Prochain événements

Invited speakers: Georgia Konstantinidou, University of Bern   /    Markus Stoffel, ETH Zurich  /      8 short talks will be selected from submitted abstracts

The REGISTRATION to the 14^th LIMNA Symposium on May 06, 2020 at EPFL is now open!
This symposium is organised by students and post-docs of the network, for their peers (i.e. you!). Up to 8 abstracts will be selected to establish the program and the not-selected will fill up the poster session. Two invited speakers will open respectively the morning and afternoon session.
This year the symposium will be held at EPFL, in room SV1717.
Invited speakers:

• Georgia Konstantinidou, University of Bern
• Markus Stoffel, ETH Zurich

8 short talks will be selected from submitted abstracts.

Prizes for best poster and best oral presentation.
Deadline for abstract submission: 05.04.2020
Deadline for registration only: 19.04.2020
Participation will be likely recognized by the Federation of Swiss Cantonal Veterinary Office as a half day of ongoing training (demand is being processed).
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Prof. Lars De Laet, Department of Architectural Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussels (Belgium)

Abstract:
The construction industry is the largest consumer of natural resources worldwide and, moreover, responsible for the largest waste flows in Europe. The research conducted by professor Lars De Laet and his colleagues from the VUB Architectural Engineering research group aims to contribute to reducing the construction industry's environmental footprint. During his lecture, Lars will present how they work towards these objectives by focusing on new design methodologies, by developing efficient structural systems and by investigating new biomaterials based on fungi.

Bio: 
Lars De Laet is Associate Professor at the Department of Architectural Engineering at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium, where he was appointed in October 2013 as professor to conduct research in the field of architectural and structural design of resource efficient structures.

Being educated as an architectural engineer, Lars develops with his team lightweight structures, biological building materials and computer-assisted design methods for sustainable architecture and infrastructure. They develop computational tools for structural design and form finding, and focus on full-scale prototyping employing new (bio)materials, digital and robotic fabrication technologies and large-scale experimental testing.

Lars is involved in national and European research projects. He was co-chair of the European COST-Action on ‘Novel Structural Skins’ and is a member of various international associations, such as the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) and TensiNet. In addition, Lars has been vice-chair of the board of directors of the VUB, where he is currently a member of the university council. Lars has been elected in 2019 as a member of the Young Academy, part of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts.
 
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Prof. Yuval Cassuto, Technion

In this talk we present a new (rateless) erasure code called Treeplication, which features the benefits of both coding and replication. From the system's perspective, Treeplication allows recovering large distributed data items with better probability than replication, and with lower communication cost than known erasure codes. From the coding perspective, a Treeplication code for k data fragments is defined on a binary tree with 2k-1 vertices, along with a distribution for selecting code fragments from the tree layers. The tree structure allows to optimize the recoverability of random subsets of code fragments, while at the same time behaving similarly to replication in recovering individual data fragments (in particular, most code symbols in the optimal distributions turn out to be systematic information symbols). In addition to optimizing Treeplication for recoverability, our results include analysis of their recovery communication cost, dynamic optimization of their redundancy, and an algorithm for decentralized maintenance of a Treeplication-coded system.
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Prof. Rizlan Bernier-Latmani, EPFL, Lausanne (CH)

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)

Abstract:
Arsenic (As) is a highly toxic metalloid that is commonly and naturally found in soils and sediments. Microorganisms are able to catalyze many arsenic transformations, including methylation, which results in the formation of volatile arsenic compounds. The goal of this work is to engineer microbial As methylation in order to remove As from soil. To that end, we use metagenomic, metatranscriptomic and metaproteomic tools to identify the microorganisms responsible for methylation in soil and to deconvolute the in situ controls on methylation.

