NCCR Guide 2013 - Schweizerischer Nationalfonds (SNF)

• Dipartimento di Chimica Organica
e Industriale Consorzio Interuniversitario
Nazionale per la Scienza
e Tecnologia dei Materiali, Parma, IT
• Dipartimento di Chimica,
Istituto per la Sintesi Organica
e la Fotoreattività, Bologna, IT
• Dipartimento di Farmacia,
Università degli studi di Trieste, IT
• Division of Structural Studies, MRC
Laboratory of Molecular
Biology, Cambridge, GB
• Electrochimie et Physiochimie
des Complexes et des Systèmes
Interfaciaux, Université Louis
Pasteur, Strasbourg, FR
• Electrical Engineering Department,
University of Notre Dame,
Notre Dame, US
• Biologie und Chemie,
Universität Bremen, DE
• Fachbereich Physik,
Universität Duisburg, DE
• Fachbereich Physik,
Universität Konstanz, DE
• Faculté des Sciences,
Université de Namur, BE
• Faculty of Physics, Astronomy,
Krakow, PL
• Faculty of Physics,
University of Regensburg, DE
• Fisica de la Materia Condensada,
Universidad Autonoma,
Madrid, ES
• Forschungsinstitut für Technikund
Wissenschaftsgeschichte,
Deutsches Museum, München, DE
• IBM Almaden Research Center,
San Jose, US
• Institut de Chimie, Université de
Strasbourg, FR
• Instituto de Ciencia Molecular,
University of Valencia, ES
• Institut de Physique et Chimie
des Matériaux de Strasbourg, FR
• Institut für Organische Chemie und
Biochemie, Universität Freiburg, DE
• Institut für Photonik und Quantenelektronik,
Karlsruher Institut
für Technologie, Karlsruhe, DE
• Institut für Physikalische und
Theoretische Chemie, TU Graz, AT
• Institute for Quantum Computing,
University of Waterloo, CA
• Institute of Inorganic Chemistry,
Universität Heidelberg, DE
• Institute of Materials Research and
Engineering, Singapore, SG
• Institute of Molecular Science,
University of Valencia, ES
• Institute of Organic
Chemistry and Technology,
University of Pardubice, CZ
• Institute of Physical and
Theoretical Chemistry, Graz
University of Technology, AT
• Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian
University, Krakow, PL
• International Center for Materials
Nanoarchitectonics, National
Institute for Material Science,
Tsukuba, JP
• Laboratoire de Physique des
Solides, Université Paris-Sud, FR
• Laboratoire Kastler-Brossel, Ecole
Normale Supérieure, Paris, FR
• Laboratory of Physics, Helsinki
University of Technology, FI
• Lehrstuhl für Angewandte
Festkörperphysik, Universität
Bochum, DE
• London Centre for Nanotechnology,
University College London, GB
• Mecánica de los Medios Continuos
y Teoría de las Estructuras,
Universidad de Castilla
La Mancha, Almaden, ES
• Microsystems and Material Laboratory,
Politecnico di Torino, IT
• Miller School of Medicine,
Physiology and Biophysics Department,
University of Miami, US
• Nano Ethics Network,
University of Aarhus, DK
Nanoscale Science – Impact on Life
Sciences, Sustainability, Information
and Communication Technologies
NCCR Nanoscale Science
Achievements of the previous years
Transition of the NCCR to
a sustainable doctorate
school
In parallel with the termination
activities of the
NCCR Nano in May 2013,
the structure of research
funding started its transition
from the module based
mid-term scheme to a long
term funding scheme by
means of a doctorate school
at the University of Basel.
This transition guarantees
the sustainable preservation
of the achieved research
competences and
the continuity of the research
networks that have
arisen during the NCCR.
The realization of a first
PhD workshop on career
complemented the preparation
to the upcoming
transition.
ERC grants
Christian Schönenberger,
director of the NCCR Nano
received an ERC grant for
his research on entangled
electrons. After Dominik
Zumbühl and Edwin Constable,
he is already the
third NCCR member to receive
one of the prestigious
ERC research grants.
Scientific Highlights
Making use of scanning
probe technology, researchers
of the NCCR
Nano could identify a specific
fingerprint for breast
cancer. These fingerprints
are responsible for the
formation of metastases
and finally for the deadly
consequences of a tumor.
The understanding of the
underlying basic processes
will be of important use for
the future development of
cancer therapies.
Researchers of the NCCR
Nano have synthesized nanometer
sized containers
that can be to treat arteriosclerotic
blood vessels.
The lens shaped containers
are able to transport active
pharmaceutical ingredients
to the blood vessels
affected of a stenosis. The
pharmaceutical ingredients
are specifically released at
the site of the stenosis. This
technique allows avoiding
side effects.
Atoms at step edges are
chemically more reactive
than bulk atoms. Physicists
of the NCCR Nano in collaboration
with scientists
from Finland could investigate
the chemical forces
of these step edge atoms
and were able to move individual
atoms by means of
scanning probe methods.
In quantum mechanical
systems, two particles may
be in entangled states. This
entanglement is of importance
for quantum information
processing. A team
of the NCCR Nano presented
the first source for
entangled particles with a
reasonable high efficiency.
This source, based on the
combination of a super conductor
and separated quantum
dots might be essential
for the implementation of
future quantum mechanical
experiments.
A research team of the
NCCR Nano has presented
the coolest fridge for nanostructures
that has ever
Members of the Scientific Advisory Board
Baumeister Wolfgang, Prof.
Binnig Gerd, Prof.
Eigler Don, Dr.
Kroto Sir Harry, Prof.
Melchers Fritz, Prof.
Quate Calvin, Prof.
Rohrer Heinrich, Dr.
Max Planck Institute, Martinsried, DE
Definiens AG, Munich, DE
IBM Almaden, US
University of Sussex, GB
University of Basel, CH
Stanford University, US
Wollerau, CH
been built. Very low temperatures
are of importance
in the research of basic processes
in nature. The researchers
could show that
important effects are present
at these temperatures.
These effects change the
behavior of nanostructures
qualitatively. Recently, researchers
could proof that
the Koringa law doesn’t
hold at temperatures below
0.1 Kelvin. This finding
could be a further milestone
in the realization of a
quantum computer.
Collaboration with industry
During 2012 we could foster
partnerships with representatives
of small and
middle sized companies in
the region of north-western
Switzerland. The Argovia
research program attracts
increasingly more companies
to start projects in
strong collaboration with
academia.
Rise of interest for outreach
activities
We were active in the communication
and broadcast
of nanoscience. More than
2000 visitors and spectators
joined our public events on
nanoscience, nanomedicine
and science & innovation
in general. Beside the
visit of school classes and
associations, our presence
at science fairs like TuN
Basel, Science Days Rust
and the Techdays organized
by the SATW, reached
a broad public audience.
Further information see
www.nanoscience.ch
56 | Guide 2013