Objective Functional nanomaterials are predicted to have an enormous impact on some of the most pressing issues of 21st century society, including next-generation health care and energy related technologies. Bottom-up approaches, using self-assembly principles, are increasingly considered to be the most appropriate routes for their synthesis. Indeed, Science magazine highlighted How far can we push chemical self-assembly? as one of the 25 biggest questions that face scientific inquiry over the next quarter century. Despite significant advances in recent years, it is still a major challenge to access precisely defined nano-structures in the laboratory, especially if these do not represent the global free energy minimum (i.e. are asymmetric, multifunctional, compartmentalized and/or dynamic). The biological world provides numerous outstanding examples of highly complex functional nano-scale architectures with attractive features such as defect repair, adaptability, molecular recognition and programmability. It is the objective of this ERC Starting Grant to develop and exploit the concept of (bio-)catalytic self-assembly, a bio-inspired approach for bottom-up synthesis of complex nanomaterials. We will explore three unique features of these systems (i) spatiotemporal control, (ii) catalytic amplification, either towards or away from equilibrium and the tempting vision of (iii) dynamic systems with emergent properties. In our approach we aim to encompass the entire spectrum from fundamental understanding to eventual societal benefit. Alongside the fundamental aims, we wish to put our methodologies to use, in collaboration with experts in these fields, to develop novel functional materials towards applications in next-generation biomaterials and gel-phase supramolecular (opto-) electronic materials. Fields of science engineering and technologynanotechnologynano-materialsengineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterialsnatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsenzymes Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-SG-PE5 - ERC Starting Grant - Materials and Synthesis Call for proposal ERC-2010-StG_20091028 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant Host institution UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE EU contribution € 1 500 000,00 Address Richmond Street 16 G1 1XQ Glasgow United Kingdom See on map Region Scotland West Central Scotland Glasgow City Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Rein V Ulijn (Prof.) Administrative Contact Martin Gregory (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE United Kingdom EU contribution € 1 500 000,00 Address Richmond Street 16 G1 1XQ Glasgow See on map Region Scotland West Central Scotland Glasgow City Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Rein V Ulijn (Prof.) Administrative Contact Martin Gregory (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data