Bio:
Rizlan Bernier-Latmani is an Associate Professor of Environmental Microbiology at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne (EPFL). She earned her Ph.D. from Stanford University and was a post-doctoral researcher at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, CA. She has published > 50 peer-reviewed papers (h index = 20). Her research interests include geomicrobiology, particularly the metabolic activity of microorganisms and their impact on biogeochemical cycling of trace elements. She has used a combination of tools, ranging from metagenomic and metaproteomic analysis to x-ray absorption spectroscopy and electron microscopy to unravel specific metal transformation processes in natural and laboratory settings. She has extensive experience with field-work. Her past work has focused on uranium biogeochemistry as a tool for bioremediation of contaminated sites, but also, deep subsurface microbiology, to help constrain modeling for microbial processes in geological nuclear waste disposal.
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Prof. Angus Kirkland, University of Oxford, U.K.

I will describe recent developments using high speed direct electron detectors and machine learning to automatically map defect and adatom migrations in in low dimensional materials from large data sets.
I will then show how this approach can be extended to probe the local kinetics of defect transitions. Finally, I will discuss the use of similar detectors in electron ptychography, in particular under low dose conditions for quantitative phase recovery from biological macromolecules.
Bio: Professor Angus Kirkland was awarded his MA and PhD from the University of Cambridge and has held the posts of Professor of Materials at Oxford since 2005 and JEOL Professor of Electron Microscopy since 2013. In 2016 he was appointed as Director of the National Physical Sciences Imaging Centre at Diamond Lightsource and is also a Science Director at the recently established Rosalind Franklin Institute.

He was awarded the MSA prize in 2005, the Rose prize in 2015, the Quadrennial prize of the European Microscopy Society in 2016 and the Agar Medal for Electron Microscopy in 2017.

He served as General Secretary of the International Federation of Societies for Microscopy in from 2014 -2018 and was elected President in 2018.
He has also served as Editor in Chief of Ultramicroscopy since 2010.


 

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Christian Schwab, Matt Lashmar, Floren Héroguel, Thierry Duvanel

If you are a start‐up founder, or if you are thinking of becoming one, join us to learn about the support you can benefit from: world-class mentoring, unrivaled access to corporate partners, attractive non-dilutive cash prizes, and more.
The Integrative Food & Nutrition Centre, MassChallenge Switzerland , EIT Food Accelerator Network (EIT-FAN), leading companies and their innovation initiatives and top startups, will share insights and experiences about working together to empower entrepreneurs, innovators and start-up enthusiasts like you!
We will be handing out special event exclusive discounts for the 2020 MassChallenge Switzerland Accelerator Program , so don’t miss out!

Please get your free ticket here : https://www.eventbrite.com/e/startup-accelerator-day-tickets-93920844775

Schedule of Events:
16:45 - Doors open
17:00 - Introduction and presentation of the EPFL Innovation Ecosystem by Mr Christian Schwab, Executive Director EPFL Integrative Food & Nutrition Centre
17:10 -Presentation of MassChallenge Switzerland by Matt Lashmar, Managing Director, MassChallenge Switzerland
17:20 – Presentation of EIT FAN by Matt Lashmar
17:30 – Presentation on Starting‐Up by Florent Héroguel, COO & Co-fonnder of Bloom Biorenewables
17:40 – Presentation of corporate- startup collaborations by Thierry Duvanel, Director of Collaborative Innovation, Bühler Group
17:50 – Q&A Session
18:00 – Drinks and Networking

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Dr. Christophe Kergueris

Abstract: While most of the MEMS developments have been focused on low cost and low performance markets, driven by the automotive, consumer electronics and smartphone businesses, Safran Colibrys has taken up the challenge to develop medium cost and high performance MEMS inertial sensors dedicated to high reliability, harsh environment applications. A versatile accelerometer platform sensor has been developed and qualified to meet the requirements of inertial navigation, tilt measurement, vibration, and low noise acquisition, and can therefore cover the markets of aero & defence, automotive testing, railway, and structural monitoring. The presentation will provide an overview of products and markets, illustrate the MEMS design and technology and point out the key differentiators of our solutions.

Bio: Dr. Christophe Kergueris joined Safran Colibrys in 2015 as a project leader to work on the development of new MEMS products. Prior to joining Safran Colibrys, Christophe spent more than 10 years with Tronics Microsystems in various R&D positions, working on inertial and pressure sensor developments. His engineering career started at ALCATEL CIT, improving assembly processes in a production line. Christophe holds a Phd in Molecular Electronics from the University of PARIS XI (France) and an engineering degree from ESPCI in Paris.

