Project acronym 2-3-AUT
Project Surfaces, 3-manifolds and automorphism groups
Researcher (PI) Nathalie Wahl
Host Institution (HI) KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITET
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE1, ERC-2009-StG
Summary The scientific goal of the proposal is to answer central questions related to diffeomorphism groups of manifolds of dimension 2 and 3, and to their deformation invariant analogs, the mapping class groups. While the classification of surfaces has been known for more than a century, their automorphism groups have yet to be fully understood. Even less is known about diffeomorphisms of 3-manifolds despite much interest, and the objects here have only been classified recently, by the breakthrough work of Perelman on the Poincar\'e and geometrization conjectures. In dimension 2, I will focus on the relationship between mapping class groups and topological conformal field theories, with applications to Hochschild homology. In dimension 3, I propose to compute the stable homology of classifying spaces of diffeomorphism groups and mapping class groups, as well as study the homotopy type of the space of diffeomorphisms. I propose moreover to establish homological stability theorems in the wider context of automorphism groups and more general families of groups. The project combines breakthrough methods from homotopy theory with methods from differential and geometric topology. The research team will consist of 3 PhD students, and 4 postdocs, which I will lead.
Summary
The scientific goal of the proposal is to answer central questions related to diffeomorphism groups of manifolds of dimension 2 and 3, and to their deformation invariant analogs, the mapping class groups. While the classification of surfaces has been known for more than a century, their automorphism groups have yet to be fully understood. Even less is known about diffeomorphisms of 3-manifolds despite much interest, and the objects here have only been classified recently, by the breakthrough work of Perelman on the Poincar\'e and geometrization conjectures. In dimension 2, I will focus on the relationship between mapping class groups and topological conformal field theories, with applications to Hochschild homology. In dimension 3, I propose to compute the stable homology of classifying spaces of diffeomorphism groups and mapping class groups, as well as study the homotopy type of the space of diffeomorphisms. I propose moreover to establish homological stability theorems in the wider context of automorphism groups and more general families of groups. The project combines breakthrough methods from homotopy theory with methods from differential and geometric topology. The research team will consist of 3 PhD students, and 4 postdocs, which I will lead.
Max ERC Funding
724 992 €
Duration
Start date: 2009-11-01, End date: 2014-10-31
Project acronym 3SPIN
Project Three Dimensional Spintronics
Researcher (PI) Russell Paul Cowburn
Host Institution (HI) THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARSOF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE3, ERC-2009-AdG
Summary Spintronics, in which both the spin and the charge of the electron are used, is one of the most exciting new disciplines to emerge from nanoscience. The 3SPIN project seeks to open a new research front within spintronics: namely 3-dimensional spintronics, in which magnetic nanostructures are formed into a 3-dimensional interacting network of unrivalled density and hence technological benefit. 3SPIN will explore early-stage science that could underpin 3-dimensional metallic spintronics. The thesis of the project is: that by careful control of the constituent nanostructure properties, a 3-dimensional medium can be created in which a large number of topological solitons can exist. Although hardly studied at all to date, these solitons should be stable at room temperature, extremely compact and easy to manipulate and propagate. This makes them potentially ideal candidates to form the basis of a new spintronics in which the soliton is the basic transport vector instead of electrical current. ¬3.5M of funding is requested to form a new team of 5 researchers who, over a period of 60 months, will perform computer simulations and experimental studies of solitons in 3-dimensional networks of magnetic nanostructures and develop a laboratory demonstrator 3-dimensional memory device using solitons to represent and store data. A high performance electron beam lithography system (cost 1M¬) will be purchased to allow state-of-the-art magnetic nanostructures to be fabricated with perfect control over their magnetic properties, thus allowing the ideal conditions for solitons to be created and controllably manipulated. Outputs from the project will be a complete understanding of the properties of these new objects and a road map charting the next steps for research in the field.
Summary
Spintronics, in which both the spin and the charge of the electron are used, is one of the most exciting new disciplines to emerge from nanoscience. The 3SPIN project seeks to open a new research front within spintronics: namely 3-dimensional spintronics, in which magnetic nanostructures are formed into a 3-dimensional interacting network of unrivalled density and hence technological benefit. 3SPIN will explore early-stage science that could underpin 3-dimensional metallic spintronics. The thesis of the project is: that by careful control of the constituent nanostructure properties, a 3-dimensional medium can be created in which a large number of topological solitons can exist. Although hardly studied at all to date, these solitons should be stable at room temperature, extremely compact and easy to manipulate and propagate. This makes them potentially ideal candidates to form the basis of a new spintronics in which the soliton is the basic transport vector instead of electrical current. ¬3.5M of funding is requested to form a new team of 5 researchers who, over a period of 60 months, will perform computer simulations and experimental studies of solitons in 3-dimensional networks of magnetic nanostructures and develop a laboratory demonstrator 3-dimensional memory device using solitons to represent and store data. A high performance electron beam lithography system (cost 1M¬) will be purchased to allow state-of-the-art magnetic nanostructures to be fabricated with perfect control over their magnetic properties, thus allowing the ideal conditions for solitons to be created and controllably manipulated. Outputs from the project will be a complete understanding of the properties of these new objects and a road map charting the next steps for research in the field.
Max ERC Funding
2 799 996 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-03-01, End date: 2016-02-29
Project acronym 4D IMAGING
Project Towards 4D Imaging of Fundamental Processes on the Atomic and Sub-Atomic Scale
Researcher (PI) Ferenc Krausz
Host Institution (HI) LUDWIG-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE2, ERC-2009-AdG
Summary State-of-the-art microscopy and diffraction imaging provides insight into the atomic and sub-atomic structure of matter. They permit determination of the positions of atoms in a crystal lattice or in a molecule as well as the distribution of electrons inside atoms. State-of-the-art time-resolved spectroscopy with femtosecond and attosecond resolution provides access to dynamic changes in the atomic and electronic structure of matter. Our proposal aims at combining these two frontier techniques of XXI century science to make a long-standing dream of scientist come true: the direct observation of atoms and electrons in their natural state: in motion. Shifts in the atoms positions by tens to hundreds of picometers can make chemical bonds break apart or newly form, changing the structure and/or chemical composition of matter. Electronic motion on similar scales may result in the emission of light, or the initiation of processes that lead to a change in physical or chemical properties, or biological function. These motions happen within femtoseconds and attoseconds, respectively. To make them observable, we need a 4-dimensional (4D) imaging technique capable of recording freeze-frame snapshots of microscopic systems with picometer spatial resolution and femtosecond to attosecond exposure time. The motion can then be visualized by slow-motion replay of the freeze-frame shots. The goal of this project is to develop a 4D imaging technique that will ultimately offer picometer resolution is space and attosecond resolution in time.
Summary
State-of-the-art microscopy and diffraction imaging provides insight into the atomic and sub-atomic structure of matter. They permit determination of the positions of atoms in a crystal lattice or in a molecule as well as the distribution of electrons inside atoms. State-of-the-art time-resolved spectroscopy with femtosecond and attosecond resolution provides access to dynamic changes in the atomic and electronic structure of matter. Our proposal aims at combining these two frontier techniques of XXI century science to make a long-standing dream of scientist come true: the direct observation of atoms and electrons in their natural state: in motion. Shifts in the atoms positions by tens to hundreds of picometers can make chemical bonds break apart or newly form, changing the structure and/or chemical composition of matter. Electronic motion on similar scales may result in the emission of light, or the initiation of processes that lead to a change in physical or chemical properties, or biological function. These motions happen within femtoseconds and attoseconds, respectively. To make them observable, we need a 4-dimensional (4D) imaging technique capable of recording freeze-frame snapshots of microscopic systems with picometer spatial resolution and femtosecond to attosecond exposure time. The motion can then be visualized by slow-motion replay of the freeze-frame shots. The goal of this project is to develop a 4D imaging technique that will ultimately offer picometer resolution is space and attosecond resolution in time.
