Project acronym AFRODITE
Project Advanced Fluid Research On Drag reduction In Turbulence Experiments
Researcher (PI) Jens Henrik Mikael Fransson
Host Institution (HI) KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLAN
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE8, ERC-2010-StG_20091028
Summary A hot topic in today's debate on global warming is drag reduction in aeronautics. The most beneficial concept for drag reduction is to maintain the major portion of the airfoil laminar. Estimations show that the potential drag reduction can be as much as 15%, which would give a significant reduction of NOx and CO emissions in the atmosphere considering that the number of aircraft take offs, only in the EU, is over 19 million per year. An important element for successful flow control, which can lead to a reduced aerodynamic drag, is enhanced physical understanding of the transition to turbulence process.
In previous wind tunnel measurements we have shown that roughness elements can be used to sensibly delay transition to turbulence. The result is revolutionary, since the common belief has been that surface roughness causes earlier transition and in turn increases the drag, and is a proof of concept of the passive control method per se. The beauty with a passive control technique is that no external energy has to be added to the flow system in order to perform the control, instead one uses the existing energy in the flow.
In this project proposal, AFRODITE, we will take this passive control method to the next level by making it twofold, more persistent and more robust. Transition prevention is the goal rather than transition delay and the method will be extended to simultaneously control separation, which is another unwanted flow phenomenon especially during airplane take offs. AFRODITE will be a catalyst for innovative research, which will lead to a cleaner sky.
Summary
A hot topic in today's debate on global warming is drag reduction in aeronautics. The most beneficial concept for drag reduction is to maintain the major portion of the airfoil laminar. Estimations show that the potential drag reduction can be as much as 15%, which would give a significant reduction of NOx and CO emissions in the atmosphere considering that the number of aircraft take offs, only in the EU, is over 19 million per year. An important element for successful flow control, which can lead to a reduced aerodynamic drag, is enhanced physical understanding of the transition to turbulence process.
In previous wind tunnel measurements we have shown that roughness elements can be used to sensibly delay transition to turbulence. The result is revolutionary, since the common belief has been that surface roughness causes earlier transition and in turn increases the drag, and is a proof of concept of the passive control method per se. The beauty with a passive control technique is that no external energy has to be added to the flow system in order to perform the control, instead one uses the existing energy in the flow.
In this project proposal, AFRODITE, we will take this passive control method to the next level by making it twofold, more persistent and more robust. Transition prevention is the goal rather than transition delay and the method will be extended to simultaneously control separation, which is another unwanted flow phenomenon especially during airplane take offs. AFRODITE will be a catalyst for innovative research, which will lead to a cleaner sky.
Max ERC Funding
1 418 399 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-11-01, End date: 2015-10-31
Project acronym COOPNET
Project Cooperative Situational Awareness for Wireless Networks
Researcher (PI) Henk Wymeersch
Host Institution (HI) CHALMERS TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLA AB
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE7, ERC-2010-StG_20091028
Summary Devices in wireless networks are no longer used only for communicating binary information, but also for navigation and to sense their surroundings. We are currently approaching fundamental limitations in terms of communication throughput, position information availability and accuracy, and decision making based on sensory data. The goal of this proposal is to understand how the cooperative nature of future wireless networks can be leveraged to perform timekeeping, positioning, communication, and decision making, so as to obtain orders of magnitude performance improvements compared to current architectures.
Our research will have implications in many fields and will comprise fundamental theoretical contributions as well as a cooperative wireless testbed. The fundamental contributions will lead to a deep understanding of cooperative wireless networks and will enable new pervasive applications which currently cannot be supported. The testbed will be used to validate the research, and will serve as a kernel for other researchers worldwide to advance knowledge on cooperative networks. Our work will build on and consolidate knowledge currently dispersed in different scientific disciplines and communities (such as communication theory, sensor networks, distributed estimation and detection, environmental monitoring, control theory, positioning and timekeeping, distributed optimization). It will give a new thrust to research within those communities and forge relations between them.
Summary
Devices in wireless networks are no longer used only for communicating binary information, but also for navigation and to sense their surroundings. We are currently approaching fundamental limitations in terms of communication throughput, position information availability and accuracy, and decision making based on sensory data. The goal of this proposal is to understand how the cooperative nature of future wireless networks can be leveraged to perform timekeeping, positioning, communication, and decision making, so as to obtain orders of magnitude performance improvements compared to current architectures.