This seminar is part of the Master's class MICRO534, Advanced MEMS and Microsystems, and is open to the informed public.

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Ingrid Le Duc

Pour concevoir son enseignement dans une démarche cohérente et bouclée d’ingénierie pédagogique et pour réfléchir à comment choisir et mettre en œuvre des méthodes et une organisation de son enseignement de manière à favoriser les acquis d’apprentissage des étudiants.

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EPFL organizes every year a Specialized Master’s Day to present these programs more specifically to interested students. This year, the event will take place on Wednesday, March 4 2020 in the MED Building (MED hall / MED 0 1418 / MED 2 1522). The presentation sessions as well as the fair provide an opportunity to meet program representatives and to gain an insight into the programs that are designed to meet the increasing demand for experts in the labor market and in specific research fields.
You are welcome to join us and ask your questions around a small coffee snack during the Fair.

Program:

From 12:00 to 14:00, presentations and information booths will give you the opportunity to get more information and meet staff from the following programs:

• Management, Tech. & Entrepreneurship
• Financial Engineering
• Computational Science & Engineering
• Micro and Nanotech. for Integrated Syst.
• Energy Science & Technology
• Digital Humanities
• Nuclear Engineering

Please register here.
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Les étudiants en master de l’EPFL à la recherche de stages pour le semestre d’automne/hiver 2021 découvriront en un clin d’œil un choix de stages d’une durée de 4 à 6 mois, disponibles entre mi-juillet à février (période 2) 2021. Sans oublier que des pizzas seront servies !
 
Les entreprises de l’Innovation Park profiteront ainsi d'un accès direct aux étudiants du Campus. La rencontre sera fun et interactive! A l’issue des présentations, les étudiants auront la possibilité de réseauter et de parler directement aux superviseurs de stage. Les présentations seront en anglais. Participation sur inscription.

Etudiants de toute section, venez nombreux et soyez curieux! Toutes les entreprises présentes sont susceptibles de vous engager. 

Les entreprises installées à l'EPFL Innovation Park présenteront en 180' chacune (par ordre alphabétique): 

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Barnaby Padraig Fryer, Laboratory of Soil Mechanics (LMS), EPFL

Geothermal energy is a renewable source of energy that would be capable of providing baseload power to large parts of the world were it not for a few key issues. Notably, Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGSs), which could pave the way for geothermal electricity production even in regions with moderately low geothermal gradients, still struggle with their tendency to induce damaging seismicity when stimulated. It is therefore essential that methodologies are developed that mitigate the seismic risk associated with EGS.

Unfortunately, the mechanism by which stimulation occurs in many EGS stimulations is essentially the same as that in induced earthquakes, shear failure. Recently there has been an increased focus on soft stimulation, whereby an effort is made to encourage the shear failure required for reservoir stimulation and avoid the shear failure associated with large magnitude induced seismicity; however, so far these techniques have been unable to prevent large earthquakes. In this sense, a stimulation technique which lends itself to the induction of small seismic events and not large ones would represent a major step forward for the EGS industry.

It is suggested here that it is possible to design a stimulation treatment that begins with a long period of injection-induced temperature change with the goal of reducing the differential stress in the reservoir, preconditioning the stress. During this stress-preconditioning phase, the pore pressure increase is limited such that shear failure is avoided. Then, after this period of temperature change, a short period of high rate injection occurs with the goal of increasing the pore pressure. This second phase induces shear failure on the optimally oriented faults/fractures in the reservoir. Importantly, the shear failure that occurs on faults/fractures when following this methodology occurs on shear planes that are supporting less differential stress than they would have been had the reservoir been stimulated without the first phase of temperature change. The advantage of maintaining a low differential stress comes from the connection seen between differential stress and the Gutenberg– Richter b-value. This connection implies that, by maintaining a low differential stress, a high b-value will be seen during stimulation. A high b-value results in more low magnitude seismic events and relatively few large magnitude events that might pose a nuisance to the public, or even cause damage. In this way, EGS reservoir stimulation can still be performed, inducing shear failure on pre-existing planes of weakness, with a lower risk of inducing large events. The development and potential implications of this stimulation technique will be addressed here.

