TThe project aims to develop the two-photon excitation (TPX) method for the measurement of fluorescence from antibody labels on the surface of micro- and nano-sized carrier particles, The proposed two-photon excitation (TPX) method which is based on fluorescence caused in micro-volumes by two-photon excitation combineshe most advanced technology in micro-fluidistics, micro-mechanics, laser scanning microscopy and flow cytometry applications. The method will enable multiplex identification of antibody labels and the project will develop new antibodies suitable for high sensitivity assays. The current microchip laser will be developed to increase pulse frequency and reduce pulse duration. The TPX plate reader will allow multiplexed analysis through the use of fluorescent labelling agents which have different emission wavelengths. The microplate to be used will significantly reduce reagent requirements and dispense with the multiple washing currently required in conventional methods. The project will extend the method to be suitable for cell counting by combining it with oxygen up-take measurement technologies and an appropriate laser model. A fibre laser based on the VIOLA laser will be developed and tested in parallel with the current microchip laser. The objective of the project is to produce pre-production models to allow large-scale screening of a biomaterials and pharmacological compounds which can be carried out in distributed centres, improving the logistics involved in current bio-assays. Significant attention will be paid also to reducing waste and reagent use, The technology to be developed will enable the multinational SME:s involved to created significant products for global markets to be commercialised by the partners through an agreed action plan, taking into consideration the IP-rights developed. The exchange of know-how between the partners will also benefit and support'their own development efforts and provide access to EU funding models for the non-E

The objective of this project is to support the participation of outstanding young European researchers in the 7th

International Conference on Laser Ablation (COLA'03) and provide high-level training in a scientific area of

high current interest fostering the interaction between young scientists and internationally known experts in the

field.

COLA'03, to be held in Hersonissos, Crete, Greece (October 2003) is a major conference in the field of laser-

matter interactions, that focuses on fundamental studies and technological applications of laser ablation,

attracting scientidsts form both academia and industry. Laser ablation is a highly interdisciplinary field drawing

science and engineering. It plays a key role in current frontier topics, which are among the priority research

themes for the new European Research Area, such as nanoscience and technology, materials processing and

biomedical applications.

Researches in Europe have a leading role in the field of laser ablation promoting European scientific excellence.

The organisation of COLA'03 in Europe offers a great opportunty for advancing the European state-of-the-art

in the field by providing:

- a stimulating environment for fruitful interaction between scientists

- efficient exchange of views between research and industry communities

- a high-quality training to young researchers, essential for their studies and future career.

A high level and dynamic training component in COLA'03 is implemented through:

- the selection of conference topics representing areas of intense current scientific and technological interest

- the invitation of world-known experts to lecture on "hot" topics

- a programme structure with brainstorming lecture-discussion sessions, to allow selected project presentations by

young scientists with leading experts in the field

- the organization of poster sessions, followed by discussion sessions, to allow selected project presentations by<

The project pursues a better exploitation of the FULL solar SPECTRUM (as requested in the Work Programme) by further developing concepts already scientifically proven but not yet developed and by trying to prove new ones in the search of a breakthrough for the PV technology. More specific objectives are the development of: a) III-V multijunction cells (MJC), b) Solar Thermo-photovoltaic (TPV) converters, c) Intermediate band (IB) materials and cells (IBC), d) Molecular based concepts (MBC) for full PV utilisation of the solar spectrum and e) Manufacturing Technologies for novel concepts including assembling. MJC technology towards 40 % efficiency will be developed using lower cost substrates and high light concentration (up or above 1000 suns). TPV is a concept of high theoretical efficiency limit because the whole energy of all the photons is used in the heating process and because the non-used photons can be feed back to the emitter, therefore assisting in keeping it hot. Small prototypes with sun/gas heated emitters will be developed. In the IBC approach sub-bandgap photons are exploited by means of an IB. IB materials will be sought by direct synthesis suggested by material band calculations and using nanotechnology in quantum dot IBCs. In the development of the MBC, topics like the development of two-photon dye cells and the development of a static global (direct and diffuse) light concentrator by means of luminescent multicolour dyes and QDs, with the radiation confined by photonic crystals, will be particularly addressed. Manufacturing technologies include using optoelectronic assembling techniques and coupling of light to cells with new-optics miniconcentrators.