Our research will have implications in many fields and will comprise fundamental theoretical contributions as well as a cooperative wireless testbed. The fundamental contributions will lead to a deep understanding of cooperative wireless networks and will enable new pervasive applications which currently cannot be supported. The testbed will be used to validate the research, and will serve as a kernel for other researchers worldwide to advance knowledge on cooperative networks. Our work will build on and consolidate knowledge currently dispersed in different scientific disciplines and communities (such as communication theory, sensor networks, distributed estimation and detection, environmental monitoring, control theory, positioning and timekeeping, distributed optimization). It will give a new thrust to research within those communities and forge relations between them.
Max ERC Funding
1 500 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2011-05-01, End date: 2016-04-30
Project acronym ELECTRONOPERA
Project Electron dynamics to the Attosecond time scale and Angstrom length scale on low dimensional structures in Operation
Researcher (PI) Anders Mikkelsen
Host Institution (HI) LUNDS UNIVERSITET
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE3, ERC-2010-StG_20091028
Summary We will develop and use imaging techniques for direct probing of electron dynamics in low dimensional structures with orders of
magnitude improvements in time and spatial resolution. We will perform our measurements not only on static structures, but on
complex structures under operating conditions. Finally as our equipment can also probe structural properties from microns to
single atom defects we can directly correlate our observations of electron dynamics with knowledge of geometrical structure. We
hope to directly answer central questions in nanophysics on how complex geometric structure on several length-scales induces
new and surprising electron dynamics and thus properties in nanoscale objects.
The low dimensional semiconductors and metal (nano) structures studied will be chosen to have unique novel properties that will
have potential applications in IT, life-science and renewable energy.
To radically increase our diagnostics capabilities we will combine PhotoEmission Electron Microscopy and attosecond XUV/IR
laser technology to directly image surface electron dynamics with attosecond time resolution and nanometer lateral resolution.
Exploring a completely new realm in terms of timescale with nm resolution we will start with rather simple structure such as Au
nanoparticles and arrays nanoholes in ultrathin metal films, and gradually increase complexity.
As the first group in the world we have shown that atomic resolved structural and electrical measurements by Scanning Tunneling
Microscopy is possible on complex 1D semiconductors heterostructures. Importantly, our new method allows for direct studies of
nanowires in devices.
We can now measure atomic scale surface chemistry and surface electronic/geometric structure directly on operational/operating
nanoscale devices. This is important both from a technology point of view, and is an excellent playground for understanding the
fundamental interplay between electronic and structural properties.
Summary
We will develop and use imaging techniques for direct probing of electron dynamics in low dimensional structures with orders of
magnitude improvements in time and spatial resolution. We will perform our measurements not only on static structures, but on
complex structures under operating conditions. Finally as our equipment can also probe structural properties from microns to
single atom defects we can directly correlate our observations of electron dynamics with knowledge of geometrical structure. We
hope to directly answer central questions in nanophysics on how complex geometric structure on several length-scales induces
new and surprising electron dynamics and thus properties in nanoscale objects.
The low dimensional semiconductors and metal (nano) structures studied will be chosen to have unique novel properties that will
have potential applications in IT, life-science and renewable energy.
To radically increase our diagnostics capabilities we will combine PhotoEmission Electron Microscopy and attosecond XUV/IR
laser technology to directly image surface electron dynamics with attosecond time resolution and nanometer lateral resolution.
Exploring a completely new realm in terms of timescale with nm resolution we will start with rather simple structure such as Au
nanoparticles and arrays nanoholes in ultrathin metal films, and gradually increase complexity.
As the first group in the world we have shown that atomic resolved structural and electrical measurements by Scanning Tunneling
Microscopy is possible on complex 1D semiconductors heterostructures. Importantly, our new method allows for direct studies of
nanowires in devices.
We can now measure atomic scale surface chemistry and surface electronic/geometric structure directly on operational/operating
nanoscale devices. This is important both from a technology point of view, and is an excellent playground for understanding the
fundamental interplay between electronic and structural properties.
