Title Promoter Affiliations Abstract "Colloidal quantum rods: anisotropic nano-devices 1D to 2D and 3D anisotropic nanostructures for optical applications." "Zeger Hens" "Department of Chemistry" "geen abstract" "Advanced 2D and 3D chemical imaging using laser ablation ICP - mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and complementary multimodal techniques via image fusion" "Frank Vanhaecke" "Department of Chemistry, Department of Analytical chemistry" "Laser ablation-ICP-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) can be used for visualizing the distribution of (trace) elements across any solid material with high spatial resolution. The recent development of low-dispersion LA cells has provided gains in throughput and sensitivity of 2-3 orders of magnitude compared to conventional cells. The project focuses on development of methodologies for high-resolution 2D & 3D imaging of samples of a wide range of hardness, morphology, composition and complexity, taking full advantage of this next generation of LA cells. New algorithms and approaches to 2D & 3D mapping will be elaborated. Cross-validation with established molecular and elemental imaging microprobes will be performed to benchmark the new LA-ICP-MS protocols. Enhanced visualization of localized features in 2D and 3D elemental LA-ICP-MS images will be explored by merging these images with images obtained with complementary molecular and morphological techniques, potentially leading to better insight into bio- and geochemical processes on the (sub-)μm scale. Mathematical procedures for registration, data mining and data fusion of these multimodal images will be deployed and further developed, whilst fundamental issues regarding quantification and calibration will be addressed. Multimodal 2D and 3D imaging will be applied to biological tissues to monitor biochemical changes induced by drug admission or by external exposure to (heavy) metals in the context of environmental pollution." "Coding of 2D and 3D shape in posterior parietal and premotor cortex of the rhesus monkey." "Peter Janssen" "Laboratory for Neuro- and Psychophysiology, Research Group Neurophysiology" "Fusing microscopic and nanoscopic 3D data with macroscopic 2D mapping information for a better understanding of paint degradation phenomena in 17th. century masterpieces" "Koen Janssens" "Antwerp X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy (AXIS), Utrecht University, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (KMSKB), Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)" "This project main aim is to apply data-fusion technology already successfully used in catalytic chemistry, to visualize in 3D the dynamic effects of degradation processes in paint multilayer structures, present in historical oil paintings. Such a hybrid 3D model will allow to better interpret the visual and chemical patterns that manifest themselves at the surface of degraded artworks in terms of the chemical alteration processes that have been going on in the (recent) past. 2D chemical maps on the macro (m range, on entire artworks) and microscale (μm-mm range, on paint cross sections) will be combined on the one hand with tomographic 3D density maps to link the formation, migration and superficial crystallization of secondary degradation products to visually observable clues on the condition of painted works of art. These observations will be combined with already available insights on chemical degradation mechanisms. Attention will be focused on two alteration mechanisms in 17th c. paintings, already familiar to the proposer: (a) the formation of lead soap protrusions and surface crusts of the ubiquitous pigment ""lead white"" (PbCO3) and its effects on the mechanical stability and appearance of paints in major works by Rubens, Jordaens and Rembrandt and (b) the oxidative color loss of arsenic sulfide pigments in paintings by J.D. De Heem et al. where the in situ formed arsenate species can be used as markers of transport processes occurring within paint systems." "From 2D to 3D crystals: a multi-scale, multi-technique and multi-system approach of the crystallization of organic molecules" "Steven De Feyter" "Molecular Imaging and Photonics, MPG - Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Université de Mons, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Universiteit Antwerpen, Technische Universität Graz" "The occurrence of two or more crystal structures for a given molecule, a phenomenon which is called polymorphism, is ubiquitous to various classes of synthetic and natural compounds. Examples of polymorphism are known in numerous application fields, such as food, explosives, pigments, semiconductors, fertilizers, and pharmaceutical drugs. Different crystal structures, so-called polymorphs, of the same compound exhibit sometimes very different physical properties, chemical reactivity, and biological functions. For instance, the polymorphs might differ in solubility ruining the pharmaceutical effect of one or more of the polymorphs. Understanding and controlling polymorphism is therefore very important. Simple questions, such as ""How many polymorphs has a given compound?"" or ""What drives polymorph selection?"", remain unanswered yet. In this scientific context, scientists have started to explore the occurrence of substrate-induced polymorphism, i.e. the formation of polymorphs that exist only in the vicinity of solid substrates. In particular, 2Dto3D has the ambition to elucidate how positional and orientational order of molecules propagate from the substrate to the upper crystal layers. In this manner, 2Dto3D will gain a fundamental understanding of polymorphism at the interface with solid substrates." "Characterization of porous geomaterials in 2D and 3D" "Veerle Cnudde" "Department of Geology" "Optical and fluorescence microscopy visualizes pores in 2D. CT data allows characterization of complex pores in 3D. This urges for a calibrated system by fusing the standard fluorescence and petrographical microscopy images with 3D data of the high-resolution CT scanners. By fusion of XRF data, a correct characterization of geomaterials will be obtained in a structurally and chemically calibrated way." "From 2D to 3D crystals: a multi-scale, multi-technique and multisystem