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Prof. Dr. Thomas Rizzo

Glycans, which are biopolymers made up of monosaccharide units linked by glycosidic bonds, are ubiquitous in biological systems. Because they decorate the surface of cells, they play a central role in virtually all cellular recognition processes and are directly implicated in almost every major disease. Their structural characterization is thus of utmost importance. Unfortunately, the isomeric complexity of glycans presents severe challenges for mass-spectrometric determination of primary structure. This is complicated by the fact that their synthesis is not template-driven as in the case of proteins. Thus, most of the powerful tools available for protein sequencing simply do not apply to glycans.

Over the last few years, we have been developing new tools for analysing released glycans by combining ultrahigh-resolution ion mobility with cryogenic vibrational spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Ion mobility is used to separate isomeric species, and cryogenic IR spectra, which are extremely sensitive to the slightest differences in structure, are then used to identify them. The goal is to create a spectroscopic database of glycans and glycan fragments that can be used to rapidly identify them from a mixture.

This talk will demonstrate the variety of tools we have developed to identify glycans for which standards are available as well as schemes to analyse the primary structure of unknown glycans.

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Prof. Gustavo Alonso, ETH Zürich, Switzerland

Abstract:
Increasingly demanding workloads and the prevalence of data center and cloud computing as the primary computing platforms open up many opportunities for specialization at all levels of the stack, from hardware to software. In this talk, I will explain this trend as well as discuss the technology and economic reasons for it. We will then explore some of the challenges associated to modern search engines in terms of scalability, efficiency, and latency requirements. Using two use cases from the airline industry developed together with Amadeus (decision tree ensembles and rule engines), I will show how we have been able to develop proof-of-concept solutions based on FPGAs that represent orders of magnitude improvements along several dimensions (performance, efficiency, cost) over the state of the art. The system has been tested on premises using different FPGA products and also on the cloud (Amazon's F1 instances), showing where the strengths of the approach lie and where more could be invested to improve performance.  Spectacular as the results are, they also shed light on important architectural questions regarding specialization and hardware acceleration: unified memory spaces, cache coherency, connectivity, and overall management. I will go over these questions and discuss several of our lines of research exploring this promising space.   

Short Bio: 
Gustavo Alonso is a Professor of Computer Science at ETH Zürich where he is a member of the Systems Group (www.systems.ethz.ch) and the Head of the Institute for Computing Platforms. He has a degree in electrical engineering from the Madrid Technical University as well as a M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science from UC Santa Barbara. Gustavo's research interests encompass almost all aspects of systems, from design to run time. He works on distributed systems, data processing, and system aspects of programming languages. Most of his research these days is related to data processing on data centers and the cloud as well as hardware acceleration using FPGAs. Gustavo has received numerous awards for his work, including four Test-of-Time awards for contributions to databases, programming languages, mobile computing, and systems. He is a Fellow of the ACM and of the IEEE as well as a Distinguished Alumnus of the Department of Computer Science of UC Santa Barbara.
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Prof. Yolanda Schaerli, UNIL, (CH)

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)


Abstract:

Bio:
 
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Dr Philippe Caroff, Microsoft Q-Lab, The Netherlands