Max ERC Funding
1 419 120 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-10-01, End date: 2015-09-30
Project acronym GRINDOOR
Project Green Nanotechnology for the Indoor Environment
Researcher (PI) Claes-Göran Sture Granqvist
Host Institution (HI) UPPSALA UNIVERSITET
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE5, ERC-2010-AdG_20100224
Summary The GRINDOOR project aims at developing and implementing new materials that enable huge energy savings in buildings and improve the quality of the indoor environment. About 40% of the primary energy, and 70% of the electricity, is used in buildings, and therefore the outcome of this project can have an impact on the long-term energy demand in the EU and the World. It is a highly focused study on new nanomaterials based on some transition metal oxides, which are used for four interrelated applications related to indoor lighting and indoor air: (i) electrochromic coatings are integrated in devices and used in “smart windows” to regulate the inflow of visible light and solar energy in order to minimize air condition and create indoor comfort, (ii) thermochromic nanoparticulate coatings are used on windows to provide large temperature-dependent control of the inflow of infrared solar radiation (in stand-alone cases as well as in conjunction with electrochromics), (iii) oxide-based gas sensors are used to measure indoor air quality especially with regard to formaldehyde, and (iv) photocatalytic coatings are used for indoor air cleaning. The investigated materials have many things in common and a joint and focused study, such as the one proposed here, will generate important new knowledge that can be transferred between the various sub-projects. The new oxide materials are prepared by advanced reactive gas deposition—using unique equipment—and high-pressure reactive dc magnetron sputtering. The materials are characterized and investigated by a wide range of state-of-the-art techniques.
Summary
The GRINDOOR project aims at developing and implementing new materials that enable huge energy savings in buildings and improve the quality of the indoor environment. About 40% of the primary energy, and 70% of the electricity, is used in buildings, and therefore the outcome of this project can have an impact on the long-term energy demand in the EU and the World. It is a highly focused study on new nanomaterials based on some transition metal oxides, which are used for four interrelated applications related to indoor lighting and indoor air: (i) electrochromic coatings are integrated in devices and used in “smart windows” to regulate the inflow of visible light and solar energy in order to minimize air condition and create indoor comfort, (ii) thermochromic nanoparticulate coatings are used on windows to provide large temperature-dependent control of the inflow of infrared solar radiation (in stand-alone cases as well as in conjunction with electrochromics), (iii) oxide-based gas sensors are used to measure indoor air quality especially with regard to formaldehyde, and (iv) photocatalytic coatings are used for indoor air cleaning. The investigated materials have many things in common and a joint and focused study, such as the one proposed here, will generate important new knowledge that can be transferred between the various sub-projects. The new oxide materials are prepared by advanced reactive gas deposition—using unique equipment—and high-pressure reactive dc magnetron sputtering. The materials are characterized and investigated by a wide range of state-of-the-art techniques.
Max ERC Funding
2 328 726 €
Duration
Start date: 2011-06-01, End date: 2016-05-31
Project acronym HALOGEN
Project Understanding Halogen Bonding in Solution: Investigation of Yet Unexplored Interactions with Applications in Medicinal Chemistry
Researcher (PI) Mate Erdelyi
Host Institution (HI) GOETEBORGS UNIVERSITET
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE4, ERC-2010-StG_20091028
Summary Halogen bonding is an electron density donation-based weak interaction that has so far almost exclusively been investigated in computational and crystallographic studies. It shows high similarities to hydrogen bonding; however, its applicability for molecular recognition processes long remained unappreciated and has not been thoroughly explored.
The main goals of this project are (1) to take the major leap from solid state/computational to /solution/ investigations of halogen bonding by developing novel NMR methods, using these (2) perform the first ever systematic physicochemical study of halogen bonding in solutions, and (3) to apply the gained knowledge in structural biology through elucidation of the anaesthetic binding site of native proteins. This in turn is of direct clinical relevance by providing a long-sought understanding of the disease malignant hyperthermia.
Model compounds will be prepared using solution-phase and solid-supported organic synthesis; NMR methods will be developed for physicochemical studies of molecular recognition processes and applied in structural biology through the study of the interaction of anaesthetics with proteins involved in cellular calcium regulation.