Max ERC Funding
2 500 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-03-01, End date: 2015-02-28
Project acronym 5HT-OPTOGENETICS
Project Optogenetic Analysis of Serotonin Function in the Mammalian Brain
Researcher (PI) Zachary Mainen
Host Institution (HI) FUNDACAO D. ANNA SOMMER CHAMPALIMAUD E DR. CARLOS MONTEZ CHAMPALIMAUD
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), LS5, ERC-2009-AdG
Summary Serotonin (5-HT) is implicated in a wide spectrum of brain functions and disorders. However, its functions remain controversial and enigmatic. We suggest that past work on the 5-HT system have been significantly hampered by technical limitations in the selectivity and temporal resolution of the conventional pharmacological and electrophysiological methods that have been applied. We therefore propose to apply novel optogenetic methods that will allow us to overcome these limitations and thereby gain new insight into the biological functions of this important molecule. In preliminary studies, we have demonstrated that we can deliver exogenous proteins specifically to 5-HT neurons using viral vectors. Our objectives are to (1) record, (2) stimulate and (3) silence the activity of 5-HT neurons with high molecular selectivity and temporal precision by using genetically-encoded sensors, activators and inhibitors of neural function. These tools will allow us to monitor and control the 5-HT system in real-time in freely-behaving animals and thereby to establish causal links between information processing in 5-HT neurons and specific behaviors. In combination with quantitative behavioral assays, we will use this approach to define the role of 5-HT in sensory, motor and cognitive functions. The significance of the work is three-fold. First, we will establish a new arsenal of tools for probing the physiological and behavioral functions of 5-HT neurons. Second, we will make definitive tests of major hypotheses of 5-HT function. Third, we will have possible therapeutic applications. In this way, the proposed work has the potential for a major impact in research on the role of 5-HT in brain function and dysfunction.
Summary
Serotonin (5-HT) is implicated in a wide spectrum of brain functions and disorders. However, its functions remain controversial and enigmatic. We suggest that past work on the 5-HT system have been significantly hampered by technical limitations in the selectivity and temporal resolution of the conventional pharmacological and electrophysiological methods that have been applied. We therefore propose to apply novel optogenetic methods that will allow us to overcome these limitations and thereby gain new insight into the biological functions of this important molecule. In preliminary studies, we have demonstrated that we can deliver exogenous proteins specifically to 5-HT neurons using viral vectors. Our objectives are to (1) record, (2) stimulate and (3) silence the activity of 5-HT neurons with high molecular selectivity and temporal precision by using genetically-encoded sensors, activators and inhibitors of neural function. These tools will allow us to monitor and control the 5-HT system in real-time in freely-behaving animals and thereby to establish causal links between information processing in 5-HT neurons and specific behaviors. In combination with quantitative behavioral assays, we will use this approach to define the role of 5-HT in sensory, motor and cognitive functions. The significance of the work is three-fold. First, we will establish a new arsenal of tools for probing the physiological and behavioral functions of 5-HT neurons. Second, we will make definitive tests of major hypotheses of 5-HT function. Third, we will have possible therapeutic applications. In this way, the proposed work has the potential for a major impact in research on the role of 5-HT in brain function and dysfunction.
Max ERC Funding
2 318 636 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-07-01, End date: 2015-12-31
Project acronym AARTFAAC
Project Amsterdam-ASTRON Radio Transient Facility And Analysis Centre: Probing the Extremes of Astrophysics
Researcher (PI) Ralph Antoine Marie Joseph Wijers
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAM
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE9, ERC-2009-AdG
Summary Some of the most extreme tests of physical law come from its manifestations in the behaviour of black holes and neutron stars, and as such these objects should be used as fundamental physics labs. Due to advances in both theoretical work and observational techniques, I have a major opportunity now to significantly push this agenda forward and get better answers to questions like: How are black holes born? How can energy be extracted from black holes? What is the origin of magnetic fields and cosmic rays in jets and shocks? Is their primary energy stream hadronic or magnetic? I propose to do this by exploiting the advent of wide-field radio astronomy: extreme objects are very rare and usually transient, so not only must one survey large areas of sky, but also must one do this often. I propose to form and shape a group that will use the LOFAR wide-field radio telescope to hunt for these extreme transients and systematically collect enough well-documented examples of the behaviour of each type of transient. Furthermore, I propose to expand LOFAR with a true 24/7 all-sky monitor to catch and study even the rarest of events. Next, I will use my experience in gamma-ray burst followup to conduct a vigorous multi-wavelength programme of study of these objects, to constrain their physics from as many angles as possible. This will eventually include results from multi-messenger astrophysics, in which we use neutrinos, gravity waves, and other non-electromagnetic messengers as extra diagnostics of the physics of these sources. Finally, I will build on my experience in modelling accretion phenomena and relativistic explosions to develop a theoretical framework for these phenomena and constrain the resulting models with the rich data sets we obtain.
Summary
Some of the most extreme tests of physical law come from its manifestations in the behaviour of black holes and neutron stars, and as such these objects should be used as fundamental physics labs. Due to advances in both theoretical work and observational techniques, I have a major opportunity now to significantly push this agenda forward and get better answers to questions like: How are black holes born? How can energy be extracted from black holes? What is the origin of magnetic fields and cosmic rays in jets and shocks? Is their primary energy stream hadronic or magnetic? I propose to do this by exploiting the advent of wide-field radio astronomy: extreme objects are very rare and usually transient, so not only must one survey large areas of sky, but also must one do this often. I propose to form and shape a group that will use the LOFAR wide-field radio telescope to hunt for these extreme transients and systematically collect enough well-documented examples of the behaviour of each type of transient. Furthermore, I propose to expand LOFAR with a true 24/7 all-sky monitor to catch and study even the rarest of events. Next, I will use my experience in gamma-ray burst followup to conduct a vigorous multi-wavelength programme of study of these objects, to constrain their physics from as many angles as possible. This will eventually include results from multi-messenger astrophysics, in which we use neutrinos, gravity waves, and other non-electromagnetic messengers as extra diagnostics of the physics of these sources. Finally, I will build on my experience in modelling accretion phenomena and relativistic explosions to develop a theoretical framework for these phenomena and constrain the resulting models with the rich data sets we obtain.