approach of the crystallization of organic molecules (2Dto3D)." "Sandra Van Aert" "Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)" "The occurrence of two or more crystal structures for a given molecule, a phenomenon which is called polymorphism, is ubiquitous to various classes of synthetic and natural compounds. Examples of polymorphism are known in numerous application fields, such as food, explosives, pigments, semiconductors, fertilizers, and pharmaceutical drugs. Different crystal structures, so-called polymorphs, of the same compound exhibit sometimes very different physical properties, chemical reactivity, and biological functions. For instance, the polymorphs might differ in solubility ruining the pharmaceutical effect of one or more of the polymorphs. Understanding and controlling polymorphism is therefore very important. Simple questions, such as ""How many polymorphs has a given compound?"" or ""What drives polymorph selection?"", remain unanswered yet. In this scientific context, scientists have started to explore the occurrence of substrate-induced polymorphism, i.e. the formation of polymorphs that exist only in the vicinity of solid substrates. In particular, 2Dto3D has the ambition to elucidate how positional and orientational order of molecules propagate from the substrate to the upper crystal layers. In this manner, 2Dto3D will gain a fundamental understanding of polymorphism at the interface with solid substrates." "3D strain fields for functional 4D material design: A unifying computational protocol to tune the phase stability of strain-engineered nanostructured materials" "Veronique Van Speybroeck" "Department of Applied physics" "Tuneable nanostructured materials such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and metal halide perovskites (MHPs) are highly promising contenders for various pressing technological challenges, from efficient photovoltaic devices to high-performant shock absorbers. Their highly modifiable atomic structure and polymorphism, which can lead to large-amplitude phase transitions in response to small changes in structural composition or external triggers, make them attractive platforms for rational material design. However, to reach their full potential, it is crucial to fundamentally understand the relation between these modifications and the time-dependent macroscopic material response. This proposal will therefore establish general design principles, applicable to both MOFs and MHPs, based on the strain field concept. Strain fields emerge when the material deviates from its equilibrium structure and extend over the whole crystal, relating atomic-level deviations with macroscopic material behaviour. Herein, we will construct a library of computational strain fingerprints for various types of spatial disorder, including crystal surfaces, and assess their impact on the phase stability of these materials. By accounting for the effect of external triggers and the intrinsic timescale for strain field nucleation and propagation, overarching principles to rationally design the structural and time-dependent functional response of strain-engineered 4D MOF and MHP materials will be formulated." "Understanding liquid metal deposition for the production of stretchable electronics from 2D manufacturing, over 3D to continuous processing" "Wim DEFERME" "Engineering Materials and Applications" "Liquid metal (LM) stretchable electronics retain their conductivity upon stretching, opening doors for novel applications in wearables and soft robotics, where conventional rigid and flexible electronics fail. Due to the challenges associated with patterning and the lack of scalability of patterning techniques, LM has not been adopted as an electrical conductor in commercial applications. In recent literature, a focus lies mainly on the deposition of on-off devices constrained by a single application, whereas future implementation requires the mass production of devices for various applications with an optimized deposition technique. Therefore, a modular LM deposition system that can handle all deposition challenges is investigated. First, a novel large-area deposition technique for 2.5D devices utilizing stencil printing is studied, where the main goal is to rapidly produce reproducible devices. Then, the focus will be shifted to highly versatile direct writing to fabricate 2D, then complex 3D devices, adding difficulty incrementally, but applying previous findings. Finally, all knowledge gained will be used in a final work package that is continuous processing via a roll-to-roll compatible direct writing process. This will lead to a multifunctional deposition system that can be easily upscaled. We state that the research performed in this PhD will give insights into LM stretchable devices that can be used in a broad range of future-proof, soft and stretchable applications." "INTEGRATED multi-OMICs applications on 2 and 3D IPSC models to unravel the role of the immune system and energy metabolism in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis" "Philip Van Damme" "Laboratory for Neurobiology (VIB-KU Leuven)" "Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive loss of upper and lower motor neurons. Patients suffer from progressive muscle weakness and usually die within 2-5 years after disease onset. The mechanisms of motor neuron death are only partially understood. The use of stem cell models using patient-derived cells are accelerating our knowledge about disease mechanisms.The primary goal of this proposal is to unravel the roles that the immune and cell metabolism systems play in ALS pathophysiology by applying integrated multi-omics approaches to disease-relevant ALS models, including induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) 2D (cell cultures) and 3D (mini-brain/spinal cord) models. To this end, we will 1) generate and characterize iPSC-derived cells (MNs and glia) from familial ALS (TDP43/C9ORF72) subjects with different clinical phenotypes and from isogenic (genome-edited) controls; 2) apply “omics” approaches (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics) to deeply phenotype the ALS-iPSC systems; and 3) validate ALS-relevant gene/pathway candidates and assess their potential therapeutic roles in cell-based platforms."