Philippe Caroff et al., Microsoft Quantum Lab Delft, The Netherlands.  Nanoscale hybrid III-V semiconductor/superconductor heterostructures are promising for advanced quantum transport physics, in particular as hosts to Majorana quasiparticles. Most work in the field has relied on Vapor-Liquid-Solid grown InAs or InSb nanowires, which require one-by-one manual placement to enable device fabrication, and are therefore inadequate for scaling-up. Selective-area epitaxy is promising as a scalable materials platform combining advantages of both VLS nanowires and planar 2DEG (along with some of their challenges), and will be the central topic of this presentation. We’ll start with a broad context of quantum computing and the original path presented by topological quantum computing, finishing with the list of key ingredients theory as well as fabrication requests from the materials platform. The chosen selective area epitaxy technique will be introduced from historic early steps using favorable metalorganic vapour phase or chemical beam epitaxy (MOVPE/CBE) to most recent renewed interests in the challenging case of atomic or molecular species “precursors” in the molecular beam epitaxy technique (MBE). An in-situ methodology to map the parameter space for selectivity will be introduced. We’ll then review growth and architecture rules for satisfactory in-plane nanowire networks based on simple crystallographic, nucleation kinetics and polarity arguments. Finally, we’ll demonstrate promises of the high spin-orbit coupling InSb/Al SAG system via structural and transport characterization and discuss the future challenges for a scalable quantum materials platform.
Bio: Philippe Caroff obtained his Ph.D. degree in physics in 2005 from the Institut National des Sciences Appliqués (INSA Engineering School) in Rennes (France) on growth of III-V quantum dots for telecom applications, and was a postdoctoral scholar in Lund University from 2006 to 2008 on III-V nanowires. He became a tenured CNRS Research Scientist in 2008 and worked in Lille (IEMN), France, for four years on MBE growth of III-V nanowires, before joining the Australian National University (ANU), Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, in 2013 as an independently funded Australian Research Council Future Fellow. He joined Cardiff University and the newly created Institute for Compound Semiconductors (ICS), UK, in December 2016, to serve as Sêr Cymru Senior Research Fellow and MBE lab facility manager. Since December 2017, he works at Microsoft Quantum Lab Delft, The Netherlands. The focus of his team of material scientists is on growth of hybrid III-V/superconductor nano-heterostructures to support progress on topological quantum computing.

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The concepts of beam acceleration or guidance in crystals or nanostructures hold the promises of ultra-high accelerating gradients or continuous focusing and extremely strong bending, respectively. These features make crystals and nanotubes highly attractive for future high-energy physics colliders. The ARIES workshop on Application of Crystals and Nanotubes for Beam Acceleration or Manipulation, ACN2020, will review the progress of these two concepts over the past years and discuss key issues towards proof-of-principle demonstrations and promising proposed applications. The workshop will also promote discussions among teams working on pertinent technologies and the beam physics community, in order to develop a roadmap of future steps and possible key experiments.

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Prof. Pascal Fua, Computer Vision Laboratory, EPFL

Abstract:
Coming soon...

Bio:
Pascal Fua received an engineering degree from Ecole Polytechnique, Paris, in 1984 and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Orsay in 1989. He joined EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) in 1996 where he is a Professor in the School of Computer and Communication Science and head of the Computer Vision Lab. Before that, he worked at SRI International and at INRIA Sophia-Antipolis as a Computer Scientist. His research interests include shape modeling and motion recovery from images, analysis of microscopy images, and Augmented Reality. He has (co)authored over 300 publications in refereed journals and conferences. He has received several ERC grants. He is an IEEE Fellow and has been an Associate Editor of IEEE journal Transactions for Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence. He often serves as program committee member, area chair, and program chair of major vision conferences and has cofounded three spinoff companies.
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Prof. Laura de Laporte , DWI - Leibniz-Institut für Interaktive Materialien, Aachen University, DE

BIOENGINEERING SEMINAR

Abstract:

Bio:
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Laura De Laporte is a Chemical Engineer from the University of Ghent (Belgium), where she got the tissue engineering microbe. To follow her dream, she did her PhD with Prof. Lonnie Shea at Northwestern University (Evanston, US) and engineered guiding implants for nerve regeneration. At EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland), she learned about regenerative hydrogels in Prof. Jeffrey Hubbell’s group during her post-doctoral research. From 2013 to 2018, Laura De Laporte led a junior group at the DWI – Leibniz Institute and was awarded a Starting Grant from the European Research Council in 2015. In October 2017, she finished her Habilitation in the Chemistry Department of the RWTH and since September 2018, she is an Associated Professor (tenure-track) in the same Department. In 2018, she was one of five excellent female researchers who have received funding from the Leibniz Programme for female Professors.
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En tant que membre fondateur de la Deep Tech Week, rejoignez-nous à notre premier événement "Pitches & Cheese" qui aura lieu dans le cadre de la Deep Tech Week - du 9 au 13 mars 2020. Un événement qui présentent les start-ups de l'EPFL, une table ronde d'experts et un apéritif traditionnel suisse pour le réseautage.

