experimentation, diseases modelling and drug development. So far, the many strategies that have been followed to bioengineer in vitro 3D human tissue models mostly rely on the random culture of cells within a 3D structure without reflecting the compositional and structural complexity of the native tissues. Recently proposed bioprinting technologies that allow accurate and high speed deposition of various cells and matrices at high resolution, have therefore great potential in the development of physiologically reliable 3D in vitro tissue models by recreating the different microenvironments/microfunctionalities found in each tissue. Nonetheless, among the components required for bioprinting, bioinks in particular have demanding requirements and much has still to be done regarding their intrinsic formulation to lead cell behaviour and support specific functionalities. ECM_INK intends to tackle this issue by developing cells-self extracellular matrices-based bioinks to create accurate and pathophysiological relevant 3D in vitro diseased skin tissue models. The development of cell phenotype-driven bioinks will generate complex microenvironments comprising varied cell types within matrices that were specifically designed to attain a particular response from each one of those cell types. The use of cells from patients suffering from chronic, genetic and neoplastic skin diseases represents a major advantage that will be reflected in the accuracy and functionality of the respective 3D in vitro models. The ultimate confirmation of their potential will be complete after validation using animal-free approaches reinforcing the intrinsic relationship of ECM_INK with the 3Rs policy.

1 998 939 €

Start date: 2017-05-01, End date: 2022-10-31

Severe sepsis remains a poorly understood systemic inflammatory condition with high mortality rates and limited therapeutic options outside of infection control and organ support measures. Based on our recent discovery that anthracycline drugs prevent organ failure without affecting the bacterial burden in a model of severe sepsis, we propose that strategies aimed at target organ protection have extraordinary potential for the treatment of sepsis and possibly for other inflammation-driven conditions. However, the mechanisms of organ protection and disease tolerance are either unknown or poorly characterized. The central goal of the current proposal is to identify and characterize novel cytoprotective mechanisms, with a focus on DNA damage response dependent protection activated by anthracyclines as a window into stress-induced genetic programs conferring disease tolerance. To that end, we will carry out a combination of candidate and unbiased approaches for the in vivo identification of ATM-dependent and independent mechanisms of tissue protection. We will validate the leading candidates through adenovirus-mediated delivery of constructs for overexpression (gain-of-function) or shRNA for gene silencing (loss-of-function) to the lung, based on our recent finding that rescuing this organ is essential and perhaps sufficient in anthracycline-induced protection against severe sepsis. The candidates showing the most promise will be characterized using a combination of in vitro and in vivo genetic, biochemical, cell biological and physiological methods. The results arising from the current proposal are likely not only to inspire the design of transformative therapies for sepsis but also to open a completely new field of opportunity to molecularly understand core surveillance mechanisms of basic cellular processes with a critical role in the homeostasis of organ function and whose activation can ultimately promote quality of life during aging and increase lifespan.

1 985 375 €

Start date: 2015-10-01, End date: 2021-03-31

Emulsions are elemental to many aspects of every-day life, from food to pharmaceuticals. However, today’s emulsion science faces a grand challenge in developing stabilizers with outstanding functionality in a sustainable manner. To enable society’s transformation from oil-based economy to bioeconomy, there is an urgent need to develop sophisticated biocompatible materials, such as stabilizers of food and non-food emulsions, from biomass-derived precursors through sustainable conversion routes. Current bio-based stabilizers are poorly defined and not as efficient as the synthetic ones, primarily because key technologies to construct sophisticated hierarchical structures from abundant biopolymers are lacking. I will use my expertise on wood biomass and emulsion stabilizer research to develop a novel approach for asymmetric, bi-facial “Janus” nanoparticles from two of the most abundant, but underused biopolymers: lignin and hemicelluloses. I will develop a green conversion route using enzymatic crosslinking to build a novel concept: tailored wood-based Janus particles with superior capacity to stabilize emulsion interfaces. I will further tailor the particles to control their cooling rate through reversible bond formation, which will revolutionize the materials science. To achieve this ambitious goal, it is crucial to carefully characterize the particles and formed interfaces. I will develop a novel method to characterize real emulsion systems with high precision, which existing methods cannot achieve. PARTIFACE will establish a green route to sophisticated hierarchical architectures—bi-facial Janus-particle-stabilized interfaces—and thermal control systems utilizing abundant bioresources. The project will lead to a breakthrough in colloid and interface science and contribute to more sustainable use of Earth’s resources.

2 000 000 €

Start date: 2020-06-01, End date: 2025-05-31