Max ERC Funding
3 499 128 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-10-01, End date: 2016-09-30
Project acronym ABEP
Project Asset Bubbles and Economic Policy
Researcher (PI) Jaume Ventura Fontanet
Host Institution (HI) Centre de Recerca en Economia Internacional (CREI)
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), SH1, ERC-2009-AdG
Summary Advanced capitalist economies experience large and persistent movements in asset prices that are difficult to justify with economic fundamentals. The internet bubble of the 1990s and the real state market bubble of the 2000s are two recent examples. The predominant view is that these bubbles are a market failure, and are caused by some form of individual irrationality on the part of market participants. This project is based instead on the view that market participants are individually rational, although this does not preclude sometimes collectively sub-optimal outcomes. Bubbles are thus not a source of market failure by themselves but instead arise as a result of a pre-existing market failure, namely, the existence of pockets of dynamically inefficient investments. Under some conditions, bubbles partly solve this problem, increasing market efficiency and welfare. It is also possible however that bubbles do not solve the underlying problem and, in addition, create negative side-effects. The main objective of this project is to develop this view of asset bubbles, and produce an empirically-relevant macroeconomic framework that allows us to address the following questions: (i) What is the relationship between bubbles and financial market frictions? Special emphasis is given to how the globalization of financial markets and the development of new financial products affect the size and effects of bubbles. (ii) What is the relationship between bubbles, economic growth and unemployment? The theory suggests the presence of virtuous and vicious cycles, as economic growth creates the conditions for bubbles to pop up, while bubbles create incentives for economic growth to happen. (iii) What is the optimal policy to manage bubbles? We need to develop the tools that allow policy makers to sustain those bubbles that have positive effects and burst those that have negative effects.
Summary
Advanced capitalist economies experience large and persistent movements in asset prices that are difficult to justify with economic fundamentals. The internet bubble of the 1990s and the real state market bubble of the 2000s are two recent examples. The predominant view is that these bubbles are a market failure, and are caused by some form of individual irrationality on the part of market participants. This project is based instead on the view that market participants are individually rational, although this does not preclude sometimes collectively sub-optimal outcomes. Bubbles are thus not a source of market failure by themselves but instead arise as a result of a pre-existing market failure, namely, the existence of pockets of dynamically inefficient investments. Under some conditions, bubbles partly solve this problem, increasing market efficiency and welfare. It is also possible however that bubbles do not solve the underlying problem and, in addition, create negative side-effects. The main objective of this project is to develop this view of asset bubbles, and produce an empirically-relevant macroeconomic framework that allows us to address the following questions: (i) What is the relationship between bubbles and financial market frictions? Special emphasis is given to how the globalization of financial markets and the development of new financial products affect the size and effects of bubbles. (ii) What is the relationship between bubbles, economic growth and unemployment? The theory suggests the presence of virtuous and vicious cycles, as economic growth creates the conditions for bubbles to pop up, while bubbles create incentives for economic growth to happen. (iii) What is the optimal policy to manage bubbles? We need to develop the tools that allow policy makers to sustain those bubbles that have positive effects and burst those that have negative effects.
Max ERC Funding
1 000 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-04-01, End date: 2015-03-31
Project acronym ACTIVE_NEUROGENESIS
Project Activity-dependent signaling in radial glial cells and their neuronal progeny
Researcher (PI) Colin Akerman
Host Institution (HI) THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS5, ERC-2009-StG
Summary A significant advance in the field of development has been the appreciation that radial glial cells are progenitors and give birth to neurons in the brain. In order to advance this exciting area of biology, we need approaches that combine structural and functional studies of these cells. This is reflected by the emerging realisation that dynamic interactions involving radial glia may be critical for the regulation of their proliferative behaviour. It has been observed that radial glia experience transient elevations in intracellular Ca2+ but the nature of these signals, and the information that they convey, is not known. The inability to observe these cells in vivo and over the course of their development has also meant that basic questions remain unexplored. For instance, how does the behaviour of a radial glial cell at one point in development, influence the final identity of its progeny? I propose to build a research team that will capitalise upon methods we have developed for observing individual radial glia and their progeny in an intact vertebrate nervous system. The visual system of Xenopus Laevis tadpoles offers non-invasive optical access to the brain, making time-lapse imaging of single cells feasible over minutes and weeks. The system s anatomy lends itself to techniques that measure the activity of the cells in a functional sensory network. We will use this to examine signalling mechanisms in radial glia and how a radial glial cell s experience influences its proliferative behaviour and the types of neuron it generates. We will also examine the interactions that continue between a radial glial cell and its daughter neurons. Finally, we will explore the relationships that exist within neuronal progeny derived from a single radial glial cell.
Summary
A significant advance in the field of development has been the appreciation that radial glial cells are progenitors and give birth to neurons in the brain. In order to advance this exciting area of biology, we need approaches that combine structural and functional studies of these cells. This is reflected by the emerging realisation that dynamic interactions involving radial glia may be critical for the regulation of their proliferative behaviour. It has been observed that radial glia experience transient elevations in intracellular Ca2+ but the nature of these signals, and the information that they convey, is not known. The inability to observe these cells in vivo and over the course of their development has also meant that basic questions remain unexplored. For instance, how does the behaviour of a radial glial cell at one point in development, influence the final identity of its progeny? I propose to build a research team that will capitalise upon methods we have developed for observing individual radial glia and their progeny in an intact vertebrate nervous system. The visual system of Xenopus Laevis tadpoles offers non-invasive optical access to the brain, making time-lapse imaging of single cells feasible over minutes and weeks. The system s anatomy lends itself to techniques that measure the activity of the cells in a functional sensory network. We will use this to examine signalling mechanisms in radial glia and how a radial glial cell s experience influences its proliferative behaviour and the types of neuron it generates. We will also examine the interactions that continue between a radial glial cell and its daughter neurons. Finally, we will explore the relationships that exist within neuronal progeny derived from a single radial glial cell.
Max ERC Funding
1 284 808 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-02-01, End date: 2015-01-31
Project acronym ADAPTIVES
Project Algorithmic Development and Analysis of Pioneer Techniques for Imaging with waVES
Researcher (PI) Chrysoula Tsogka
Host Institution (HI) IDRYMA TECHNOLOGIAS KAI EREVNAS
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE1, ERC-2009-StG
Summary The proposed work concerns the theoretical and numerical development of robust and adaptive methodologies for broadband imaging in clutter. The word clutter expresses our uncertainty on the wave speed of the propagation medium. Our results are expected to have a strong impact in a wide range of applications, including underwater acoustics, exploration geophysics and ultrasound non-destructive testing. Our machinery is coherent interferometry (CINT), a state-of-the-art statistically stable imaging methodology, highly suitable for the development of imaging methods in clutter. We aim to extend CINT along two complementary directions: novel types of applications, and further mathematical and numerical development so as to assess and extend its range of applicability. CINT is designed for imaging with partially coherent array data recorded in richly scattering media. It uses statistical smoothing techniques to obtain results that are independent of the clutter realization. Quantifying the amount of smoothing needed is difficult, especially when there is no a priori knowledge about the propagation medium. We intend to address this question by coupling the imaging process with the estimation of the medium's large scale features. Our algorithms rely on the residual coherence in the data. When the coherent signal is too weak, the CINT results are unsatisfactory. We propose two ways for enhancing the resolution of CINT: filter the data prior to imaging (noise reduction) and waveform design (optimize the source distribution). Finally, we propose to extend the applicability of our imaging-in-clutter methodologies by investigating the possibility of utilizing ambient noise sources to perform passive sensor imaging, as well as by studying the imaging problem in random waveguides.
