Project description
Harnessing forces of nature to transport molecules at small scales
Mixing particles is an everyday experience, like stirring your morning coffee with a spoon. At the micro to nanoscale, such tools do not exist, making mixing and transport a challenge. A number of biological transport processes, from bacteria motion in the intestine to selective transport in ion channels in the brain, therefore have to rely on alternative strategies. Electrochemical gradients are only one of the many driving forces harnessed by biological or artificial systems. The EU-funded MolecularControl project is developing theoretical tools to better describe such out-of-equilibrium thermodynamics, opening the door to better control molecular transport and assembly in fields including health and energy.
Objective
Numerous biological processes harvest out-of-equilibrium forces for transport, sensing, signaling and more. For example, pumping of ions is performed within fluctuating pores that are believed to facilitate transport. The nature of these forces is extremely diverse, from electrical driving to thermodynamic or chemical driving. The ability to describe nonequilibrium states is critical to understand a broad range of biological processes but remains extremely challenging as appropriate thermodynamic concepts have only recently been introduced and are still scarce . The MolecularControl project aims at developing theoretical tools that can be widely applied to out-of-equilibrium soft matter problems. I will use these tools to address more specificially systems relevant to health issues or sustainable energy.
In this context, I will develop two theoretical frameworks in the USA. The first will address the dynamics of ions in confinement (electrochemical driving) and will be used to describe the blockage mechanism of a specific neuronal ion channel called NMDA. The second will address the fast growth of molecular crystals via screw dislocations (kinetic and thermodynamic driving) and will be applied to the growth of L-cystine crystals, involved in the formation of kidney stones, a major health issue.
Back to Europe with this added value of mastering numerous tools to control molecular assembly and ionic transport in nonequilibrium systems, I will use them to study (a) ion current fluctuations in confinement and between electrodes for applications in individual ionic sensing, advanced capacitive electrode design and blue energy generation and (b) molecular assembly in a more realistic kidney representation, in particular under flow.
This project represents a unique opportunity to grow as an independent researcher with a strong transatlantic network and to become a future leader in an emerging scientific field of great fundamental and societal relevance.
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.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels renewable energy
- natural sciences physical sciences condensed matter physics soft matter physics
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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.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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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) H2020-MSCA-IF-2018
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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.
75794 PARIS
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.