Using a peptidomimetic model system and an outstandingly sensitive NMR technique I will systematically study the impact of halogen bond donor and acceptor sites, and of electronic and solvent effects on the strength of the interaction. The proposed method will quantify relative stability of a strategically-designed, cooperatively folding model system.
A second NMR technique will utilize paramagnetic effects and permit simultaneous characterization of bond strength and geometry of weak intermolecular complexes in solution. The technique will first be validated on small, organic model compounds and subsequently be transferred to weak, protein-ligand interactions. It will be exploited to gain an atomic level understanding of anaesthesia.
Summary
Halogen bonding is an electron density donation-based weak interaction that has so far almost exclusively been investigated in computational and crystallographic studies. It shows high similarities to hydrogen bonding; however, its applicability for molecular recognition processes long remained unappreciated and has not been thoroughly explored.
The main goals of this project are (1) to take the major leap from solid state/computational to /solution/ investigations of halogen bonding by developing novel NMR methods, using these (2) perform the first ever systematic physicochemical study of halogen bonding in solutions, and (3) to apply the gained knowledge in structural biology through elucidation of the anaesthetic binding site of native proteins. This in turn is of direct clinical relevance by providing a long-sought understanding of the disease malignant hyperthermia.
Model compounds will be prepared using solution-phase and solid-supported organic synthesis; NMR methods will be developed for physicochemical studies of molecular recognition processes and applied in structural biology through the study of the interaction of anaesthetics with proteins involved in cellular calcium regulation.
Using a peptidomimetic model system and an outstandingly sensitive NMR technique I will systematically study the impact of halogen bond donor and acceptor sites, and of electronic and solvent effects on the strength of the interaction. The proposed method will quantify relative stability of a strategically-designed, cooperatively folding model system.
A second NMR technique will utilize paramagnetic effects and permit simultaneous characterization of bond strength and geometry of weak intermolecular complexes in solution. The technique will first be validated on small, organic model compounds and subsequently be transferred to weak, protein-ligand interactions. It will be exploited to gain an atomic level understanding of anaesthesia.
Max ERC Funding
1 495 630 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-09-01, End date: 2015-08-31
Project acronym LEARN
Project Limitations, Estimation, Adaptivity, Reinforcement and Networks in System Identification
Researcher (PI) Lennart Ljung
Host Institution (HI) LINKOPINGS UNIVERSITET
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE7, ERC-2010-AdG_20100224
Summary The objective with this proposal is to provide design tools and algorithms for model management in robust, adaptive and autonomous engineering systems. The increasing demands on reliable models for systems of ever greater complexity have pointed to several insufficiencies in today's techniques for model construction. The proposal addresses key areas where new ideas are required. Modeling a central issue in many scientific fields. System Identification is the term used in the Automatic Control Community for the area of building mathematical models of dynamical systems from observed input and output signals, but several other research communities work with the same problem under different names, such as (data-driven) learning.
We have identified five specific themes where progress is both acutely needed and feasible:
1. Encounters with Convex Programming Techniques: How to capitalize on the remarkable recent progress in convex and semidefinite programming to obtain efficient, robust and reliable algorithmic solutions.
2. Fundamental Limitations: To develop and elucidate what are the limits of model accuracy, regardless of the modeling method. This can be seen as a theory rooted in the Cramer-Rao inequality in the spirit of invariance results and lower bounds characterizing, e.g., Information Theory.
3. Experiment Design and Reinforcement Techniques: Study how well tailored and ``cheap'' experiments can extract essential information about isolated model properties. Also study how such methods may relate to general reinforcement techniques.
4. Potentials of Non-parametric Models: How to incorporate and adjust techniques from adjacent research communities, e.g. concerning manifold learning and Gaussian Processes in machine learning.
5. Managing Structural Constraints: To develop structure preserving identification methods for networked and decentralized systems.
We have ideas how to approach each of these themes, and initial attempts are promising.
Summary
The objective with this proposal is to provide design tools and algorithms for model management in robust, adaptive and autonomous engineering systems. The increasing demands on reliable models for systems of ever greater complexity have pointed to several insufficiencies in today's techniques for model construction. The proposal addresses key areas where new ideas are required. Modeling a central issue in many scientific fields. System Identification is the term used in the Automatic Control Community for the area of building mathematical models of dynamical systems from observed input and output signals, but several other research communities work with the same problem under different names, such as (data-driven) learning.