Summary
The proposed work concerns the theoretical and numerical development of robust and adaptive methodologies for broadband imaging in clutter. The word clutter expresses our uncertainty on the wave speed of the propagation medium. Our results are expected to have a strong impact in a wide range of applications, including underwater acoustics, exploration geophysics and ultrasound non-destructive testing. Our machinery is coherent interferometry (CINT), a state-of-the-art statistically stable imaging methodology, highly suitable for the development of imaging methods in clutter. We aim to extend CINT along two complementary directions: novel types of applications, and further mathematical and numerical development so as to assess and extend its range of applicability. CINT is designed for imaging with partially coherent array data recorded in richly scattering media. It uses statistical smoothing techniques to obtain results that are independent of the clutter realization. Quantifying the amount of smoothing needed is difficult, especially when there is no a priori knowledge about the propagation medium. We intend to address this question by coupling the imaging process with the estimation of the medium's large scale features. Our algorithms rely on the residual coherence in the data. When the coherent signal is too weak, the CINT results are unsatisfactory. We propose two ways for enhancing the resolution of CINT: filter the data prior to imaging (noise reduction) and waveform design (optimize the source distribution). Finally, we propose to extend the applicability of our imaging-in-clutter methodologies by investigating the possibility of utilizing ambient noise sources to perform passive sensor imaging, as well as by studying the imaging problem in random waveguides.
Max ERC Funding
690 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-06-01, End date: 2015-11-30
Project acronym ADEQUATE
Project Advanced optoelectronic Devices with Enhanced QUAntum efficiency at THz frEquencies
Researcher (PI) Carlo Sirtori
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITE PARIS DIDEROT - PARIS 7
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE3, ERC-2009-AdG
Summary The aim of this project is the realisation of efficient mid-infrared and THz optoelectronic emitters. This work is motivated by the fact that the spontaneous emission in this frequency range is characterized by an extremely long lifetime when compared to non-radiative processes, giving rise to devices with very low quantum efficiency. To this end we want to develop hybrid light-matter systems, already well known in quantum optics, within optoelectronics devices, that will be driven by electrical injection. With this project we want to extend the field of optoelectronics by introducing some of the concepts of quantum optic, particularly the light-matter strong coupling, into semiconductor devices. More precisely this project aims at the implementation of novel optoelectronic emitters operating in the strong coupling regime between an intersubband excitation of a two-dimensional electron gas and a microcavity photonic mode. The quasiparticles issued from this coupling are called intersubband polaritons. The major difficulties and challenges of this project, do not lay in the observation of these quantum effects, but in their exploitation for a specific function, in particular an efficient electrical to optical conversion. To obtain efficient quantum emitters in the THz frequency range we will follow two different approaches: - In the first case we will try to exploit the additional characteristic time of the system introduced by the light-matter interaction in the strong (or ultra-strong) coupling regime. - The second approach will exploit the fact that, under certain conditions, intersubband polaritons have a bosonic character; as a consequence they can undergo stimulated scattering, giving rise to polaritons lasers as it has been shown for excitonic polaritons.
Summary
The aim of this project is the realisation of efficient mid-infrared and THz optoelectronic emitters. This work is motivated by the fact that the spontaneous emission in this frequency range is characterized by an extremely long lifetime when compared to non-radiative processes, giving rise to devices with very low quantum efficiency. To this end we want to develop hybrid light-matter systems, already well known in quantum optics, within optoelectronics devices, that will be driven by electrical injection. With this project we want to extend the field of optoelectronics by introducing some of the concepts of quantum optic, particularly the light-matter strong coupling, into semiconductor devices. More precisely this project aims at the implementation of novel optoelectronic emitters operating in the strong coupling regime between an intersubband excitation of a two-dimensional electron gas and a microcavity photonic mode. The quasiparticles issued from this coupling are called intersubband polaritons. The major difficulties and challenges of this project, do not lay in the observation of these quantum effects, but in their exploitation for a specific function, in particular an efficient electrical to optical conversion. To obtain efficient quantum emitters in the THz frequency range we will follow two different approaches: - In the first case we will try to exploit the additional characteristic time of the system introduced by the light-matter interaction in the strong (or ultra-strong) coupling regime. - The second approach will exploit the fact that, under certain conditions, intersubband polaritons have a bosonic character; as a consequence they can undergo stimulated scattering, giving rise to polaritons lasers as it has been shown for excitonic polaritons.
Max ERC Funding
1 761 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-05-01, End date: 2015-04-30
Project acronym AFFINITY
Project Actuation of Ferromagnetic Fibre Networks to improve Implant Longevity
Researcher (PI) Athina Markaki
Host Institution (HI) THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARSOF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE8, ERC-2009-StG
Summary This proposal is for an exploratory study into a radical new approach to the problem of orthopaedic implant loosening. Such loosening commonly occurs because the joint between the implant and the surrounding bone is insufficiently strong and durable. It is a serious problem both for implants cemented to the bone and for those dependent on bone in-growth into a rough/porous implant surface. In the latter case, the main problem is commonly that bone in-growth is insufficiently rapid or deep for a strong bond to be established. The idea proposed in this work is that the implant should have a highly porous surface layer, made by bonding ferromagnetic fibres together, into which bone tissue growth would occur. During the post-operative period, application of a magnetic field will cause the fibre network to deform elastically, as individual fibres tend to align with the field. This will impose strains on the bone tissue as it grows into the fibre network. Such mechanical deformation is known to be highly beneficial in promoting bone growth, providing the associated strain lies in a certain range (~0.1%). Preliminary work, involving both model development and experimental studies on the effect of magnetic fields on fibre networks, has suggested that beneficial therapeutic effects can be induced using field strengths no greater than those already employed for diagnostic purposes. A comprehensive 5-year, highly inter-disciplinary programme is planned, encompassing processing, network architecture characterisation, magneto-mechanical response investigations, various modelling activities and systematic in vitro experimentation to establish whether magneto-mechanical Actuation of Ferromagnetic Fibre Networks shows promise as a new therapeutic approach to improve implant longevity.
Summary
This proposal is for an exploratory study into a radical new approach to the problem of orthopaedic implant loosening. Such loosening commonly occurs because the joint between the implant and the surrounding bone is insufficiently strong and durable. It is a serious problem both for implants cemented to the bone and for those dependent on bone in-growth into a rough/porous implant surface. In the latter case, the main problem is commonly that bone in-growth is insufficiently rapid or deep for a strong bond to be established. The idea proposed in this work is that the implant should have a highly porous surface layer, made by bonding ferromagnetic fibres together, into which bone tissue growth would occur. During the post-operative period, application of a magnetic field will cause the fibre network to deform elastically, as individual fibres tend to align with the field. This will impose strains on the bone tissue as it grows into the fibre network. Such mechanical deformation is known to be highly beneficial in promoting bone growth, providing the associated strain lies in a certain range (~0.1%). Preliminary work, involving both model development and experimental studies on the effect of magnetic fields on fibre networks, has suggested that beneficial therapeutic effects can be induced using field strengths no greater than those already employed for diagnostic purposes. A comprehensive 5-year, highly inter-disciplinary programme is planned, encompassing processing, network architecture characterisation, magneto-mechanical response investigations, various modelling activities and systematic in vitro experimentation to establish whether magneto-mechanical Actuation of Ferromagnetic Fibre Networks shows promise as a new therapeutic approach to improve implant longevity.
