The proposed project provide a comprehensive study of the chemical response of a host grain on volumetric changes connected with phase transition of inclusions in ultra-high-pressure rocks. The main goal is to investigate the effects of stress induced diffusion in a solid of uniform composition by means of an integrated approach including combination of conventional petrology methods with material science analytical techniques and numerical approaches. Though the interplay between stress and diffusion has been described in material science, the chemical response on stress induced during the solid phase transition has not been studied in geo-materials so far. The proposed hierarchic structure of observations on a wide range of length scales, from the thin section scale down to the nanometer scale will thus give a new and profound insight into the interplay of the kinetic processes, which control the microstructure and chemical evolution during solid phase transformation. The detailed analysis of these small scale processes in ultra high pressure natural samples will also offer valuable data for modeling larger scale processes in Earth interior. Moreover, as the diffusional relaxation modifies elastic state of the material which affects the mechanical properties of the phase, explicit formulation of relaxation kinetics and mass transport for natural, complex chemical system on small scale will provide insights relevant to problems in material science, ceramic industry as well as to radioactive waste disposal programs.

Recent findings concerning the role of inland waters in global carbon cycling is currently having a major impact of the view of the global carbon cycle. These findings highlight inland waters - such as streams, rivers and lakes - as major sites of carbon cycling, implying that they must be considered in the context of climate change. Microbial degradation of organic carbon is a process that is central to carbon cycling in all ecosystems. In soils, microbial degradation of recalcitrant carbon is often controlled by the availability of labile carbon sources. This is linked to the priming effect (PE). Mounting evidence suggests that PE is also important in aquatic ecosystems but it has yet to be explicitly addressed. Biofilms are vital components of aquatic ecosystems. In stream biofilms, heterotrophic bacteria and algae coexist in close proximity, exposing the bacteria to both recalcitrant organic carbon of terrestrial origin and labile organic carbon from the algae. This could make stream biofilms hotspots for PE. In PRIMA, I propose an innovative effort cutting across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, spanning single-cell to ecosystem scales, and combining methods from biogeochemistry and molecular microbiology to study PE in stream biofilms. Carbon flux in stream biofilm microcosms and in ecosystem scale stream mesocosms will be measured to quantify PE and its implications for carbon cycling in streams. The mechanisms of PE will be addressed on single-cell and community scales using cutting edge methods, such as NanoSIMS and 454-sequencing. I am an experienced researcher trained in Norway and Sweden. In PRIMA, I seek to combine my existing skills with the unique expertise and facilities of Prof. Tom J. Battin at the University of Vienna. The many conceptual and methodological training objectives of PRIMA, as well as its outstanding scientific quality, will strengthen my scientific skills and will enable me to reach my goals as an independent researcher.

The behavior of metals, many of which are toxic even in trace quantities, is an important topic as population growth puts pressure on the world’s drinking water resources. Relatively little is yet known about the interdependencies between the biotic and abiotic aspects of metal sorption. The overall aim of my project is to define the processes by which microbial metabolites mediate Pb sorption on calcite. I will use a combination of surface sensitive techniques, including X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation Monitoring (QCM-D) to extend current understanding of the biogeochemical controls on Pb behavior to the molecular scale. My study lies at the intersection of geoscience, surface physics and biointerface science and uses an interdisciplinary approach to answer questions at the crossover of environmental bio- and geochemistry, that are critical for society. The results will provide insights for the water industry, so treatment can be improved by providing criteria for selecting bacteria that can synthesize particular metabolites to immobilize specific toxic metals. Internal corrosion of Pb pipes in water distribution systems is currently an immediate, world-wide public health concern. A recent study estimated that 25% of houses in the EU have at least one Pb pipe, putting 120 million Europeans at risk. My background in drinking water treatment, the new expertise I will gain and the results from the MiMe project will address this concern. I bring my experience and motivation to the members of the Nano-Science Center, to exchange for the opportunity to learn new skills on a set of unique instruments that can “see” at the molecular-level. This new knowledge will form the base for my future research. Indeed, my host, Prof. Stipp’s expertise in the nano-scale processes on mineral surfaces is at the top of the field; I will benefit tremendously from my time at the University of Copenhagen

The NANOPUR-project aims at leveraging on promising bottom-up technologies to develop intensified water treatment concepts based on nano-structured and nano-functionalized membranes as well as nanofilm deposition for micropollutants and virus removal.