We have identified five specific themes where progress is both acutely needed and feasible:
1. Encounters with Convex Programming Techniques: How to capitalize on the remarkable recent progress in convex and semidefinite programming to obtain efficient, robust and reliable algorithmic solutions.
2. Fundamental Limitations: To develop and elucidate what are the limits of model accuracy, regardless of the modeling method. This can be seen as a theory rooted in the Cramer-Rao inequality in the spirit of invariance results and lower bounds characterizing, e.g., Information Theory.
3. Experiment Design and Reinforcement Techniques: Study how well tailored and ``cheap'' experiments can extract essential information about isolated model properties. Also study how such methods may relate to general reinforcement techniques.
4. Potentials of Non-parametric Models: How to incorporate and adjust techniques from adjacent research communities, e.g. concerning manifold learning and Gaussian Processes in machine learning.
5. Managing Structural Constraints: To develop structure preserving identification methods for networked and decentralized systems.
We have ideas how to approach each of these themes, and initial attempts are promising.
Max ERC Funding
2 500 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2011-01-01, End date: 2015-12-31
Project acronym MEGASIM
Project Million-core Molecular Simulation
Researcher (PI) Berk Hess
Host Institution (HI) KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLAN
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE4, ERC-2010-StG_20091028
Summary Molecular simulation has become a standard tool for studying the function of biomolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids and lipids. Due to increasing computer power and decreasing length scales in engineering, molecular simulation is also increasingly used in microfluidics and the study of, for instance, small water droplets. All these applications would benefit strongly from simulations that are several orders of magnitude longer than the current state of art. Although currently Moore's law still holds, the performance of processor cores no longer doubles every 18 months, but rather the number of cores increases. Therefore to improve the performance and to scale to a million cores, each core should do less work. With the classical single-program multiple-data parallelism the communication time will quickly become a bottleneck. To advance the molecular simulation field and efficiently use upcoming million core computers, a switch to multiple-program multiple-data parallelism (MPMD) is required. Domain decomposition should be applied over the nodes, whereas within a node MPMD parallelism should be used. This requires workloads being divided and dispatched efficiently to different threads. To hide the communication times, calculation should be overlapped with communication. Because simulation time steps will soon take in the order of 100 microseconds, global communication will become a bottleneck. However,global communication is required for, among other things, full electrostatics algorithms. Thus new algorithms need to be derived to ensure parallel scaling. Only with such efforts we will be able to fully utilize the potential of upcoming hardware to solve current and future scientific problems.
Summary
Molecular simulation has become a standard tool for studying the function of biomolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids and lipids. Due to increasing computer power and decreasing length scales in engineering, molecular simulation is also increasingly used in microfluidics and the study of, for instance, small water droplets. All these applications would benefit strongly from simulations that are several orders of magnitude longer than the current state of art. Although currently Moore's law still holds, the performance of processor cores no longer doubles every 18 months, but rather the number of cores increases. Therefore to improve the performance and to scale to a million cores, each core should do less work. With the classical single-program multiple-data parallelism the communication time will quickly become a bottleneck. To advance the molecular simulation field and efficiently use upcoming million core computers, a switch to multiple-program multiple-data parallelism (MPMD) is required. Domain decomposition should be applied over the nodes, whereas within a node MPMD parallelism should be used. This requires workloads being divided and dispatched efficiently to different threads. To hide the communication times, calculation should be overlapped with communication. Because simulation time steps will soon take in the order of 100 microseconds, global communication will become a bottleneck. However,global communication is required for, among other things, full electrostatics algorithms. Thus new algorithms need to be derived to ensure parallel scaling. Only with such efforts we will be able to fully utilize the potential of upcoming hardware to solve current and future scientific problems.