Max ERC Funding
1 442 756 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-01-01, End date: 2015-11-30
Project acronym AFRICA-GHG
Project AFRICA-GHG: The role of African tropical forests on the Greenhouse Gases balance of the atmosphere
Researcher (PI) Riccardo Valentini
Host Institution (HI) FONDAZIONE CENTRO EURO-MEDITERRANEOSUI CAMBIAMENTI CLIMATICI
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE10, ERC-2009-AdG
Summary The role of the African continent in the global carbon cycle, and therefore in climate change, is increasingly recognised. Despite the increasingly acknowledged importance of Africa in the global carbon cycle and its high vulnerability to climate change there is still a lack of studies on the carbon cycle in representative African ecosystems (in particular tropical forests), and on the effects of climate on ecosystem-atmosphere exchange. In the present proposal we want to focus on these spoecifc objectives : 1. Understand the role of African tropical rainforest on the GHG balance of the atmosphere and revise their role on the global methane and N2O emissions. 2. Determine the carbon source/sink strength of African tropical rainforest in the pre-industrial versus the XXth century by temporal reconstruction of biomass growth with biogeochemical markers 3. Understand and quantify carbon and GHG fluxes variability across African tropical forests (west east equatorial belt) 4.Analyse the impact of forest degradation and deforestation on carbon and other GHG emissions
Summary
The role of the African continent in the global carbon cycle, and therefore in climate change, is increasingly recognised. Despite the increasingly acknowledged importance of Africa in the global carbon cycle and its high vulnerability to climate change there is still a lack of studies on the carbon cycle in representative African ecosystems (in particular tropical forests), and on the effects of climate on ecosystem-atmosphere exchange. In the present proposal we want to focus on these spoecifc objectives : 1. Understand the role of African tropical rainforest on the GHG balance of the atmosphere and revise their role on the global methane and N2O emissions. 2. Determine the carbon source/sink strength of African tropical rainforest in the pre-industrial versus the XXth century by temporal reconstruction of biomass growth with biogeochemical markers 3. Understand and quantify carbon and GHG fluxes variability across African tropical forests (west east equatorial belt) 4.Analyse the impact of forest degradation and deforestation on carbon and other GHG emissions
Max ERC Funding
2 406 950 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-04-01, End date: 2014-12-31
Project acronym AFRIVAL
Project African river basins: catchment-scale carbon fluxes and transformations
Researcher (PI) Steven Bouillon
Host Institution (HI) KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE10, ERC-2009-StG
Summary This proposal wishes to fundamentally improve our understanding of the role of tropical freshwater ecosystems in carbon (C) cycling on the catchment scale. It uses an unprecedented combination of state-of-the-art proxies such as stable isotope, 14C and biomarker signatures to characterize organic matter, radiogenic isotope signatures to determine particle residence times, as well as field measurements of relevant biogeochemical processes. We focus on tropical systems since there is a striking lack of data on such systems, even though riverine C transport is thought to be disproportionately high in tropical areas. Furthermore, the presence of landscape-scale contrasts in vegetation (in particular, C3 vs. C4 plants) are an important asset in the use of stable isotopes as natural tracers of C cycling processes on this scale. Freshwater ecosystems are an important component in the global C cycle, and the primary link between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Recent estimates indicate that ~2 Pg C y-1 (Pg=Petagram) enter freshwater systems, i.e., about twice the estimated global terrestrial C sink. More than half of this is thought to be remineralized before it reaches the coastal zone, and for the Amazon basin this has even been suggested to be ~90% of the lateral C inputs. The question how general these patterns are is a matter of debate, and assessing the mechanisms determining the degree of processing versus transport of organic carbon in lakes and river systems is critical to further constrain their role in the global C cycle. This proposal provides an interdisciplinary approach to describe and quantify catchment-scale C transport and cycling in tropical river basins. Besides conceptual and methodological advances, and a significant expansion of our dataset on C processes in such systems, new data gathered in this project are likely to provide exciting and novel hypotheses on the functioning of freshwater systems and their linkage to the terrestrial C budget.
Summary
This proposal wishes to fundamentally improve our understanding of the role of tropical freshwater ecosystems in carbon (C) cycling on the catchment scale. It uses an unprecedented combination of state-of-the-art proxies such as stable isotope, 14C and biomarker signatures to characterize organic matter, radiogenic isotope signatures to determine particle residence times, as well as field measurements of relevant biogeochemical processes. We focus on tropical systems since there is a striking lack of data on such systems, even though riverine C transport is thought to be disproportionately high in tropical areas. Furthermore, the presence of landscape-scale contrasts in vegetation (in particular, C3 vs. C4 plants) are an important asset in the use of stable isotopes as natural tracers of C cycling processes on this scale. Freshwater ecosystems are an important component in the global C cycle, and the primary link between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Recent estimates indicate that ~2 Pg C y-1 (Pg=Petagram) enter freshwater systems, i.e., about twice the estimated global terrestrial C sink. More than half of this is thought to be remineralized before it reaches the coastal zone, and for the Amazon basin this has even been suggested to be ~90% of the lateral C inputs. The question how general these patterns are is a matter of debate, and assessing the mechanisms determining the degree of processing versus transport of organic carbon in lakes and river systems is critical to further constrain their role in the global C cycle. This proposal provides an interdisciplinary approach to describe and quantify catchment-scale C transport and cycling in tropical river basins. Besides conceptual and methodological advances, and a significant expansion of our dataset on C processes in such systems, new data gathered in this project are likely to provide exciting and novel hypotheses on the functioning of freshwater systems and their linkage to the terrestrial C budget.
Max ERC Funding
1 745 262 €
Duration
Start date: 2009-10-01, End date: 2014-09-30
Project acronym AIM2 INFLAMMASOME
Project Cytosolic recognition of foreign nucleic acids: Molecular and functional characterization of AIM2, a central player in DNA-triggered inflammasome activation
Researcher (PI) Veit Hornung
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITAETSKLINIKUM BONN
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS6, ERC-2009-StG
Summary Host cytokines, chemokines and type I IFNs are critical effectors of the innate immune response to viral and bacterial pathogens. Several classes of germ-line encoded pattern recognition receptors have been identified, which sense non-self nucleic acids and trigger these responses. Recently NLRP-3, a member of the NOD-like receptor (NLR) family, has been shown to sense endogenous danger signals, environmental insults and the DNA viruses adenovirus and HSV. Activation of NLRP-3 induces the formation of a large multiprotein complex in cells termed inflammasome , which controls the activity of pro-caspase-1 and the maturation of pro-IL-1² and pro-IL18 into their active forms. NLRP-3, however, does not regulate these responses to double stranded cytosolic DNA. We identified the cytosolic protein AIM2 as the missing receptor for cytosolic DNA. AIM2 contains a HIN200 domain, which binds to DNA and a pyrin domain, which associates with the adapter molecule ASC to activate both NF-ºB and caspase-1. Knock down of AIM2 down-regulates caspase-1-mediated IL-1² responses following DNA stimulation or vaccinia virus infection. Collectively, these observations demonstrate that AIM2 forms an inflammasome with the DNA ligand and ASC to activate caspase-1. Our underlying hypothesis for this proposal is that AIM2 plays a central role in host-defence to cytosolic microbial pathogens and also in DNA-triggered autoimmunity. The goals of this research proposal are to further characterize the DNA ligand for AIM2, to explore the molecular mechanisms of AIM2 activation, to define the contribution of AIM2 to host-defence against viral and bacterial pathogens and to assess its function in nucleic acid triggered autoimmune disease. The characterization of AIM2 and its role in innate immunity could open new avenues in the advancement of immunotherapy and treatment of autoimmune disease.
