Project description
Chiral nanoparticles for optically active nanofibres
Chirality, the property of lacking mirror symmetry, is a feature of both biological and synthetic materials. While advancements in chiral inorganic nanoparticles have demonstrated their potential across various fields, their tailored design for biological interactions remains a challenge. The ERC-funded CHIRAL-PRO project aims to develop a systematic methodology for engineering chiral NPs with exceptional optical activity, enabling precise enantioselective interactions with biological structures such as proteins and amyloid fibrils. By uncovering the role of chirality in molecular recognition, the project will facilitate the programmed assembly of optically active nanofibres and explore applications in biosensing and metamaterials. This research seeks to deepen our understanding of chiral nanostructures and provide a versatile toolkit for designing them with targeted properties.
Objective
Chirality, or the absence of mirror symmetry, is omnipresent in both biological and abiological forms of matter. Rapid progress has recently been achieved in the synthesis of chiral inorganic nanoparticles (NPs), of great interest because of the giant optical activity observed in individual NPs and their assemblies. Such nanostructures yield chiral features at multiple length scales, resulting in a huge diversity of chiral morphologies. The field is expanding toward connecting chirality across the worlds of nano and bio, linking optical and biological chiral functionalities. However, what is currently hampering real-world applications is the step from intuitive synthesis of chiral nanostructures to a purposeful design for specific interactions with biological components.
The main objective of CHIRAL-PRO is to develop a widely applicable methodology to design chiral NPs with exceptional optical activity, for strong and predictable enantioselective interactions with nanoscale biological entities, such as proteins and amyloid fibrils. The fundamental understanding of the role of chirality in the recognition between inorganic and biological chiral structures will be used for the programmed assembly into optically active nanofibers and for case studies in sensing and metamaterials. To reach this ambitious goal, the complementary expertise of all three partners involved will be essential: synthesis and assembly of chiral plasmonic NPs (Liz-Marzán); three-dimensional electron microscopy of NPs, and the visualization of their interactions with biomolecules in liquid (Bals); and self-assembly methods and computational predictions for chiral multiscale interactions (Kotov).
In addition to groundbreaking advancements in fundamental research, the high gain of this work can be found in the generation of a toolbox enabling the scientific community to shift from guessing to precise design of chiral nanostructures with predefined properties.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-SYG - HORIZON ERC Synergy Grants
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-SyG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
20009 San Sebastian
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.