Project description
The accessibility and availability of the SAT-assembly framework
Self-assembly for creating nanostructures has garnered significant interest in recent years thanks to its great potential for applications in advanced materials, biotechnology, and photonics. Despite this, designing building blocks that can assemble into desired targets remains a key challenge. The ERC Starting Grant SOFTWATER co-developed the SAT-assembly framework, enabling novel design approaches and making significant strides towards overcoming this challenge. Unfortunately, it remains inaccessible to non-specialists, limiting its application. The ERC-funded SAT-Design project will develop a unified, user-friendly platform that improves the accessibility and availability of SAT assembly. The platform will significantly improve useability and enable more researchers and users to take advantage of and experiment with this new framework.
Objective
Self-assembly offers a powerful route to create nanostructures with applications in photonics, biotechnology, and advanced materials. Yet, designing building blocks that assemble into a desired target remains a fundamental challenge. Within the ERC Starting Grant SOFTWATER we contributed to the developed the SAT-assembly framework, which reformulates the design of self-assembling systems as a Boolean satisfiability (SAT) problem. This approach enabled the design of colloidal particles with water-like properties and the experimental realization of complex DNA-origami architectures.
Despite its success, the current computational workflow is fragmented, non-general, and inaccessible to non-specialists. Algorithms are scattered across research codes, require manual steps such as symmetry detection, and do not support mixtures or arbitrary valences. As a result, the transformative potential of SAT-assembly cannot be widely exploited.
The goal of this Proof of Concept project is to develop SAT-Design, a unified and user-friendly platform that generalizes SAT-assembly and makes it broadly available through a web interface. Users will be able to upload target structures, select design constraints, and run the SAT pipeline remotely. The platform will provide both digital solutions (bonding rules, placements, orientations) and DNA-specific outputs (optimized strand sequences for laboratory synthesis).
By lowering barriers to entry, SAT-Design will democratize inverse design in self-assembly, accelerate materials discovery, and provide a foundation for industrial exploitation in nanophotonics, biotechnology, and programmable materials.
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.
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.
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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.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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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-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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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-2025-POC
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00185 Roma
Italy
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