Summary
Host cytokines, chemokines and type I IFNs are critical effectors of the innate immune response to viral and bacterial pathogens. Several classes of germ-line encoded pattern recognition receptors have been identified, which sense non-self nucleic acids and trigger these responses. Recently NLRP-3, a member of the NOD-like receptor (NLR) family, has been shown to sense endogenous danger signals, environmental insults and the DNA viruses adenovirus and HSV. Activation of NLRP-3 induces the formation of a large multiprotein complex in cells termed inflammasome , which controls the activity of pro-caspase-1 and the maturation of pro-IL-1² and pro-IL18 into their active forms. NLRP-3, however, does not regulate these responses to double stranded cytosolic DNA. We identified the cytosolic protein AIM2 as the missing receptor for cytosolic DNA. AIM2 contains a HIN200 domain, which binds to DNA and a pyrin domain, which associates with the adapter molecule ASC to activate both NF-ºB and caspase-1. Knock down of AIM2 down-regulates caspase-1-mediated IL-1² responses following DNA stimulation or vaccinia virus infection. Collectively, these observations demonstrate that AIM2 forms an inflammasome with the DNA ligand and ASC to activate caspase-1. Our underlying hypothesis for this proposal is that AIM2 plays a central role in host-defence to cytosolic microbial pathogens and also in DNA-triggered autoimmunity. The goals of this research proposal are to further characterize the DNA ligand for AIM2, to explore the molecular mechanisms of AIM2 activation, to define the contribution of AIM2 to host-defence against viral and bacterial pathogens and to assess its function in nucleic acid triggered autoimmune disease. The characterization of AIM2 and its role in innate immunity could open new avenues in the advancement of immunotherapy and treatment of autoimmune disease.
Max ERC Funding
1 727 920 €
Duration
Start date: 2009-12-01, End date: 2014-11-30
Project acronym ALIGN
Project Ab-initio computational modelling of photovoltaic interfaces
Researcher (PI) Feliciano Giustino
Host Institution (HI) THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE5, ERC-2009-StG
Summary The aim of the ALIGN project is to understand, predict, and optimize the photovoltaic energy conversion in third-generation solar cells, starting from an atomic-scale quantum-mechanical modelling of the photovoltaic interface. The quest for photovoltaic materials suitable for low-cost synthesis, large-area production, and functional architecture has driven substantial research efforts towards third-generation photovoltaic devices such as plastic solar cells, organic-inorganic cells, and photo-electrochemical cells. The physical and chemical processes involved in the harvesting of sunlight, the transport of electrical charge, and the build-up of the photo-voltage in these devices are fundamentally different from those encountered in traditional semiconductor heterojunction solar cells. A detailed atomic-scale quantum-mechanical description of such processes will lay down the basis for a rational approach to the modelling, optimization, and design of new photovoltaic materials. The short name of the proposal hints at one of the key materials parameters in the area of photovoltaic interfaces: the alignment of the quantum energy levels between the light-absorbing material and the electron acceptor. The level alignment drives the separation of the electron-hole pairs formed upon absorption of sunlight, and determines the open circuit voltage of the solar cell. The energy level alignment not only represents a key parameter for the design of photovoltaic devices, but also constitutes one of the grand challenges of modern computational materials science. Within this project we will develop and apply new ground-breaking computational methods to understand, predict, and optimize the energy level alignment and other design parameters of third-generation photovoltaic devices.
Summary
The aim of the ALIGN project is to understand, predict, and optimize the photovoltaic energy conversion in third-generation solar cells, starting from an atomic-scale quantum-mechanical modelling of the photovoltaic interface. The quest for photovoltaic materials suitable for low-cost synthesis, large-area production, and functional architecture has driven substantial research efforts towards third-generation photovoltaic devices such as plastic solar cells, organic-inorganic cells, and photo-electrochemical cells. The physical and chemical processes involved in the harvesting of sunlight, the transport of electrical charge, and the build-up of the photo-voltage in these devices are fundamentally different from those encountered in traditional semiconductor heterojunction solar cells. A detailed atomic-scale quantum-mechanical description of such processes will lay down the basis for a rational approach to the modelling, optimization, and design of new photovoltaic materials. The short name of the proposal hints at one of the key materials parameters in the area of photovoltaic interfaces: the alignment of the quantum energy levels between the light-absorbing material and the electron acceptor. The level alignment drives the separation of the electron-hole pairs formed upon absorption of sunlight, and determines the open circuit voltage of the solar cell. The energy level alignment not only represents a key parameter for the design of photovoltaic devices, but also constitutes one of the grand challenges of modern computational materials science. Within this project we will develop and apply new ground-breaking computational methods to understand, predict, and optimize the energy level alignment and other design parameters of third-generation photovoltaic devices.
Max ERC Funding
1 000 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-03-01, End date: 2016-02-29
Project acronym ANGIOFAT
Project New mechanisms of angiogenesis modulators in switching between white and brown adipose tissues
Researcher (PI) Yihai Cao
Host Institution (HI) KAROLINSKA INSTITUTET
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), LS4, ERC-2009-AdG
Summary Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying adipose blood vessel growth or regression opens new fundamentally insight into novel therapeutic options for the treatment of obesity and its related metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cancer. Unlike any other tissues in the body, the adipose tissue constantly experiences expansion and shrinkage throughout the adult life. Adipocytes in the white adipose tissue have the ability to switch into metabolically highly active brown-like adipocytes. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) contains significantly higher numbers of microvessels than white adipose tissue (WAT) in order to adopt the high rates of metabolism. Thus, an angiogenic phenotype has to be switched on during the transition from WAT into BAT. We have found that acclimation of mice in cold could induce transition from inguinal and epidedymal WAT into BAT by upregulation of angiogenic factor expression and down-regulations of angiogenesis inhibitors (Xue et al, Cell Metabolism, 2009). The transition from WAT into BAT is dependent on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) that primarily targets on vascular endothelial cells via a tissue hypoxia-independent mechanism. VEGF blockade significantly alters adipose tissue metabolism. In another genetic model, we show similar findings that angiogenesis is crucial to mediate the transition from WAT into BAT (Xue et al, PNAS, 2008). Here we propose that the vascular tone determines the metabolic switch between WAT and BAT. Characterization of these novel angiogenic pathways may reveal new mechanisms underlying development of obesity- and metabolism-related disease complications and may define novel therapeutic targets. Thus, the benefit of this research proposal is enormous and is aimed to treat the most common and highly risk human health conditions in the modern time.
Summary
Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying adipose blood vessel growth or regression opens new fundamentally insight into novel therapeutic options for the treatment of obesity and its related metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cancer. Unlike any other tissues in the body, the adipose tissue constantly experiences expansion and shrinkage throughout the adult life. Adipocytes in the white adipose tissue have the ability to switch into metabolically highly active brown-like adipocytes. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) contains significantly higher numbers of microvessels than white adipose tissue (WAT) in order to adopt the high rates of metabolism. Thus, an angiogenic phenotype has to be switched on during the transition from WAT into BAT. We have found that acclimation of mice in cold could induce transition from inguinal and epidedymal WAT into BAT by upregulation of angiogenic factor expression and down-regulations of angiogenesis inhibitors (Xue et al, Cell Metabolism, 2009). The transition from WAT into BAT is dependent on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) that primarily targets on vascular endothelial cells via a tissue hypoxia-independent mechanism. VEGF blockade significantly alters adipose tissue metabolism. In another genetic model, we show similar findings that angiogenesis is crucial to mediate the transition from WAT into BAT (Xue et al, PNAS, 2008). Here we propose that the vascular tone determines the metabolic switch between WAT and BAT. Characterization of these novel angiogenic pathways may reveal new mechanisms underlying development of obesity- and metabolism-related disease complications and may define novel therapeutic targets. Thus, the benefit of this research proposal is enormous and is aimed to treat the most common and highly risk human health conditions in the modern time.
