NWO has approved seventeen, including two of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, grant applications in the Open Competition Domain Science-M programme. M-grants are intended for innovative, high-quality, fundamental research and/or studies involving matters of scientific urgency.
VU Amsterdam is proud of:
De dynamische atomaire interface tussen halide-perovskieten en metalen of VU-professor of Electron and Optical Imaging of Nanomaterials Wiebke Albrecht and Bruno Ehrler from AMOLF.
Albrecht en Ehler will investigate how interfaces between halide perovskites and metals change under light and voltage, linking atomic-scale observations to the behaviour of working devices. Main text: Halide perovskites are promising materials for solar cells, LEDs and brain-inspired computing. Their performance depends partly on their contact with metals. These interfaces can change during operation, but where and how those changes begin remains unclear. The project brings together two complementary approaches. Albrecht’s Hybrid Nanosystems group will use a light-coupled transmission electron microscope to observe gold–perovskite nanostructures at the atomic scale under illumination and applied voltage. Ehrler’s Hybrid Solar Cells group will build and study small device-like structures, including memristors: electronic components that store information through changes in electrical resistance. Their ability to mimic aspects of synaptic behaviour makes them potential building blocks for brain-inspired computers.
“Using our unique microscope, I will make visible what otherwise stays hidden. Bruno will bring expertise in how these materials behave in real devices,” says Albrecht. The grant will fund two PhD positions, one in each group. Together, the project will be able to follow the entire process: from moving atoms to working devices. This knowledge could contribute to the development of future solar-energy and information technologies.
From Traits to Communities: A Predictive Framework for Microbial Ecology (PredictME) of VU microbiologist and microbial ecologist Matti Gralka and Djordje Bajic from Delft University of Technology.
Microbiomes have huge potential for biotechnology, from boosting crop productivity to improving wastewater treatment and storing carbon. But our ability to engineer and steer microbiomes for biotechnological application is still limited by a simple gap: we lack a theory that tells us how microbial communities respond to changes in their environment. This project closes that gap by developing and experimentally validating a new theoretical framework based on what microbes eat and excrete under different conditions. These insights will both advance fundamental microbiology and support future innovations in agriculture, bioremediation, and sustainable biotechnology.
Read about the other awards on the NWO website