Progetti di ricerca

The goal of UNICORN is to develop unprecedented nanocomposite scintillator (SL) detectors based on engineered nanomaterials for transformative breakthroughs in strategic radiation detection areas spanning homeland security and medicine to industrial, nuclear, and environmental monitoring to cosmology and high energy/particle… Leggi tutto physics. Today, conventional inorganic SL crystals are prohibitively energy-intensive, fragile, heavy and cannot be produced in large quantities. Organic SLs are, in turn, affordable and scalable, but their low density and light yield reduce energy resolution. These shortcomings preclude progress in application areas of great importance and impose a technological bottleneck to the fundamental study of rare events. The most at risk of all is the study of neutrinoless Double Beta Decay (0νDBD), a so far undetected, rare nuclear process that represents the Holy Grail in particle physics, whose observation would provide long sought-after answers on the origin of the Universe and unlock unexplored scientific territories with unimaginable progress perspectives. UNICORN will tackle this urgent grand challenge by introducing revolutionary nanotechnology-based concepts combining high energy resolution, efficiency, and stability with unmatched mass scalability. The keystone of our disruptive approach are inorganic nanocrystals (NCs) that will be specifically designed to be both the source of 0νDBD and high-performance nano-SLs. The breakthrough will also consist in achieving perfect compatibility with (in)organic hosts to obtain unparalleled ultra-high density optical-grade nanocomposite detectors with maximized light output to be coupled to custom-made light sensors that will embody the archetype of advanced radiation detectors of the future. UNICORN combines world-leading institutions and companies with complementary interdisciplinary competences ensuring the pivotal synergy to reach the project goals and rapidly translate results into economic value.

In the quest to develop platforms to decipher the information in biomolecules there is an increasingly demand for techniques that are capable of identifying specific biomolecules at the smallest possible concentration, controlling their capturing and movement at the nanoscale. Nanopore sequencing is… Leggi tutto a key technology to drive this progress, and solid-state nanopores can be a major technological player. In the field of solid-state nanopores, many challenges remain in particular toward i) design and fabricate nanopore with size comparable to biological pores, ii) dynamic control of single molecule translocation, and iii) multiplexed read-out. Progress toward integrated platforms where both solid-state and biological nanostructures are implemented has been brought by the development of functional nanomaterials and DNA nanotechnology, able to address the importance of nanoscale precision in nanopore platforms with the potential to surpass the performance of biological nanopores. Yet, the integration of biological and synthetic nanomaterials is technically challenging, and their use to fully control and measure single molecule is far from real-world applications. DYNAMO is designed as an innovative research and training network, where we will recruit 10 Researchers to work toward the ambitious goal of developing the next-generation single molecule technologies exploiting hybrid DNA and metallic nanostructures. The network brings together a unique team of 8 world-leading academics and 1 high tech innovative company at the forefront of optical spectroscopy, DNA nanostructures, nanopore technology developments, single molecule detection and control, and biotech real-world applications. DYNAMO will establish an intersectoral training and research programme at the physics/chemistry/biotech interface with partners from 6 EU countries, aimed at creating the next generation of skilled well-connected scientists that will pioneer the ‘single molecule science of tomorrow’.