October 2024 • Newsletter from the Center for Nanoscience, Lund University Strategic Research Area NanoLund |
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Nano and New Frontiers in Computing – technologies and insights in biology, materials, light and quantum. That was the inspiring and captivating theme of this year’s edition of the NanoLund Annual Meeting.
With a head start from inside an insect’s brain, brought to us by Stanley Heinze, we were given talks about new computational methods such as machine learning and AI to benefit nanoscience research, and using nanoscience to create new computational paradigms, including biological-, neuromorphic- and quantum computing. The programme chairs were Martin Leijnse and Jonas Tegenfeldt. Under the headlines Quantum, Bio, and Materials and Devices, the almost 200 participants were guided through an entire day of science, including a wondrous mingling poster session with more than 50 posters. |
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Each year we highlight the efforts made by our staff, by giving awards. The NanoLund Junior Scientist Ideas Award were given to:
• Florinda Viñas Boström, Post Doc, Solid State Physics: Magnon mediated topological superconductivity in nanowires – proximity effects from a conventional superconductor
• Matheus Gomes Ferreira, PhD student, Chemical Physics and Neus Allande Calvet, Post Doc, Chemical Physics: Surface-enhanced photoluminescence of lead halide perovskite nanocrystals by gold nanorods
• Esra Yilmaz, PhD student, Solid State Physics: An Invasion Model to Study Mechanical Memory of Cancer Cells
• David Wahlqvist, PhD student, Centre for Analysis and Synthesis: Mitigating electron beam effects through addition of hydrogen gas.
The Excellent Support Award were given to Alexander den Ouden, Research Engineer, Lund Nano Lab, and Alexandra Lindholm, Research Administrator, Department of Physics.
The Young Teacher Award went to Axl Ericsson, PhD student, Chemical Physics, Frida Ekstrand, PhD student, Solid State Physics, and Harald Havir, PhD student, Solid State Physics.
Poster Awards were given to Alexandr Marunchenko, PhD student, Chemical Physics: Memlumor: A Luminescent Memory Device for Energy-Efficient Photonic Neuromorphic Computing, to Harald Havir, PhD student, Solid State Physics: Matching without needing to match, using non-linearities for charge detection and to Hedda Christine Soland, PhD student, Centre for Analysis and Synthesis: Observing the transition from MnO to Mn_xAs_y using Lunds environmental TEM. |
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WISE, Wallenberg Initiative Materials Science for Sustainability, is Sweden’s largest-ever investment in materials science. The aim is to enable sustainable development through basic and needs-driven materials science at the international forefront.
Seven PhD and postdoctoral projects at NanoLund are awarded funding in the second academic call from WISE. In total, 54 projects across the country will share SEK 166 million.
“I am really excited that our researchers were awarded the WISE grants, combining excellent research and efforts for a sustainable society is central for NanoLund,” says Anders Mikkelsen, Director of NanoLund.
The projects awarded funding
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Vanya Darakchieva, Professor of Solid State Physics, receives SEK 26 million over five years from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation for the project “Transforming ceramics into next-generation semiconductors”.
“This empowers our team to become an important contender in the world race for finding solutions for creating the future smart energy grid and the electrification of transportation,” says Vanya Darakchieva.
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The Vice-Chancellor has designated three of the university’s major research infrastructures as university platforms, signaling that these research infrastructures are of high strategic importance for the entire university.
“We are very happy that Lund Nano Lab (LNL) has been selected as one of three new Lund University Platforms. This underscores LNL’s vital role in supporting research and innovation, spinouts, and SMEs in their needs for micro- and nanofabrication and characterisation”, says Luke Hankin, Head of Lund Nano Lab.
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The day is gradually approaching when LTH and Lund University will also have a campus in Science Village, in the “new” emerging district of Brunnshög. More than 250,000 square metres of office space and laboratories are planned for the previously windswept area close to the research facilities MAX IV and ESS.
“Nanolab Science Village is a complement to MAX IV and ESS. Here, we will be able to develop completely new advanced materials on a nanoscale, with an aim, of course, to ensure safety for people and the environment. I think the Science Village environment will provide major research successes that benefit the wider world, and that Lund is on the way to becoming even more attractive for researchers, companies, innovators and students from all over the world. The feeling is that we are in the right place at the right time.”
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NanoLund keeps growing and has over 100 research groups, over 60 faculty members, and over 50 affiliated faculty members. Since the summer break, we have welcomed six new members:
New affiliated faculty members:
Anne-Lise Viotti, Atomic Physics
Christina Windmark, Industrial Production
Lei Ye, Biochemistry and Structural Biology
Martin Malmsten, Department of Pharmacy
Thierry Baasch, Biomedical Engineering |
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Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have studied how nanoplastic affects aquatic organisms in lakes and rivers. The results are surprising and the researchers are the first to show that some species are being wiped out, while others – such as cyanobacteria that contribute to algal blooms – are completely unaffected.
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