Objective
Bacteria are tiny; yet their collective dynamics generate large-scale flows and profoundly modify a fluid’s viscosity or diffusivity. So do autophoretic microswimmers, an example of active microscopic particles that draw their motion from physico-chemical exchanges with their environment. How do such ``active fluids'' turn individual microscopic propulsion into macroscopic fluid dynamics? What controls this self-organization process? These are fundamental questions for biologists but also for engineers, to use these suspensions for mixing or chemical sensing and, more generally, for creating active fluids whose macroscopic physical properties can be controlled precisely.
Self-propulsion of autophoretic swimmers was reported only recently. Major scientific gaps impair the quantitative understanding of their individual and collective dynamics, which is required to exploit these active fluids. Existing models scarcely account for important experimental characteristics such as complex hydrodynamics, physico-chemical processes and confinement. Thus, these models cannot yet be used as predictive tools, even at the individual level.
Further, to use phoretic suspensions as active fluids with microscopically-controlled properties, quantitatively-predictive models are needed for the collective dynamics. Instead of ad-hoc interaction rules, collective models must be built on a detailed physico-mechanical description of each swimmer’s interaction with its environment.
This project will develop these tools and validate them against experimental data. This requires overcoming several major challenges: the diversity of electro-chemical processes, the confined geometry, the large number of particles, and the plurality of interaction mechanisms and their nonlinear coupling.
To address these issues, rigorous physical, mathematical and numerical models will be developed to obtain a complete multi-scale description of the individual and collective dynamics of active particles.
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.
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences physical sciences classical mechanics fluid mechanics fluid dynamics
- natural sciences mathematics pure mathematics geometry
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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.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
ERC-STG - Starting Grant
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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-2016-STG
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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.
91128 PALAISEAU CEDEX
France
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.