Programme-cadre de recherche et développement de l’Union européenne

CISSE is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network that brings together scientists intrigued by the emerging link between chirality and electron spin. This is an ideal field to train doctoral candidates and develop fresh views on pivotal chemical concepts.

The project is funded under the Horizon Europe framework programme. The research will be carried out between January 2023 and December 2026.

Chirality is often considered as a structural property of molecules, but the concept also applies to elementary particles having a non-zero spin, i.e. electrons at rest are achiral but they acquire a helicity (chirality) in the direction of motion. Consequently, electrons are filtered according to their spin when crossing chiral materials. This newly uncovered chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect is surprisingly large. Spin polarization up to 100% has been demonstrated paving the way to multiple applications in chemistry, such as improved control of enantioselective reactions and easier separation of enantiomers. Impacts are also expected in physics (spintronics) and biology (molecular recognition of biomolecules, origin of bio-homo-chirality, magnetic compass of migratory songbirds). CISS effect is theoretically ill-defined. Sound structure-property relationship lacks also for the link between molecule chirality and CISS effect magnitude.

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Mixing is the science describing the evolution of the concentration of a substance (tracers, chemicals, heat, bacteria...) in a continuum substrate that is possibly deforming. It is also a necessary process or phenomenon taking place at various scales, from molecular to planetary, in all non-equilibrium human and natural activities. Most approaches to mixing used in science and engineering are based on mean field approaches or phenomenological mixing models. The CoPerMix EU-ITN training network proposes to address this challenge by setting up an innovative and entrepreneurial training programme for young PhD students that renews drastically the methods and approaches to the subject and incorporates strategic new visions of Mixing.

Anne De Wit in the Chemistry Department of ULB is partner of this training network. Her research group will focus on analyzing the influence of chemical reactions on the efficiency of hydrodynamic mixing techniques.

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L’ambition du projet est de développer une société de colonies d’abeilles adaptée aux défis et besoins actuels (limitation des impacts des pesticides, changements climatiques, environnement urbain/anthropisés).  Pour ce faire, des ruches « intelligentes » seront mises au point afin de contrôler l’activité des colonies grâce à l’intégration de senseurs et de robots. Par ailleurs, un système robotisé de communications inter-ruches permettra d’optimiser les activités de récolte du rucher.

L’équipe BASS (S.C. Nicolis, A. Campo & J.L. Deneubourg) (Chimie Physique et Biologie Théorique, CENOLI) exploitant ses compétences dans l’étude des phénomènes collectifs et des sociétés mixtes (animaux-robots) est en charge du développement des modèles mathématiques visant à guider et à prédire le comportement de ces systèmes abeilles automates.

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The MOlecular-Scale Biophysics Research Infrastructure (MOSBRI) enables ambitious integrative multi-technological studies of biological systems at the crucial intermediate level between atomic-resolution structural descriptions and cellular-scale observations. The European Union’s Horizon 2020 INFRAIA programme awarded a 5 M€ infrastructure grant to MOSBRI.

Its consortium of 2 companies and 13 academic centres of excellence from 11 countries gathers a wide complementary panel of cutting-edge instrumentation and expertise, leveraging barriers that currently hinder the optimal exploitation of molecular-scale biophysical approaches in the fields of biomedicine, biotechnology, biomaterials and beyond. MOSBRI provides, at no cost, European academic and industrial researchers with access to the latest technological developments in advanced spectroscopies, hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, real-time kinetics and single molecule approaches. At ULB, the SFMB in the Chemistry Department (Prof Vincent Raussens and Erik Goormaghtigh) is coordinating access to FTIR spectroscopy and microscopy, microarrayer etc,….

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RoboCoenosis: ROBOts in cooperation with a bioCOENOSIS The Project Robocoenosis seeks to introduce a novel paradigm of “life form in the loop” which will allow the development of new types of complex bio-hybrid entities, putting together different living organisms and technological elements using a symbiotic/mutualistic method. These bio-hybrid entities will have unique features in terms of energy harvesting, sensing and actuation, and will be fully integrated in their environment of operation. Moreover, they will be autonomous, robust, and non-invasive owing to the use of adapted lifeforms and biodegradable materials. The developed bio-hybrid technology, including tools and methods to interface living organisms and technological elements, will be accessible to a wide community including makers, students, scientists, engineers and SMEs. By enabling the community of high potential actors to enter the field of bio-hybrid design, we will foster this paradigm and the development and extension of bio-hybrid technology. 

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Le projet Beyond EPICA – Oldest Ice regroupe une communauté d'experts scientifiques et d'infrastructures consacrés à l'étude des calottes glaciaires fondée sur l'analyse de carottes de glace. Il constitue la base scientifique et technique d'un programme global, visant à extraire une carotte glaciaire vieille de 1,5 million d'années dans le cadre d'une étape de forage ultérieure du projet Beyond EPICA.

