The aim of the project will be the development of biochip plailbtms based on micro- and nanotechnology for functional genomics and proteomics. The linai microsystems will be composed of biological nanosensors, optical and electric transducers, microfluidics and CMOS circuitry for signal processing. Integration of these units will result in both miniaturization of biochip platforms and an increase in the sensitivity of the assays performed. The resulting Nanobiochips will present several advantages, like low reagent consumption, short analysis time, real-time monitoring and high sensitivity. Also, the biological nanosensors will allow direct detection, avoiding the problems associated with fluorescent and radioactive labeling used nowadays. The portable biosensor microsystem will be mainly applied in the biomedical field, where mobility implies a significant improvement for health monitoring. Among the applications are the detection of combined markers for diagnosis and follow-up of prostate, breast and endometrial cancers. The key element of the biosensor microsystem for specific biological detection will be the nanomechunical response of an array of micro- nanocantilevers. Briefly, the operation principle in pharmacogenctic applications is as follows. Nucleic acids are covalently immobilized on the surface of a micro- nanoeantilever. When the micro- nanocantilevers are exposed to a medical sample, in which a nucleic acid with the complementary nucleotide sequence is present, this will hybridise with (he immobilized nucleic acid. This will give rise to a change of surface stress and mass of the micro- nanoeantilever that is translated into a nanomechanical response, i.e., a cantilever bending and a change of its resonant properties that can be measured. Also, changes in surface stress can be measured directly through integrated piezoresistors in the cantilevers.

Preparation and study of nanowires is one of the most promising domains of the field of nanotechnology. Up to now the reports published in the area described mainly methods of preparation, structural and morphological characterization. For transport characterization expensive preparation methods for the contacts were required as electron or submicrolithography. The aim of the present project is the preparation and a complete characterization of cadmium chalcogenites nanowires by electrodeposition in ion track templates. The templates will be polymer films (up to several tenths of micrometers thickness) irradiated with swift heavy ions. By controlled etching of the damage trail left by the ions in the materials, pores with the desired shape and dimension can be obtained. The electrochemical replication of the pores will result in arrays of nanowires in the case of multipores membranes or single nanowires in the case of single pore membranes (films which were irradiated with a single ion). The multiwire arrays samples will be used for morphological (electron microscopy), structural (X- ray and electron diffraction) and optical (absorption spectroscopy, luminescence) characterization. The single wire samples will be used for transport characterization - conductivity and photoconductivity in a wide range of temperatures, transport in magnetic fields. The results will be a first step in preparation and characterization of nanowire based semiconductor functional devices, the possible field of application being extremely wide: light sensors (both photoconductivity and photovoltaic detectors), light emitting devices as LEDs and laser diodes, temperature sensors and so on. The project can be considered as an alternative to the much more expensive methods of preparation, especially for the electric contacting of the nanowires.

The aim of this project is to build an experimental set-up for single molecule fluorescence detection with the goal of studying multichromophoric systems with potential application in nanotechnology. Single molecule fluorescence spectroscopy (SMFS), a powerful tool to address the behaviour of matter at the nanoscale, has nowadays evolved to a new frontier in science with high impact in a wide range of disciplines. One of the areas where SMFS has found a widespread application is in the investigation of multichromophoric assemblies, an issue of current interest due to the unique optical properties displayed by those systems, which are promising components for molecular photonic and electronic devices. Herein two types of artificially synthesised chromophoric assemblies will be studied. First, attention will be focused on model systems where excitation energy transfer takes place between coupled units of donors and acceptors. An enhancement of the energy flow efficiency is expected for those systems. This mechanism will be studied at the single molecule level and, subsequently, applied to build and investigate long dye arrays susceptible to allow for energy flow over Iarge distances. To develop this project, the applicant has already reintegrated to a research institution in his own country with a contract for a period of five years. The experience of the host group with the synthesis of chromophoric systems will complement the applicant and apos;s expertise on the SMS field acquired during the initial Marie Curie action in the University of Twente, then ensuring the successful development of the project. The applicant will acquire a fruitful training in nanoscience and nanotechnology during the reintegration period, two thematic priorities of the 6th Framework Programme of the EU. This will benefit the applicant and apos;s long-term job stability in the framework of several research centres in nanotechnology recently launched in his region of origin.