En tant qu'institution scientifique de pointe, l'EPFL joue un rôle essentiel pour relever les grands défis sociétaux de notre temps. Les problèmes d'aujourd'hui exigent une expertise interdisciplinaire et une technologie permettant de mettre à l'échelle des "solutions de rupture".

L'événement "Pitches & Cheese" mettra en lumière les start-ups de l'EPFL ayant des innovations qui répondent aux enjeux prioritaires. Les pitchs des start-ups seront suivis d'une table ronde d'experts. Nous conclurons l'événement par un apéritif et des moments de réseautage.

A propos de la Deep Tech Week
Du 9 au 13 mars 2020, une semaine réunira le meilleur de la technologie pour commencer à construire des solutions pour l'avenir. Durant toute la semaine, des événements, des débats, des tables rondes et des ateliers seront organisés dans les principaux pôles économiques et scientifiques de Paris. En savoir plus 

Lieu
L'événement aura lieu à l'Ambassade de Suisse à Paris (142, rue de Grenelle - 75007 Paris) 
Sur inscription uniquement
 

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Akshitha Sriraman, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Michigan

Modern hyperscale web service systems introduce trade-offs between performance and numerous features essential for cost- and energy-efficient operation of data centers (e.g., high server utilization, continuous power management, use of commodity hardware and software, etc.). In this talk, I will present two solutions to bridge the performance vs. cost and energy efficiency gap in hyperscale web services (1) a software system that auto-tunes threading models during system run-time to minimize web service tail latency (OSDI 2018) and (2) a system that exploits coarse-grained OS and hardware configuration knobs to tune limited cost-efficient commodity hardware stock keeping units, to better support their assigned service (ISCA 2019).

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Dr. Alberto Elosegui-Artola, Harvard University, Cambridge,  USA

BIOENGINEERING SEMINAR

Abstract:
The mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) regulate cellular processes during development, cancer and wound healing. The vast majority of research efforts in this field have focused on the ECM’s elasticity as a leading determinant of cell and tissue behaviour. I have shown previously 1) the mechanism by which integrins detect and adapt to the elasticity of the extracellular matrix^1,2, 2) the biophysical molecular mechanism by which cells sense tissue elasticity and transduce it into downstream signaling³, and 3) how force transmitted from the ECM to the nucleus is enough to translocate transcriptional regulators to the nucleus by decreasing the mechanical restriction of nuclear pores⁴. However, the ECM is not merely elastic - it is both viscous and elastic. As a consequence, biological tissues exhibit a hybrid response to loading: a first instantaneous solid elastic response followed by a time-dependent liquid viscous behaviour. Due to its viscoelastic nature, the ECM response to mechanical loads is inherently dynamic and evolves with time, independently of matrix degradation. Despite the universality of ECM viscoelasticity, the extent to which viscoelasticity affects cell and tissue function is yet unknown. Here I will show my studies on differential cellular behaviour in viscoelastic and elastic ECMs in very different contexts. First, I will reveal the biophysical and molecular mechanisms that regulate the response of breast epithelial cells in 3D viscoelastic materials in the context of cancer. Then I will expand this knowledge to the development of intestinal organoids. I will finally give an overview on how pushing the frontiers of mechanobiology in the realm of viscoelastic materials may have profound implications in many biological fields, ranging from morphogenesis to cancer, and applied fields such as tissue engineering and biomaterials design.

