IMDEA Nanociencia will host two ERC Starting grants
16.09.2024
- IMDEA Nanociencia will host 2 projects recently awarded with a Starting grant from the European Research Council.
- IMDEA Nanociencia is hosting 2 of the 8 grants awarded in the region of Madrid (33 in Spain).
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Madrid, 16th September, 2024. The European Research Council (ERC) has announced the award of 494 Starting Grants to young scientists and scholars across Europe. The funding - totalling nearly €780 million - supports cutting-edge research in a wide range of fields, from life sciences and physics to social sciences and humanities. It will help researchers at the beginning of their careers to launch their own projects, form their teams and pursue their most promising ideas.
IMDEA Nanociencia will host 2 projects recently awarded with a Starting grant. The projects are:
- MIETEN “Metal-induced energy transfer based electrometry and nanometry: dissecting electrostatic phenomena in biological processes”, awarded to Narain Karedla to develop a new microscopy technology for exploring the role of electrostatics in biological processes.
- KnotSeen “Imaging the topological defects of light-induced phases in quantum materials”, awarded to Allan Johnson to study quantum materials using ultrafast coherent X-rays.
The institute is hosting 25% of the 8 grants awarded in the region of Madrid – 33 grants in Spain, which highlights the extraordinary success rate of IMDEA Nanociencia in this competitive ERC Starting 2024 call. ERC Starting Grants are highly prestigious in Europe and worldwide, recognizing early-career researchers’ excellence and offering significant international recognition and funding.
IMDEA Nanociencia Institute is a young interdisciplinary research centre in Comunidad de Madrid (Spain) with about 250 employees. Located in Cantoblanco Campus of Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, the institute is dedicated to the exploration of nanoscience and the development of applications of nanotechnology in connection with innovative industries. The institute holds the award Excelencia Severo Ochoa since 2017, maximum recognition of research excellence at national level.
About the project MIETEN
Biological processes rely on precise electrostatic interactions between biomolecules and membranes, yet assessing electrical charges on them is difficult. The project MIETEN, awarded to Narain Karedla, aims to develop Metal-Induced Energy Transfer based Electrometry and Nanometry (MIETEN), a new microscopy technology for exploring the role of electrostatics in biological processes. MIETEN will measure the electrical charges of biomolecules and membranes while capturing their dynamics and interactions with unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution. This technology will enable the study of membrane protein charge, conformation, and interactions in response to changes in membrane potential, as well as the role of charges in membrane structure, intermembrane interactions, and adhesion. The project thus integrates physics and chemistry with applications in biology and biomedical fields.
About the project KnotSeen
Quantum materials, solids which need quantum mechanics to describe their fantastic properties, can be driven by ultrafast and ultraintense laser light into even more exotic states which may be useful for next generation technologies. But the origins of these light-driven states remains unclear, preventing us from stabilizing them. In KnotSeen Dr. Allan Johnson will lead a team using ultrafast coherent X-ray imaging to track the creation of so-called topological defects in quantum materials following ultrafast laser excitation, to understand if these nanoscale structures could underpin these emergent properties. To do this they will construct a ultrafast X-ray beamline at IMDEA using the techniques of attosecond science, applying them to cutting-edge challenges in condensed matter physics for the first time.
More information:
https://erc.europa.eu/news-events/news/erc-2024-starting-grants-results
https://www.ciencia.gob.es/Noticias/2024/Septiembre/starting-grants.html
Contact:
Oficina de Proyectos de IMDEA Nanociencia
proyectos.nanociencia [at]imdea.org
Twitter: @imdea_nano
Facebook: @imdeananociencia
Instagram: @imdeananociencia
Source: IMDEA Nanociencia.