The abatement of the environmental problems is one of the biggest challenges of technology today. This requires investment in new and clean processes. The development and implementation of new production and separation processes may result in a green industrial revolution. Nanotechnology and membrane technology has many opportunities in this respect. Membrane systems offer lower costs, less maintenance, more flexibility, and significant environmental and product quality advantages than the conventional technologies and can be applied to a wide variety of industries. While membrane systems can perform difficult separations not possible with other technologies, nanotechnology gives new opportunities for cleaner production. Since the use of nanotechnologies and membrane technologies in industry is new, the end-users, located in the Associate Candidate Countries (ACC), have not yet compiled and homogenized information. There is a great need within the end users in the ACCs to be informed about the application areas, the type of applications, and organic compound separation, recovery and reduce. This will be achieved by means of a symposium and dissemination of results obtained so far. The symposium will lead to integrate the knowledge of excellent experts in this field. The aim of the project is to unify and coordinate the efforts of the scientists working in the Application of Nanotechnologies for Separation and Recovery of Volatile Organic Compounds from Waste Air Streams. These are planning to be performed via symposium activities. During these activites effect of integration of the knowledge of excellent experts in nanotechnologies, membrane technologies and air pollution prevention in the field discussed is planning to be accomplished. In practice this will be an attempt for effective cooperation of academic and scientific researcher from one side with industrial, national and local administration, from another side.

In the last two years, nanostructures such as quantum dot superlattices have been experimentally demonstrated to have enormous promise as high efficiency thermoelectric materials, however why such high efficiencies can be obtained with these materials is not yet clearly understood. The applicant has previously demonstrated that nanostructured thermionic electron heat engines can operate with Carnot efficiency when the energy range of electrons transmitted through the device is infinitesimally narrow. In this project we will seek to demonstrate that a similar mechanism underlies the high efficiencies recently observed in nanostructured thermoelectric devices. Our approach will be to study a tractable model of a quantum dot superlattice thermoelectric device consisting of an array of one-dimensional quantum mechanical rings (the simplest possible quantum dots) in which inelastic scattering occurs by electron interaction with electronic reservoirs, following a technique developed by Buttiker. By identifying the underlying physical mechanisms for the high efficiency observed in nanostructured thermoelectric devices, we will answer questions which are of fundamental interest in theoretical condensed matter physics and thermodynamics, as well providing a 'road-map' for future experimental work in low-dimensional thermoelectrics.This project is extremely well aligned with the objectives of the IIF. The applicant is a 'top-quality' post-doctoral researcher working in condensed matter theory, who has so far been based in experimental groups. To continue to work at a high level in theory, the applicant would benefit substantially from a period of training with Buttiker, a internationally renowned theorist specialising in electronic transport in nanostructures. The applicant has 'hands-on' experience in both nanofabrication and theory, and is thus in an excellent position to facilitate future international collaborative projects between theorists and experimentalists.

The ERG will enable me to establish a research unit at the Slovak University of Technology that will capitalise on my previous postdoctoral research experience from the NANOPHASE Marie Curie RTN. This transfer of expertise, together with the active research along the scientific objectives of this proposal, and my international collaborative activities, will guarantee me long term employment at the host institution and successful career development within European science. The scientific objective of my proposal is to achieve deeper understanding of the fundamental physical processes underlining the presently rapidly growing field of molecular electronics and nanotechnology. Specifically, my attention is focused on the flow of electric current. As a result of the proposed work I will be able to(l Quantitatively describe the electronic structure of a real molecular device with accurate account for electron-electron interactions, (2) formulate and perform calculation of the conductance for interacting model electronic systems and (3) describe devices carrying current, far from equilibrium, using a novel technique based on maximum entropy principle. A substantial part of the proposed research is a joint collaboration with several nodes of the NANOPHASE RTN. At the same time it covers new collaborations with national research groups as well. As such, it is a research proposal, fully integrated into the growing European Research Area and directly contributing to its further development.

This project is part of a joint European activity which targets at inter-linking the European RandD Centres of Excellence in micro and nanotechnologies to a virtual 300 mm CMOS RandD line. The core partners include industrial 300 mm research sites and pilot lines as well as the major European RandD institutes Fraunhofer, IMEC and LETI. The goal of this project is to enable, on a short term, the co-operation of the European RandD centres by providing a fast and reliable logistic and infrastructure for exchange and transfer mechanism of 300 mm wafers between the RandD sites. Thus, existing 300 mm processing capabilities, newly purchased standard 300 mm equipment and highly innovative alpha or beta site tools finally can be interlinked to a full CMOS RandD line. Furthermore, data about the current status and location of wafers and carriers needs to be tracked, monitored and administrated in a joint database and made securely accessible by all partners via the internet. Demonstrating the feasibility of inter-linking the already existing European RandD Centres of Excellence within the framework of this project should cost-effectively enable in fact the availability of a virtual European 300 mm CMOS RandD line as early as 2005/2006.