Ce forage pourrait fournir des archives uniques de la composition de l’air des précédentes époques glaciaires et surtout la transition mid-Pleistocène qui est caractérisé par le changement des cycles climatique d’environ 40,000 ans vers les cycles de 100,000 ans. Le projet contribue également à favoriser l'exploration future de l'Antarctique et promet de fournir aux scientifiques des informations précieuses sur le climat et les flux de carbone à travers le monde. Ces connaissances permettront enfin d'améliorer les diagnostics futurs concernant l'évolution du climat au moyen de données quantitatives fiables, et d'élaborer des stratégies plus ciblées visant à relever les défis sociétaux que représente le réchauffement climatique.

Le Laboratoire de Glaciologie de l’ULB est impliqué dans ce projet via l’analyse de la glace basale et la modélisation de la calotte de l’Antarctique afin de déterminer sa stabilité au cours des dernier 1.5 millions d’années (Frank Pattyn/Jean-Louis Tison/François Fripiat).

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DEEPICE: Research and training network on understanding Deep Ice corE Proxies to Infer past antarctiC climatE dynamics.

The overall objective of DEEPICE is to equip a new generation of scientists with a solid background in ice-core related climate science with a particular focus on Antarctica, a high level of technical and communication expertise and a large collaborative network across the academic and non-academic world. This project is closely related to the ‘Beyond Epica Oldest Ice’ project (EU H2020) with the scientific objective of drilling a 1.5 million years (Myr) ice core in Antarctica. A key challenge for the BE-OI is to understand why the periodicity of glacial to interglacial cycles changed from 41 to 100 thousand of years during the so-called Mid-Pleistocene Transition, between 0.8 and 1.2 Myr.

The glaciology lab (ULB, Faculty of Sciences, DGES) is part of DEEPICE. ULB is involved in WP2 “Quantification of processes responsible for creation and alteration of the climate signal in the ice core“ and will specifically work (ESR9) on the retrieval of the oldest paleoclimatic signal in basal ice.

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Depuis juin 2021, le groupe de Recherche BGEOSYS est impliqué dans un projet international ambitieux : ESM2025, financé par le programme cadre Horizon-Europe de la Commission Européenne.

L’objectif principal de ce projet est de développer la nouvelle génération de « Modèles Système Terre » (Earth System Models, ESMs) nécessaires à l’amélioration des projections climatiques synthétisées par l’IPCC et aux services européens en charge de l’implémentation des accords de Paris sur le climat. En particulier, ESM2025 fournira les connaissances scientifiques qui sont requises pour la construction d’une société « zéro carbone », résiliente au changement climatique. Pour atteindre ces objectifs ambitieux, le projet rassemble non seulement un consortium de 19 instituts de recherche européens (basés dans sept pays : Allemagne, Autriche, Belgique, France, Grande-Bretagne, Norvège, Suède et Suisse), mais implique également un ensemble d’acteurs non-académiques dans le domaine du climat. De plus, ESM2025 mobilise les 5 ESMs (CNRM-ESM, IPSL-ESM, MPI-ESM, NorESM, UKESM) qui sont centraux au soutien à la politique climatique européenne et catalysera donc fortement la collaboration internationale dans le domaine de la Modélisation du Système Terre.

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OCEAN:ICE (Ocean-Cryosphere Exchanges in Antarctica: Impacts on Climate and the Earth System) is a Horizon Europe project, funded by the European Commission and UKRI, and runs until October 2026. OCEAN:ICE will assess the impacts of key Antarctic Ice Sheet and Southern Ocean processes on Planet Earth, via their influence on sea level rise, deep water formation, ocean circulation and climate. The project is set up as an innovative and ambitious combination of observations and numerical models, including coupled ice sheet-climate model development, will be used to improve predictions of how changes in the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets impact global climate. OCEAN:ICE will reduce the deep uncertainty in the impact of their melt on societally relevant environmental changes on decadal to multi-centennial time scales and it will assess the potential for passing ice sheet ‘tipping points’ and their consequences for ocean circulation and climate.

The Laboratoire de Glaciologie of the ULB is involved in the development, calibration and assessment of ice sheet models to predict future evolution of the Antarctic ice sheet. ULB also leads the transversal theme on freshwater fluxes and their impact on the Southern Ocean circulation.

Involved researchers: Frank Pattyn (WP4 co-lead), Violaine Coulon, Javier Blasco Navarro

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L'objectif scientifique primordial de PROTECT est d'évaluer et de projeter les changements dans la cryosphère terrestre, avec des incertitudes pleinement quantifiées, afin de produire des projections mondiales, régionales et locales robustes de niveau marin sur une gamme d'échelles de temps. Le projet mettra un accent particulier sur les scénarios à faible probabilité et à fort impact (appelés scénarios haut de gamme) qui présentent le plus grand intérêt pour les acteurs de la planification côtière. Une nouveauté de PROTECT est la forte interaction entre ces parties prenantes et les scientifiques du niveau de la mer, allant des glaciologues aux spécialistes des impacts côtiers, pour identifier les risques et opportunités pertinents à l'échelle mondiale et locale et renforcer la compétitivité européenne dans la fourniture de services climatologiques.