This proposal aims at developing a new generation of novel materials for high performance permanent magnets (PM) with energy product 60 kJ/m3 <(BH)max < 160 kJ/m3, which do not contain any rare-earths or platinum. To achieve this objective two strategies will be used: a) exploitation of shape anisotropy of high magnetic moment materials produced in the form of high-aspect-ratio (>5) nanostructures by environmentally friendly synthesis methods and b) using high-throughput (HT) thin film synthesis and characterization techniques to identify new PM candidate phases. The first strategy, through the control of the nanostructure will lead to a factor of 4 increase of the coercivity (over conventional Alnico) . The second strategy will use (HT) methods to screen hundreds of possible compositions and synthesis conditions. Investigations will focus on promising candidate materials of the type {Fe-Co}-X-Y (X = other 3d or 4d metals and Y= B,C,P or N) and Heusler alloys of the type X2YZ (where X is usually Fe, Co, Ni, Cu; Y other transition metals, most often Mn; and Z a group-B element (Al, Ga, Ge, Sn...). High Ms materials that can be stabilized in tetragonal or hexagonal structures by epitaxial growth on selected substrates are the goal with magnetic anisotropies in excess of 107 ergs/cm3.This range covers a wide field of applications and represents a sizeable market fraction of over 100 M€. All research will be performed taking into consideration the critical issues of toxicology and sustainability of the full life cycle of the materials from production to recycling. The consortium will generate breakthroughs to re-establish the EU as a leader in the science, technology and commercialization of this very important class of materials with a wide range of applications, helping to decrease our dependence on raw materials from abroad providing a positive socioeconomic impact and increased employability of young European scientists.

The main goal of Sanowork project is to identify a safe occupational exposure scenario by exposure

The BUONAPART-E project aims to demonstrate that a physical nanoparticle synthesis process can be economically scaled-up to yield 100 kg/day production rate, which is the target rate mentioned in the Call Topic. The process is simple, versatile, and reliable. It avoids chemical precursors and solvents, while fully recycling the necessary inert carrier gas, resulting in a minimal impact on the environment. The process does not necessitate external heating of the inert gas, thereby keeping energy consumption low.

The main challenge of the proposed project is the development of a ceramic honeycomb nanofiltration membrane with strongly increased membrane area of up to 25 m². The strongly increased membrane area in comparison with existing ceramic membranes for nanofiltration in combination with a high surface to volume ratio shall be competitive with polymeric membranes in terms of economics. The nanofiltration coating will allow for instance the direct filtration of surface water for drinking water preparation by a “low volume, low energy” filtration process. The low fouling tendency of the ceramic material will lead to low operating costs and reduced membrane down time during membrane cleaning. The high mechanical stability enables high pressure back-flushing of the membranes. The high chemical and thermal stability of the membrane material allows the chemical or thermal regeneration and sterilization by aggressive chemicals or hot steam if needed. Furthermore ceramic membranes shows considerably higher permeate fluxes in comparison to polymeric membranes. In addition to the high permeability and a low fouling tendency the membranes can be operated at low transmembrane pressures and low cross flow velocities. This strategy helps to reduce operation costs and save energy (“low feed, low pressure”).

The objective of the project Environmental Effects and Risk Evaluation of Engineered Nanoparticles (EnvNano) is to elucidate the particle specific properties that govern the ecotoxicological effects of engineered nanoparticles and in this way shift the paradigm for environmental risk assessment of nanomaterials.

Restaurants, hotels, markets, fisheries and other small to medium size agro-food industries have to manage 239 million tonnes of organic waste in Europe per year. The specific management of such waste, with respect to the legislative regulations of EU, involves costly treatment for SMEs and potential hygiene issues on site. ORION aims at allowing a vast majority of SMEs to manage their organic waste by themselves in order to decrease their treatment costs (storage, transport, landfill or incineration) and increase on-site hygiene conditions. Wastes will be also valorised as biomass to produce energy and increase SME autonomy and profitability.