The preparation of high quality crystals in order to determine three-dimensional structures of biological macromolecules is the major bottleneck of x-ray crystallography studies. This project deals with biocrystallogenesis and its goal is to provide strategies and practical methods to facilitate the preparation and the optimization of macromolecular crystals. A foreseen consequence of this approach is a faster access to structural data. The targets are aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and transfert RNAs (tRNA) that are key actors in the translation of genetic information. These macromolecules are of immediate biological interest for the host laboratory. Indeed, their 3D structures are indispensable for a better understanding of the tRNA aminoacylation reaction. Further, the recent discovery of a link between structural alterations in such systems and human pathologies enhances this interest. The project is multidisciplinary and involves biocomputing (to create a dedicated database in order to follow and compare crystallization assays), biochemistry and molecular biology (for cloning, expression and purification of targets), physical-chemistry of crystallization (to establish phase diagrams, to crystallize the targets in gelified media, to control the growth of their crystals by temperature or pressure variation,...) and physics (to evaluate crystal quality and perfection by x-ray diffraction and topography). The project will benefit from long lasting expertise of the host laboratory and associated biology groups, and from experience in structural biology and biocomputing acquired by the proposer during his Marie Curie training period. The attribution of an ERG would encourage the first step of the proposer and apos;s career after his reintegration. It would also reinforce the development of an infrastructure for applied biocrystallogenesis at the host institute with a more general interest in the context of structural genomics prospective in the European Research Area.

ENVIROMIS-SSA forms coherent set of coordination, dissemination and education actions directly aimed at environment and health protection and related safety aspects, stabilisation of research and development potential in Russia and other NIS countries. Being based on modern monitoring, information and computational technologies it might indirectly facilitate changes in the industrial production system as well. To reach these objectives a threefold approach will be used: Networking of leading environmental research organizations in Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan aimed at research cooperation and dissemination, transfer, exploitation, assessment and/or broad take-up of past and present programme results obtained by the Network members and their European partners; Support of special information-computational system opening free Internet access to thematic and general information resources in area of Environmental Sciences for professionals, students and general public thus providing an opportunity for information dissemination, continuous distant e-learning, and public awareness; Organization of multidisciplinary thematic Young Scientist Schools collocated with International conferences on Environment Sciences. Each event will give a room for a special session devoted to presentation of results of recent and ongoing FP5 and FP6 projects performed within INCO, ESD and 1ST Programmes. Recent NIS graduates and postgraduates training in modern information and computation technologies forming a backbone of Environmental Sciences at International Schools and Conferences and by means of IT and dissemination to the targeted audience information on FP6 opportunities should lead to growing a generation of researches able to assess current state of environment, to understand and prognose basic tendencies of its evolution under pressure of natural and anthropogenic processes and ready to be a part of European Research #

There has been considerable interest in derivatization of carbon nanotubes to modify their electronic, chemical, transport, etc. properties. Some examples are: i) functionalization of nanotubes to facilitate their manipulation, enhance their solubility, and make them more amenable to composite formation; lithium intercalated carbon nanotubes have attracted considerable interest for energy storage devices; the introduction of donor/acceptor levels through substitutional doping of the material to control the electronic properties; etc. However, from a theoretical prespective little is know about functionalized and intercalated nanotubes. This research project is dedicated to the theoretical/numerical characterization of intercalated and functionalized carbon nanotubes by the interpretation of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Raman spectroscopic data. These two techniques have an extremely high sensitivity to the local environment of a C bond. In particular, we will provide reference NRM and Raman theoretical spectra, in the search for clear signatures of the microscopic structure of the nanotubes. The signatures can be used to characterize macroscopic samples of tubes. To achieve these objectives, we will use state-of-the-art ab initio computational methods, due to their predictive power and reliability. This work will be done in close connection to experimental groups. In one hand, input from experiment will help assessing and validating the theoretical models. On the other hand the theory may be helpful to drive further experimental studies.This project will contribute to the building-up of basic knowledge in the strategic and highly impact area of nano-technology. In addition, the multidisciplinarity character of the project and its objectives will help to enhance European scientific excellence.