L'ULB (Laboratoire de Glaciologie) participe à l'amélioration de la compréhension et de la modélisation des processus critiques de la cryosphère et des rétroactions qui permettront de mieux caractériser la probabilité d'élévation haut de gamme du niveau de la mer sous des trajectoires plausibles de changement climatique.

Chercheurs impliqués : Frank Pattyn (Work Package 3 leader), Sainan Sun, Violaine Coulon

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Chemical Elements as Tracers of the Evolution of the Cosmos – Infrastructures for Nuclear Astrophysics

Nuclear astrophysics studies the origin of the chemical elements: from the Big Bang, to stellar burning, and to neutron star mergers. ChETEC-INFRA networks the three types of infrastructures that, together, provide the capabilities needed for this quest: astronuclear laboratories supply reaction data, supercomputer facilities perform stellar structure and nucleosynthesis computations, and telescopes and mass spectrometers collect elemental and isotopic abundance data. ChETEC-INFRA is a Starting Community of Research Infrastructures that networks altogether 13 such infrastructures from a variety of European countries.

From 2021-2025, ChETEC-INFRA provides free access to these infrastructures to researchers from any country, with proposals selected based on scientific excellence only. In addition, dedicated work packages improve the usability and accessibility of the three types of infrastructures and network them with each other, with the nuclear astrophysics community, and with other scientific disciplines.

ChETEC-INFRA includes a strong outreach component, with support to both established and new nuclear astrophysics scientific schools, outreach to high school students, to the detector industry, and to other stakeholders. Within ChETEC-INFRA, data are archived and catalogued for long-term sustainability beyond the end of the project, ranging from evaluated nuclear reaction rates to detailed abundance data for a multitude of stars to tracer nucleosynthesis calculations. The 32 ChETEC-INFRA partner institutions in 17 countries aim to serve both the European and international nuclear astrophysics communities and are networked with related efforts in the United States, China, and Japan.

EDIPI (european weather Extremes: DrIvers, Predictability and Impacts) est un consortium international d'universités, de centres de recherche et d'entreprises privées visant à approfondir notre compréhension des températures, des précipitations (y compris la sécheresse) et des vents de surface extrêmes en Europe.

L'un des principaux objectifs de l'EDIPI est de former une cohorte d'experts en conditions météorologiques extrêmes, qui combinent une compréhension physique des conditions météorologiques extrêmes à fort impact avec une connaissance pratique des outils de prévisibilité et une appréciation des informations pertinentes pour l'utilisateur requises par le secteur privé.

EDIPI est financé dans le cadre du programme H2020-MSCA-ITN de la Commission européenne.

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The GADGET project aims at understanding the origin of the most energetic particles in the Universe, the ultra-high-energy cosmic rays.

They reach energies larger than 10²⁰ eV, much higher than those achievable in human-made particle accelerators, and are the messengers of the most violent phenomena in the Universe. Even though significant progress has been made in this reseach using modern Observatories like Pierre Auger, after more than 50 years since their discoveries their sources are still unknown. One of the challenges is posed by the uncertainties in the Galactic and extra-galactic magnetic fields that deflect these particles on their path to the Earth.

With GADGET, we revisit the existing modeling of the Galactic magnetic field building on the most recent data on synchrotron and Faraday rotation measurements in the Universe. The goal is to include the effects of magnetic fields in the interpretation of the composition, energy spectrum and arrival direction data as measured at the Pierre Auger Observatory. In particular, we focus on understanding the observed dipole anisotropic pattern and the correlation between the starburst galaxies and ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. The study will be further developed to understand the science case and the performance of next generation detectors, like the Global Cosmic Rays Observatory.

POST-DIGITAL is committed to form a new generation of engineers and researchers, affording them a uniquely broad interdisciplinary education and training which enables them to design and develop unconventional computing systems.

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Générateurs quantiques de nombres aléatoires plus rapide, moins chers, plus sûrs

La génération de nombres aléatoires joue un rôle crucial dans de nombreuses applications numériques, comme les simulations scientifiques ou la cryptographie. Il est d’une importance fondamentale que les nombres générés soient réellement aléatoires, car tout écart pourrait fausser les résultats de simulations ou compromettre la sécurité de protocoles cryptographiques.

Des solutions exploitant le caractère aléatoire inhérent à la physique quantique ont dès lors été développées et des dispositifs de génération quantique de nombres aléatoires sont maintenant disponibles dans le commerce. Le projet QRANGE du Quantum Flagship veut pousser la technologie de ces générateurs quantiques plus loin, afin de permettre un large éventail d'applications. Trois nouveaux prototypes seront construits qui seront, respectivement, moins cher, plus rapide, et plus sûr que les générateurs existants.

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QSNP is a European Quantum Flagship project that aims to develop quantum cryptography technology to secure the transmission of information over the internet against the ever-increasing power of computers and the sophistication of algorithms (even for quantum computers). It also aims at integrating quantum cryptography technology at component, system and network levels and deploying the technology into Quantum-safe critical governmental infrastructures, private telecommunication market sector, and future quantum internet.

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