The scientific aim of this Fellowship is to investigate a novel class of complex fluids in which high concentrations of electrons are present as stable solvated species: so-called \andquot;electronic liquids\andquot;. These liquids are typically formed when a metal, such as sodium, is dissolved in ammonia. Such solutions contain a fascinating variety of solvated ionic and electronic species, including isolated polarons, spin-paired bipolarons, excitonic atoms, metal anions, and truly delocalised (itinerant) electrons. These species in turn give rise to remarkable bulk properties. For example; the time-honoured metal-nonmetal (M-NM) transition, liquid-liquid phase separation, very low density, deep pseudoeutectic (giving the lowest temperature liquid metals), high electrical conductivity, and highly aggressive redox reactivity. Technologically, the solutions are promoted as a reducing agent for toxic waste and chemical weapon disposal, as a catalyst for forming high-Tc fulleride superconductors, and as an advanced electrolyte for battery systems. The Host Institution has recently led great progress in our understanding of bulk electronic liquids. The primary aim of this Fellowship is to investigate the detailed structure and dynamics of these solutions in confined geometries, for example intercalated into graphite, and as a solvent for carbon nanostructures, such as fullerides and nanotubes. The project will be multidisciplinary, and will provide the Fellow with training in a variety of techniques and materials that are complementary to her current expertise. Neutron and X-ray scattering will be used to measure the atomic structure and dynamics, while the electronic properties will be probed via conductivity and magnetic resonance. Complementary computer simulation will be used to lead and interpret the experimental programme. The Fellow will be part of an Internationally leading Condensed Matter and Materials Physics Group, which occupies purpose #

PHOSPHOR: PHOtophysics and SPectroscopy of Hydrides, ions and Organic Radicals Processes that convert electronic excitation into nuclear kinetic energy largely determine the photophysics of polyatomic molecules in excited electronic states. Such processes are ubiquitous - in scientific areas ranging from atmospheric chemistry to photobiology, and from molecular electronics to nanoscience. In the language of chemical physics, such processes represent a breakdown of the so-called Born-Oppenheimer approximation that underpins almost all of our thinking in the areas of molecular structure, spectroscopy and dynamics. Central to such thinking is the concept of the potential energy surface, on which reactants evolve to products. Recently evidence has been accumulating from both experimental and theoretical studies that the atoms and molecules can switch between electronic states during bond breakage and formation processes. Such processes are described as non-adiabatic and are driven by couplings between the ground and higher lying adiabatic PESs that are neglected within the Born-Oppenheimer approximation. This proposal seeks to apply cutting-edge laser based experimental techniques, particularly velocity map ion imaging methods and H (Rydberg) photofragment translational spectroscopy, to investigate details of the primary photophysics and photofragmentation physics of a carefully chosen range of molecules, organic free radical species, and state selected molecular ions. Each family of experiments involves innovative state-of-the- art experimentation, and will be backed up by detailed theoretical interpretation. In this way, we expect to accumulate detailed insights into the role of non-adiabatic effects in the fragmentation of different classes of molecular system (both closed-shell, and open-shell), thereby building towards a much fuller understanding of non-adiabatic couplings and their influence on molecular reactivity.

Smart power circuits and technologies contribute in a unique way to the realization of the system-on-chip concept by combining digital logic with analogue signal processing and power and high voltage switching. The main objective of this project is to enable a robust design of smart power circuits leading to a first-time-right design with built-in reliability and thus avoiding very costly over-dimensioning. To achieve this ambitious goal, compact models will be built that accurately describe power device operation including extensions to verify safe-operating area conditions. The devices to be modelled include the lateral DMOS, vertical DMOS and LIGBT fabricated in bulk silicon and power devices realized in advanced SOI technology. Model extensions are planned for device ageing due to hot-carrier injection, statistics due process variations, device matching and layout effects such as large area closed-cell matrices. An important feature will be an accurate description of the internal device temperature plus a coupling to package thermal models and EMC modelling. The final goal is to achieve a system level design flow for smart-power SoC using complex transistor level simulations or generated black-box models. Full smart power circuits will be simulated with the new design flow and models will be assessed and calibrated against experimental measurements. The gain in performance and robustness will be quantified.The project therefore aims at providing the EC 'power' industrial community with new, highly robust tools to design and characterize smart power devices and circuits. This will strengthen and significantly advance ECs position as a fast growing, world supplier of smart power technologies. Design and fabrication of highly reliable and efficient Smart Power circuits is one of the most important strategic ways to reduce drastically energy losses in power systems by ensuring optimal energy conversion at all times.

In this project key microsystem technologies and communication methods will be developed that bring intelligence directly to the human, in the form of medical implants and ambulatory measurement systems, and also enable information from these devices to be transmitted out into the wider environment. The microsystem technologies to be developed can be applied to any generic Ambient Intelligent system comprising sensors, actuators, an intelligent processor and a wiring loom. The medical applications have been chosen for 2 reasons. Firstly, they will progress the existing State of the Art in Microsystems in terms of size, reliability, and power constraints far more than many other application sectors. In addition, there will be a direct positive impact into the health of EU citizens. The overall objective is to develop the technologies that go to make up a microsystem, and then produce specific medical devices to exploit these technologies. The 4 year project, with 27 partners, is structured with the focus on the microsystem technology development, most of which does not include silicon. This is seen as crucial if complete microsystems are to be realised in the coming few years. This project includes participants from all of the disciplines necessary to produce a complete generic microsystem. The result will be a range of core technologies and medical devices utilising these core technologies. Intelligence will be given back to people where part of their own internal system has failed. Quality of life will be improved for millions of EU citizens and the long term cost of treating people will reduce significantly. The resulting final medical products include cochlear and retina implants, nerve stimulation, bladder control and pressure monitoring systems. It is estimated from the available statistics that around 50% of the western population i.e. around 500 million citizens, will suffer from at least one of the health problems targeted in this project.