Max ERC Funding
2 411 547 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-03-01, End date: 2015-02-28
Project acronym ANSR
Project Ab initio approach to nuclear structure and reactions (++)
Researcher (PI) Christian Erik Forssén
Host Institution (HI) CHALMERS TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLA AB
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE2, ERC-2009-StG
Summary Today, much interest in several fields of physics is devoted to the study of small, open quantum systems, whose properties are profoundly affected by the environment; i.e., the continuum of decay channels. In nuclear physics, these problems were originally studied in the context of nuclear reactions but their importance has been reestablished with the advent of radioactive-beam physics and the resulting interest in exotic nuclei. In particular, strong theory initiatives in this area of research will be instrumental for the success of the experimental program at the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) in Germany. In addition, many of the aspects of open quantum systems are also being explored in the rapidly evolving research on ultracold atomic gases, quantum dots, and other nanodevices. A first-principles description of open quantum systems presents a substantial theoretical and computational challenge. However, the current availability of enormous computing power has allowed theorists to make spectacular progress on problems that were previously thought intractable. The importance of computational methods to study quantum many-body systems is stressed in this proposal. Our approach is based on the ab initio no-core shell model (NCSM), which is a well-established theoretical framework aimed originally at an exact description of nuclear structure starting from realistic inter-nucleon forces. A successful completion of this project requires extensions of the NCSM mathematical framework and the development of highly advanced computer codes. The '++' in the project title indicates the interdisciplinary aspects of the present research proposal and the ambition to make a significant impact on connected fields of many-body physics.
Summary
Today, much interest in several fields of physics is devoted to the study of small, open quantum systems, whose properties are profoundly affected by the environment; i.e., the continuum of decay channels. In nuclear physics, these problems were originally studied in the context of nuclear reactions but their importance has been reestablished with the advent of radioactive-beam physics and the resulting interest in exotic nuclei. In particular, strong theory initiatives in this area of research will be instrumental for the success of the experimental program at the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) in Germany. In addition, many of the aspects of open quantum systems are also being explored in the rapidly evolving research on ultracold atomic gases, quantum dots, and other nanodevices. A first-principles description of open quantum systems presents a substantial theoretical and computational challenge. However, the current availability of enormous computing power has allowed theorists to make spectacular progress on problems that were previously thought intractable. The importance of computational methods to study quantum many-body systems is stressed in this proposal. Our approach is based on the ab initio no-core shell model (NCSM), which is a well-established theoretical framework aimed originally at an exact description of nuclear structure starting from realistic inter-nucleon forces. A successful completion of this project requires extensions of the NCSM mathematical framework and the development of highly advanced computer codes. The '++' in the project title indicates the interdisciplinary aspects of the present research proposal and the ambition to make a significant impact on connected fields of many-body physics.
Max ERC Funding
1 304 800 €
Duration
Start date: 2009-12-01, End date: 2014-11-30
Project acronym ANTIVIRALRNAI
Project RNAi-mediated viral immunity in insects
Researcher (PI) Maria-Carla Saleh
Host Institution (HI) INSTITUT PASTEUR
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS6, ERC-2009-StG
Summary RNA interference (RNAi) is a conserved sequence-specific, gene-silencing mechanism that is induced by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). One of the functions of this pathway is the defense against parasitic nucleic acids: transposons and viruses. Previous results demonstrated that viral infections in Drosophila melanogaster are fought by an antiviral RNAi response and that components of the endocytic pathway are required for dsRNA entry to initiate the RNAi response. Recently we have shown that infected insect cells spread a systemic silencing signal that elicits a protective RNAi-dependent immunity throughout the organism. This suggests that the cell-autonomous RNAi response is insufficient to control a viral infection and that flies also rely on systemic immune response to fight against such infections. As a junior group leader, I will study the mechanisms that mediate the RNAi-based antiviral response in insects. By combining biochemical, cellular, molecular and genomic approaches, both in vivo and in cell culture, I will analyze the mechanisms underlying viral tropism, systemic propagation of the antiviral signal and the basis of the persistence of the antiviral state. Furthermore, I will examine whether the dsRNA-uptake pathway is conserved in mosquitoes and its relationship with viral immunity in that host. This comprehensive approach will tackle how this nucleic acid-based immunity works in insects to generate an anti-viral stage. A better understanding of the role of RNA silencing in insects during virus infection will allow the exploitation of this pathway for improvement of public health related problems such as arbovirus infection and disease.
Summary
RNA interference (RNAi) is a conserved sequence-specific, gene-silencing mechanism that is induced by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). One of the functions of this pathway is the defense against parasitic nucleic acids: transposons and viruses. Previous results demonstrated that viral infections in Drosophila melanogaster are fought by an antiviral RNAi response and that components of the endocytic pathway are required for dsRNA entry to initiate the RNAi response. Recently we have shown that infected insect cells spread a systemic silencing signal that elicits a protective RNAi-dependent immunity throughout the organism. This suggests that the cell-autonomous RNAi response is insufficient to control a viral infection and that flies also rely on systemic immune response to fight against such infections. As a junior group leader, I will study the mechanisms that mediate the RNAi-based antiviral response in insects. By combining biochemical, cellular, molecular and genomic approaches, both in vivo and in cell culture, I will analyze the mechanisms underlying viral tropism, systemic propagation of the antiviral signal and the basis of the persistence of the antiviral state. Furthermore, I will examine whether the dsRNA-uptake pathway is conserved in mosquitoes and its relationship with viral immunity in that host. This comprehensive approach will tackle how this nucleic acid-based immunity works in insects to generate an anti-viral stage. A better understanding of the role of RNA silencing in insects during virus infection will allow the exploitation of this pathway for improvement of public health related problems such as arbovirus infection and disease.
Max ERC Funding
1 900 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2009-10-01, End date: 2014-12-31
Project acronym ARCHGLASS
Project Archaeometry and Archaeology of Ancient Glass Production as a Source for Ancient Technology and Trade of Raw Materials
Researcher (PI) Patrick Degryse
Host Institution (HI) KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH6, ERC-2009-StG
Summary In this project, innovative techniques to reconstruct ancient economies are developed and new insights in the trade and processing of mineral raw materials are gained based on interdisciplinary archaeological and archaeometrical research. An innovative methodology for and a practical provenance database of the primary origin of natron glass from the Hellenistic-Roman world will be established. The project investigates both production and consumer sites of glass raw materials using both typo-chronological and archaeometrical (isotope geochemical) study of finished glass artefacts at consumer sites as well as mineralogical and chemical characterisation of raw glass and mineral resources at primary production sites. Suitable sand resources in the locations described by ancient authors will be identified through geological prospecting on the basis of literature review and field work. Sand and flux (natron) deposits will be mineralogically and geochemically characterised and compared to the results of the archaeological and geochemical investigations of the glass. Through integrated typo-chronological and archaeometrical analysis, the possible occurrence of primary production centres of raw glass outside the known locations in Syro-Palestine and Egypt, particularly in North-Africa, Italy, Spain and Gaul will be critically studied. In this way, historical, archaeological and archaeometrical data are combined, developing new interdisciplinary techniques for innovative archaeological interpretation of glass trade in the Hellenistic-Roman world.
