Cancer claims almost 10 million lives annually, making it one of the major causes of death around the world. Despite the development of novel drugs and treatment options, the 5-years survival of the most common cancers are still strikingly low. Chemotherapy (CT) is a widely used option to treat malignancies, however CT protocols are established on a “one size fits all” basis and ignore inter-patient differences in drug pharmacokinetics which influence the blood levels of anticancer drugs, therefore leading to improper dosing in 50% of patients. Missing target blood concentration will lead to drug resistance and/or unwanted side effects. Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) could be the key to improve and personalize CT, however the lack of an affordable point-of-care (POC) method is preventing its introduction to oncology. Mass spectrometry (MS) is the golden standard analytical approach to determine blood drug levels, but the instrument and specialized expertise to operate it are rarely available in the clinical environment. The high volume of blood required for MS analysis is also a challenge, because cancer patients are regularly weakened. Exploiting the strong and specific fluorescence of anthracyclines, the most used CT agents, we propose a radically new microfluidic chip-based approach to rapidly determine plasma concentrations of several widely applied anticancer drugs. Microvolume plasma separation and collection from a drop of blood (>50 ul) will be done with a specifically designed chip, then plasma anthracycline concentration will be measured using a compatible spectrophotometer. The approach will be validated using clinically relevant mouse tumour models and with samples from veterinary cancer patients. This interdisciplinary project, combining microfluidic engineering with cancer research, will introduce a novel POC-TDM system which could change CT treatments and improve survival through patient-tailored therapy.

The role of solar energy and the need for clean fuels (such as hydrogen) is essential in achieving a net zero future. A sustainable way of green hydrogen generation is photoelectrochemical water splitting, which uses only solar energy and water to produce green hydrogen and concomitantly oxygen. This technology, however, with the currently demonstrated efficiencies is not cost-competitive. A less explored application of photoelectrochemical devices is the generation of a value-added oxidation product from abundant polymeric waste materials (e.g., biomass, plastics), instead of the low market value oxygen. Such a device can lead to a reduced energy consumption (compared to water splitting), as well as high market value anodic product. Excitingly, in this approach green hydrogen is generated as a by-product (virtually free) on the cathode. The SolarHyValue project proposes the use of perovskite and organic photoactive layers with a protective sheet to fabricate stable photoelectrodes for simultaneous solar hydrogen and value-added product generation. Efficient bias-free operation of waste valorisation with photoelectrochemical device was only demonstrated with expensive precious metal catalysts (platinum, palladium). The proposed large bandgap caesium lead halide perovskite layer has the potential to enable bias-free, and at the same time efficient photocurrent generation even with the use of solely earth-abundant materials. This will be allowed by the novel device design and the development of a transition metal dichalcogenide (MoS2) catalyst doped at its basal plane with non-precious metal heteroatoms, resulting in excellent catalytic activity. Through increased scientific understanding the SolarHyValue project will lead to the first ever demonstration of a photoelectrochemical device that allows simultaneous, bias-free production of solar hydrogen and value-added product relying solely on inexpensive materials.

IIn today’s electronics, the information storage and processing are performed by independent technologies. The information-processing is based on semiconductor (silicon) devices, while non-volatile data storage relies on ferromagnetic metals. Integrating these tasks on a single chip and within the same material technology would enable disruptively new device concepts opening the way towards ultra-high speed electronic circuits. Due to the unique versatility of its electronic and magnetic properties, graphene has a strong potential as a platform for the implementation of such devices. By engineering their structure at the atomic level, graphene nanostructures of metallic, semiconducting, as well as magnetic properties can be realized. Here we propose that the unmatched precision and full edge orientation control of our STM-based nanofabrication technique enables the reliable implementation of such graphene nanostructures, as well as their complex, functional networks. In particular, we propose to experimentally demonstrate the feasibility of (1) semiconductor graphene nanostructures based on the quantum confinement effect, (2) spin-based devices from graphene nanostructures with magnetic edges, as well as (3) novel operation principles based on the interplay of the electronic and spin-degrees of freedom. We propose to demonstrate the electrical control of magnetism in graphene nanostructures, as well as a novel switching mechanism for graphene field effect transistors induced by the transition between two magnetic edge configurations. Exploiting such novel operation mechanisms in graphene nanostructure engineered at the atomic scale is expected to lay the foundations of disruptively new device concepts combining electronic and spin-based mechanisms that can overcome some of the fundamental limitations of today’s electronics.

INTAKE (integrated nanocomposites for thermal and kinetic energy harvesting) is an inter/multidisciplinary research focused exchange and training programme that brings together researchers from various disciplines (engineering, physics and social science) with expertise spanning across energy harvesting, nanomaterials, micro/nanotechnology, functional composites, manufacturing and socioeconomic development. The network is specifically designed to foster an inter/multidisciplinary outlook in order to embed socioeconomic awareness and sustainability considerations within the research culture. INTAKE’s innovation vision aims to achieve a step change towards the next generation of hybrid energy harvesting nanocomposites, which can be integrated into lightweight and ultra-strong structural composites at the nanoscopic level. This would infuse composite laminates with inherent intelligent functionalities (such as energy harvesting, sensing and wireless communication), without noticeable alterations or adverse effects to the macroscopic structural properties. The resulting smart multifunctional composite material will have immense socioeconomic benefits to Europe and the world, as it can help to improve productivity and safety, while reducing operating costs and carbon footprint. This can then serve as a fundamental building block for numerous future engineering systems across the transport, energy, medical, space, utilities and infrastructure sectors. INTAKE consists of 4 European partners (in the UK, Hungary and Poland) and 4 Asian partners (in China and Japan). The network will help nurture the next generation of creative, highly skilled and socially responsible young researchers for the European innovation sectors. INTAKE will forge a mutually beneficial collaboration platform for energy harvesting, composites and nanotechnology researchers between Europe and Asia, which can be morphed into a worldwide network in the long-term.

After a common expression of willingness to cooperate and legal establishment of V4G4 Centre of Excellence Association, VINCO project represents the next stage of capacity building in nuclear technologies in Central European countries. Participating countries defined already their specializations: helium technology in Czech Republic, design and safety analyses in Slovakia, fuel studies in Hungary and material research in Poland. Having such expertise, the joint development of Gen IV nuclear technologies with the special emphasis on gas-cooled reactors is fully possible. Thus, the main objectives of the regional VINCO project are: (i) development of the principles of cooperation and rules of access to existing and planned infrastructure, (ii) identification of the specific objectives of the R & D activities in the cooperating countries, (iii) description and analysis of the existing research, training and educational equipment and capabilities, (iv) determination of the investment priorities in cooperating countries and (v) setting up of joint research, educational and training projects. It is expected that the joint activities will result in coordination of actions allowing to obtain financing from the Structural Funds available for the Visegrad countries. These funds would allow for a huge increase of mass and modernization of the research potential in the region. Close cooperation with other EU institutions (mainly CEA, France) will ensure better description of the investments needed in Visegrad Region, tightening of pan-European cooperation and strengthening of the role of V4 countries, helping them to evolve from users to the suppliers of R&D capabilities in nuclear technologies. A major expected impact of the project would be setting up of a distributed regional research centre specialized in nuclear technologies needed to develop Gen IV reactors and to improve safe operation of existing and planned Nuclear Power Plants in the region.