Max ERC Funding
899 448 €
Duration
Start date: 2011-05-01, End date: 2017-04-30
Project acronym MULTIMATE
Project A Research Platform Addressing Outstanding Research Challenges for Nanoscale Design and Engineering of Multifunctional Material
Researcher (PI) Johanna Rosen
Host Institution (HI) LINKOPINGS UNIVERSITET
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE8, ERC-2010-StG_20091028
Summary "Nanoscale engineering is a fascinating research field spawning extraordinary materials which revolutionize microelectronics, medicine,energy production, etc. Still, there is a need for new materials and synthesis methods to offer unprecedented properties for use in future applications.
In this research project, I will conduct fundamental science investigations focused towards the development of novel materials with tailor-made properties, achieved by precise control of the materials structure and compostition. The objectives are to: 1) Perform novel synthesis of graphene. 2) Explore nanoscale engineering of ""graphene-based"" materials, based on more than one atomic element. 3) Tailor uniquely combined metallic/ceramic/magnetic materials properties in so called MAX phases. 4) Provide proof of concept for thin film architectures in advanced applications that require specific mechanical, tribological, electronic, and magnetic properties.
This initative involves advanced materials design by a new and unique synthesis method based on cathodic arc. Research breakthroughs are envisioned: Functionalized graphene-based and fullerene-like compounds are expected to have a major impact on tribology and electronic applications. The MAX phases are expected to be a new candidate for applications within low friction contacts, electronics, as well as spintronics. In particular, single crystal devices are predicted through tuning of tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) and anisotropic conductivity (from insulating to n-and p-type).
I can lead this innovative and interdisciplinary project, with a unique background combining relevant research areas: arc process development, plasma processing, materials synthesis and engineering, characterization, along with theory and modelling."
Summary
"Nanoscale engineering is a fascinating research field spawning extraordinary materials which revolutionize microelectronics, medicine,energy production, etc. Still, there is a need for new materials and synthesis methods to offer unprecedented properties for use in future applications.
In this research project, I will conduct fundamental science investigations focused towards the development of novel materials with tailor-made properties, achieved by precise control of the materials structure and compostition. The objectives are to: 1) Perform novel synthesis of graphene. 2) Explore nanoscale engineering of ""graphene-based"" materials, based on more than one atomic element. 3) Tailor uniquely combined metallic/ceramic/magnetic materials properties in so called MAX phases. 4) Provide proof of concept for thin film architectures in advanced applications that require specific mechanical, tribological, electronic, and magnetic properties.
This initative involves advanced materials design by a new and unique synthesis method based on cathodic arc. Research breakthroughs are envisioned: Functionalized graphene-based and fullerene-like compounds are expected to have a major impact on tribology and electronic applications. The MAX phases are expected to be a new candidate for applications within low friction contacts, electronics, as well as spintronics. In particular, single crystal devices are predicted through tuning of tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) and anisotropic conductivity (from insulating to n-and p-type).
I can lead this innovative and interdisciplinary project, with a unique background combining relevant research areas: arc process development, plasma processing, materials synthesis and engineering, characterization, along with theory and modelling."
Max ERC Funding
1 484 700 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-09-01, End date: 2015-08-31
Project acronym NANOCELLIMAGE
Project Ultrasmall Chemical Imaging of Cells and Vesicular Release
Researcher (PI) Andrew Ewing
Host Institution (HI) CHALMERS TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLA AB
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE4, ERC-2010-AdG_20100224
Summary The long-term goal of this research is to establish the chain of molecular events associated with (1) neurotransmitter release at the single cell and subcellular level and (2) with cell differentiation and reprogramming. These are incredibly important goals for which there are few analytical chemistry methods that are available and useful. The immediate goal therefore includes development of three chemical methodologies at the cutting edge of analytical chemistry: 1) the development of arrays of nanometer electrodes that can be used to spatially measure the release of easily oxidized substances across the cell surface; 2) to improve the combination of MALDI and cluster SIMS ion sources on an orthogonal QStar instrument to enable protein and glycoprotein analysis at the single whole cell level, lipid domain analysis at the subcellular level, and importantly, depth profiling; and 3) the application of information discovered at single cells and of the methods developed in goals 1 and 2 to an in vitro model of cell-to-cell communication and regeneration. I intend to build on my expertise in both electrochemistry and SIMS imaging to develop these approaches. The work described here constitutes two new directions of research in my group as well as new analytical chemistry, and, if successful, will lead to researchers being able to gather incredibly important new data about cell-to-cell communication and cell differentiation and reprogramming as well as to a better understanding the role of lipids in exocytosis and endocytosis.