Summary
In this project, innovative techniques to reconstruct ancient economies are developed and new insights in the trade and processing of mineral raw materials are gained based on interdisciplinary archaeological and archaeometrical research. An innovative methodology for and a practical provenance database of the primary origin of natron glass from the Hellenistic-Roman world will be established. The project investigates both production and consumer sites of glass raw materials using both typo-chronological and archaeometrical (isotope geochemical) study of finished glass artefacts at consumer sites as well as mineralogical and chemical characterisation of raw glass and mineral resources at primary production sites. Suitable sand resources in the locations described by ancient authors will be identified through geological prospecting on the basis of literature review and field work. Sand and flux (natron) deposits will be mineralogically and geochemically characterised and compared to the results of the archaeological and geochemical investigations of the glass. Through integrated typo-chronological and archaeometrical analysis, the possible occurrence of primary production centres of raw glass outside the known locations in Syro-Palestine and Egypt, particularly in North-Africa, Italy, Spain and Gaul will be critically studied. In this way, historical, archaeological and archaeometrical data are combined, developing new interdisciplinary techniques for innovative archaeological interpretation of glass trade in the Hellenistic-Roman world.
Max ERC Funding
954 960 €
Duration
Start date: 2009-11-01, End date: 2014-10-31
Project acronym ARENA
Project Arrays of entangled atoms
Researcher (PI) Antoine Browaeys
Host Institution (HI) CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE2, ERC-2009-StG
Summary The goal of this project is to prepare in a deterministic way, and then to characterize, various entangled states of up to 25 individual atoms held in an array of optical tweezers. Such a system provides a new arena to explore quantum entangled states of a large number of particles. Entanglement is the existence of quantum correlations between different parts of a system, and it is recognized as an essential property that distinguishes the quantum and the classical worlds. It is also a resource in various areas of physics, such as quantum information processing, quantum metrology, correlated quantum systems and quantum simulation. In the proposed design, each site is individually addressable, which enables single atom manipulation and detection. This will provide the largest entangled state ever produced and fully characterized at the individual particle level. The experiment will be implemented by combining two crucial novel features, that I was able to demonstrate very recently: first, the manipulation of quantum bits written on long-lived hyperfine ground states of single ultra-cold atoms trapped in microscopic optical tweezers; second, the generation of entanglement by using the strong long-range interactions between Rydberg states. These interactions lead to the so-called dipole blockade , and enable the preparation of various classes of entangled states, such as states carrying only one excitation (W states), and states analogous to Schrödinger s cats (GHZ states). Finally, I will also explore strategies to protect these states against decoherence, developed in the framework of fault-tolerant and topological quantum computing. This project therefore combines an experimental challenge and the exploration of entanglement in a mesoscopic system.
Summary
The goal of this project is to prepare in a deterministic way, and then to characterize, various entangled states of up to 25 individual atoms held in an array of optical tweezers. Such a system provides a new arena to explore quantum entangled states of a large number of particles. Entanglement is the existence of quantum correlations between different parts of a system, and it is recognized as an essential property that distinguishes the quantum and the classical worlds. It is also a resource in various areas of physics, such as quantum information processing, quantum metrology, correlated quantum systems and quantum simulation. In the proposed design, each site is individually addressable, which enables single atom manipulation and detection. This will provide the largest entangled state ever produced and fully characterized at the individual particle level. The experiment will be implemented by combining two crucial novel features, that I was able to demonstrate very recently: first, the manipulation of quantum bits written on long-lived hyperfine ground states of single ultra-cold atoms trapped in microscopic optical tweezers; second, the generation of entanglement by using the strong long-range interactions between Rydberg states. These interactions lead to the so-called dipole blockade , and enable the preparation of various classes of entangled states, such as states carrying only one excitation (W states), and states analogous to Schrödinger s cats (GHZ states). Finally, I will also explore strategies to protect these states against decoherence, developed in the framework of fault-tolerant and topological quantum computing. This project therefore combines an experimental challenge and the exploration of entanglement in a mesoscopic system.
Max ERC Funding
1 449 600 €
Duration
Start date: 2009-12-01, End date: 2014-11-30
Project acronym ASC3
Project Asymmetric Cluster Catalysis & Chemistry
Researcher (PI) Ulrich Kaspar Heiz
Host Institution (HI) TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE4, ERC-2009-AdG
Summary The objective of the present scientific proposal is the implementation of a novel approach in selective and asymmetric heterogeneous catalysis. We aim to exploit the structure and chirality of small, supported metal and bimetal clusters for triggering selective and enantioselective reactions. Our Ansatz is beyond doubt of fundamental nature. Although chemistry and in particular catalysis evolved on a largely empirical basis in the past, we strongly believe the complexity of the challenges at hand to make this a less ideal approach. In consequence, developing selective and asymmetric cluster catalysis will be based on a detailed molecular understanding and will not only require intense methodological developments for the synthesis and characterization of asymmetric catalysts and the detection of chiral and isomeric product molecules but also make use of innovative basic science in the fields of surface chemistry, cluster science, spectroscopy and kinetics. As complex as the involved challenges are, we aim at mastering the following ground-breaking steps: (a) development of cutting-edge spectroscopic methodologies for the isomer and enantiomer sensitive in situ detection of product molecules. (b) preparation and characterization of isomer- and enantioselective heterogeneous catalysts based on chiral metal clusters or molecule-cluster-complexes. (c) investigations of the selectivity and enantioselectivity of cluster based heterogeneous catalysts and formulation of concepts for understanding the observed selective and asymmetric chemistry.
Besides the importance of the science carried out within this proposal, the proposed experimental methodology will also open up opportunities in other fields of chemistry like catalysis, analytical chemistry, spectroscopy, surface science, and nanomaterials.
Summary
The objective of the present scientific proposal is the implementation of a novel approach in selective and asymmetric heterogeneous catalysis. We aim to exploit the structure and chirality of small, supported metal and bimetal clusters for triggering selective and enantioselective reactions. Our Ansatz is beyond doubt of fundamental nature. Although chemistry and in particular catalysis evolved on a largely empirical basis in the past, we strongly believe the complexity of the challenges at hand to make this a less ideal approach. In consequence, developing selective and asymmetric cluster catalysis will be based on a detailed molecular understanding and will not only require intense methodological developments for the synthesis and characterization of asymmetric catalysts and the detection of chiral and isomeric product molecules but also make use of innovative basic science in the fields of surface chemistry, cluster science, spectroscopy and kinetics. As complex as the involved challenges are, we aim at mastering the following ground-breaking steps: (a) development of cutting-edge spectroscopic methodologies for the isomer and enantiomer sensitive in situ detection of product molecules. (b) preparation and characterization of isomer- and enantioselective heterogeneous catalysts based on chiral metal clusters or molecule-cluster-complexes. (c) investigations of the selectivity and enantioselectivity of cluster based heterogeneous catalysts and formulation of concepts for understanding the observed selective and asymmetric chemistry.
Besides the importance of the science carried out within this proposal, the proposed experimental methodology will also open up opportunities in other fields of chemistry like catalysis, analytical chemistry, spectroscopy, surface science, and nanomaterials.
Max ERC Funding
2 301 600 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-04-01, End date: 2015-03-31