Project Summary and Research Objectives: Dictyostatin is a potent inhibitor of cell proliferation at the nanomolar level, causing cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and inducing apoptosis. By sharing the same microtubule-stabilising mechanism as the anticancer drug Taxol, and retaining activity against Taxol-resistant cancer cells, the marine macrolide dictyostatin is a potential new chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of solid tumours. Due to the extremely low isolation yield from the natural sponge source, total synthesis is essential for generating useful quantities of dictyostatin and determining the full structure. The main objective is to develop a flexible and modular synthesis of the 22-membered macrolide dictyostatin, using methodology developed in the host group, enabling the determination of the configuration at the 11 stereogenic centres and providing material for further biological evaluation. A secondary objective is the synthesis of novel macrolide analogues and hybrid structures, which would be tested for tubulin bundling and cytotoxicity. Expected Benefits: The researcher will benefit by improving her research training and by expanding her knowledge and experience in the synthesis of biologically active molecules that may have therapeutic potential, a field that she wishes to pursue after postdoctoral work. Not only will there be opportunities to learn and develop new synthetic methodologies, but also to participate in multidisciplinary research at the interface of chemistry, biology and medicine. The Chemistry Department of Cambridge University is a world renowned institution and the scientist in charge has exceptional experience in the total synthesis of biologically important compounds, particularly anticancer agents, and the development of new synthetic methods, and has extensive international collaborations.

The project aims at the development of optical switch technologies for packet-switched opti- cal networks, based on semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) using self-organised (InGa)As/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) as active region. QD SOAs exhibit broad gain spectra, ena- bling the amplification of high-bandwidth spectral channels in coarse wavelength division multi- plexed communication systems. Optical routing and switching device technology will be com- bined with novel GaAs-based long-wavelength emitters at 1.3 µm. This interdisciplinary ap- proach combines optical datacom techniques with semiconductor nanotechnology. The project is expected to advance the application of nanotechnology in optoelectronics with the aim of implementing quantum-dot material technology into integrated optoelectronic circuits for larger-bandwidth optical datacom and thus complies with the Thematic Priority 2 (1ST) of FP6. The projects builds on recent evidence that QD systems could be eminently suitable for wide-band switching applications and might substantially improve the performance of next gen- eration datacom systems. The conjunction of both research fields has not been performed to an extent that allows the full exploitation of the advantages of quantum-dot based optoelectronic materials. The applicant, originating from Germany, will benefit from superb training by the host or- ganization, the University of Cambridge (UK). He will gain expertise in combining materials science with research on next-generation photonic datacom solutions. At the end of the fellow- ship, the applicant\'s scientific skills will range from materials nanotechnology over optoelec- tronic devices up to architectures for future high-capacity all-optical networks. Such a threefold combination of expertise is very rare and will significantly contribute to enhance EU scientific excellence.

The EUROSOI network embraces a broad range of research areas related to Silicon-On-lnsulator technology(from materials to end-user electronic applications in traditionally strong European industrial sectors such asautomotive, communications, space). EUROSOI aims at federating the existing research work on SOI topics andat providing an appropriate communication channel between academic groups and industrial production centres.EUROSOI coordination efforts will be focused on fostering different activities to improve the lack of industrialdevelopment in Europe in SOI topics. A network of research centres, industries and end-users is the appropriatetool to structure and organize the existing RandD work on SOI topics, and achieve a critical mass to efficientlyclose the gap between academic groups and industry, which is responsible for the weakness of EuropeanIndustry with regard to SOI. Key actions to reach the above-mentioned objectives are: i)to promote interactionbetween scientists, ii)to take advantage of the previous experience of research groups, iii)to join forces tomaximize the synergy between individual skills, thus obtaining the best achievable global results, and iv) toprovide an appropriate communication channel between academic groups and industrial production centres.EUROSOI will contribute to this by: a)The exchange of information during the workshops organized by thenetwork. (b)Scientific exchange between partners by research visits of scientist and student grants, (c) A web-based database on work by SOI containing: news, resources, project results, reports, links, seminars, training,courses, job opportunities, grants, (d) Elaboration of the European SOI Roadmap: identification of scientificpriority areas and formulation of research and development strategies, (e) Elaboration of Who is Who Guide inSOI.