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High throughput mass spectrometry of single proteins in liquid environment

Although mass spectrometry has brought about major advancements in proteomics in the last decade, protein mass spectrometers still have important limitations. One fundamental limitation is that they require sample ionization, desorption into the gas phase and fragmentation, clearly leading to protein denaturation. Since relevant protein complexes are unstable or transient, their characterization in its native state and physiological environment remains an unexplored route towards the full understanding of protein function and protein interactions.

CLOTH manIpulation Learning from DEmonstrations

Textile objects pervade human environments and their versatile manipulation by robots would open up a whole range of possibilities, from increasing the autonomy of elderly and disabled people, housekeeping and hospital logistics, to novel automation in the clothing internet business and upholstered product manufacturing.

High-sensitivitY Measurements of key stellar Nucleo-Synthesis reactions

The origin of the heavy elements in the Universe is one of the main open questions in modern science. Beyond iron the two main mechanisms of nucleosynthesis are the slow (s) and rapid (r) neutron capture processes operating in giant stars and explosive stellar environments, respectively. Modern s-nucleosynthesis studies are based on the combination of i) stellar models, ii) observed abundances and iii) neutron capture rates measured over many years using several techniques.

Noncommutative Calderón-Zygmund theory, operator space geometry and quantum probability

Von Neumann's concept of quantization goes back to the foundations of quantum mechanics and provides a noncommutative model of integration. Over the years, von Neumann algebras have shown a profound structure and set the right framework for quantizing portions of algebra, analysis, geometry and probability. A fundamental part of my research is devoted to develop a very much expected Calderón-Zygmund theory for von Neumann algebras. The lack of natural metrics partly justifies this long standing gap in the theory.

The Fingerprint of a Galactic Nucleus: A Multi-Wavelength, High-Angular Resolution, Near-Infrared Study of the Centre of the Milky Way

Galactic stellar nuclei are very common in all types of galaxies and are marked by the presence of nuclear star clusters, the densest and most massive star clusters in the present-day Universe. Their formation is still an unresolved puzzle. The centre of the Milky Way contains a massive black hole and a stellar nucleus and is orders of magnitude closer than any comparable target. It is the only galactic nucleus and the most extreme astrophysical environment that we can examine on scales of milli-parsecs.

ULTRAfast growth of ultrahigh performance SUPERconducting TAPEs

ULTRASUPERTAPE aims to demonstrate an unprecedented approach for fabrication of low cost / high throughput / high performance High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) tapes, or Coated Conductors, to push the emerging HTS industry to market. The breakthrough idea is the use of Transient Liquid Assisted Growth from low cost Chemical Solution Deposition of Y, Ba, Cu metallorganic precursors to reach ultrafast growth rates.

The physicochemical nature of water on early Mars

Concepts of large bodies of glacial ice and liquid standing water, a robust hydrological cycle, and a rich Martian history of climate change are part of the current consensus model for early Mars.

Restriction of the Fourier transform with applications to the Schrödinger and wave equations

In 1967, Stein proved that the Fourier transform of functions in L^p could be meaningfully restricted to the sphere for certain p>1. The restriction conjecture, which asserts the maximal range of such p, was solved by Fefferman in two dimensions, but the conjecture remains open in higher dimensions. Strichartz considered the same question but with the sphere replaced by the paraboloid or the cone, and a great deal of progress has been made in the last two decades by Bourgain, Wolff and Tao, among others.

Ferrites-by-design for Millimeter-wave and Terahertz Technologies

Robust disruptive materials will be essential for the “wireless everywhere” to become a reality. This is because we need a paradigm shift in mobile communications to meet the challenges of such an ambitious evolution. In particular, some of these emerging technologies will trigger the replacement of the magnetic microwave ferrites in use today. This will namely occur with the forecasted shift to high frequency mm-wave and THz bands and in novel antennas that can simultaneously transmit and receive data on the same frequency.