Summary
The long-term goal of this research is to establish the chain of molecular events associated with (1) neurotransmitter release at the single cell and subcellular level and (2) with cell differentiation and reprogramming. These are incredibly important goals for which there are few analytical chemistry methods that are available and useful. The immediate goal therefore includes development of three chemical methodologies at the cutting edge of analytical chemistry: 1) the development of arrays of nanometer electrodes that can be used to spatially measure the release of easily oxidized substances across the cell surface; 2) to improve the combination of MALDI and cluster SIMS ion sources on an orthogonal QStar instrument to enable protein and glycoprotein analysis at the single whole cell level, lipid domain analysis at the subcellular level, and importantly, depth profiling; and 3) the application of information discovered at single cells and of the methods developed in goals 1 and 2 to an in vitro model of cell-to-cell communication and regeneration. I intend to build on my expertise in both electrochemistry and SIMS imaging to develop these approaches. The work described here constitutes two new directions of research in my group as well as new analytical chemistry, and, if successful, will lead to researchers being able to gather incredibly important new data about cell-to-cell communication and cell differentiation and reprogramming as well as to a better understanding the role of lipids in exocytosis and endocytosis.
Max ERC Funding
2 491 881 €
Duration
Start date: 2011-01-01, End date: 2015-12-31
Project acronym PROPHET
Project Simplifying Development and Deployment of High-Performance, Reliable Distributed Systems
Researcher (PI) Dejan Kostic
Host Institution (HI) KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLAN
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE6, ERC-2010-StG_20091028
Summary Distributed systems form the foundation of our society's infrastructure. Unfortunately, they suffer from a number of problems. First, they are time-consuming to develop because it is difficult for the programmer to envision all possible deployment environments and design adaptation mechanisms that will achieve high performance in all scenarios. Second, the code is complex due to the numerous outcomes that have to be accounted for at development time and the need to reimplement state and network models. Third, the distributed systems are unreliable because of the difficulties of programming a system that runs over an asynchronous network and handles all possible failure scenarios. If left unchecked, these problems will keep plaguing existing systems and hinder development of a new generation of distributed services.
We propose a radically new approach to simplifying development and deployment of high-performance, reliable distributed systems. The key insight is in creating a new programming model and architecture that leverages the increases in per-node computational power, bandwidth and storage to achieve this goal. Instead of resolving difficult deployment choices at coding time, the programmer merely specifies the choices and the objectives that should be satisfied. The new runtime then resolves the choices during live execution so as to maximize the objectives. To accomplish this task, the runtime uses a groundbreaking combination of state-space exploration, simulation, behavior prediction, performance modeling, and program steering. In addition, our approach reuses the effort spent in distributed system testing by transmitting a behavior summary to the runtime to further speed up choice resolution.
Summary
Distributed systems form the foundation of our society's infrastructure. Unfortunately, they suffer from a number of problems. First, they are time-consuming to develop because it is difficult for the programmer to envision all possible deployment environments and design adaptation mechanisms that will achieve high performance in all scenarios. Second, the code is complex due to the numerous outcomes that have to be accounted for at development time and the need to reimplement state and network models. Third, the distributed systems are unreliable because of the difficulties of programming a system that runs over an asynchronous network and handles all possible failure scenarios. If left unchecked, these problems will keep plaguing existing systems and hinder development of a new generation of distributed services.
We propose a radically new approach to simplifying development and deployment of high-performance, reliable distributed systems. The key insight is in creating a new programming model and architecture that leverages the increases in per-node computational power, bandwidth and storage to achieve this goal. Instead of resolving difficult deployment choices at coding time, the programmer merely specifies the choices and the objectives that should be satisfied. The new runtime then resolves the choices during live execution so as to maximize the objectives. To accomplish this task, the runtime uses a groundbreaking combination of state-space exploration, simulation, behavior prediction, performance modeling, and program steering. In addition, our approach reuses the effort spent in distributed system testing by transmitting a behavior summary to the runtime to further speed up choice resolution.
Max ERC Funding
1 450 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2011-02-01, End date: 2016-12-31