1. Elosegui-Artola et al. Rigidity sensing and adaptation through regulation of integrin types. Nature materials (2014).
2. Elosegui-Artola et al. Control of mechanotransduction by molecular clutch dynamics. Trends in Cell Biology (2018).
3. Elosegui-Artola et al. Mechanical regulation of a molecular clutch defines force transmission and transduction in response to matrix rigidity. Nature cell biology (2016).
4. Elosegui-Artola et al. Force triggers YAP nuclear entry by regulating transport across nuclear pores. Cell (2017)

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Prof. Francesca Baldelli Bombelli, Politecnico Milano, Italy

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)


Abstract:

Bio:
Francesca Baldelli Bombelli is associate Professor in Chemistry at the Politecnico di Milano. She currently works at the Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering in the SupraBioNanoLab (www.suprabionano.eu). She has been Group Leader at the European Centre of Nanomedicine (www.nanomedicen.eu) in 2013-2015. In 2011-2014 she has been Lecturer in Nanotechnology and Colloid Science at the School of Pharmacy, UEA, Norwich, UK. She has been Post-Doc researcher: 2009-2011 at CBNI, University College of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; 2006-2009 at the University of Florence; 2004-2006 at Chalmers University, Gothenburg, Sweden. She got her PhD in Chemical Sciences in 2004 at the University of Florence.
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Prof. Dr. George Barbastathis,
MIT

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture

Campus Lausanne BM 5202 (live)
Campus Microcity MC B0 302 (video)
Zoom Live Stream: https://epfl.zoom.us/j/506874457

Abstract: If you point your camera to a scene, and the camera registers nothing—does it mean that nothing was really there? Hardly! The camera pixels measure “raw” light intensity where the encoded information often is much richer than a human observer could tell just by looking at the pixels on a screen. Which algorithms, then, should one apply to decode the raw intensity and reveal the hidden scene?
In this seminar, I will describe how to use Deep Neural Networks (DNNs), a form of Machine Learning (ML) algorithm, to perform this decoding. During the training stage of the DNN, physically generated objects are used to produce the encoded raw intensities. From these pairs of objects and raw intensities the DNN learns the association between the scenes and their encoded representations. After training, given a new scene, the DNN decodes it correctly to produce a final reconstructed image that is meaningful to a human observer.
With my research group, we applied this approach to three challenging instances of invisibility: transparent objects, also known as “phase objects,” whose raw intensities are highly rippled diffraction patterns; phase objects that are also very dark, i.e. the diffraction patterns are also highly attenuated; and objects hidden behind or surrounded by diffusers, e.g. frosted glass or multiple layers of glass patterned with sharp light-scattering features.
It is important to emphasize that in our work ML is not used in the traditional way to interpret the scenes; rather, it is used to form interpretable representations of scenes in situations where traditional ML would be helpless due to physical limitations in the optics. The cooperation of ML with physical models proved to be very powerful in this work and, beyond, is certain to impact many fundamental and applied aspects of physical and life sciences and engineering.

Bio: George Barbastathis received the Diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1993 from the National Technical University of Athens (Πολυτεχνείο) and the MSc and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering in 1994 and 1997, respectively, from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech.) After post-doctoral work at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he joined the faculty at MIT in 1999, where he is now Professor of Mechanical Engineering. He has worked or held visiting appointments at Harvard University, the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre, the National University of Singapore, and the University of Michigan – Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (密西根交大學院) in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. His research interests are in machine learning and optimization for computational imaging and inverse problems; and optical system design, including artificial optical materials and interfaces. He is member of the Society for Photo Instrumentation Engineering (SPIE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE), and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). In 2010 he was elected Fellow of the Optical Society of America (OSA) and in 2015 he was a recipient of China’s Top Foreign Scholar (“One Thousand Scholar”) Award.

Note: The Seminar Series is eligible for ECTS credits in the EDMI doctoral program

Note: After the lecture, there will be time for discussion and interaction with the distinguished speaker, sandwich lunch and refreshments sponsored by the Institute of Microengineering will be provided for attendees in front of the lecture hall (BM 5104, ca. 13h15)

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Dr Cathrin Brisken, SV / ISREC / UPBRI

Abstract :
A woman’s risk to get breast cancer and the course of her disease are affected by her reproductive history and exposures to exogenous hormone and endocrine disruptors. Therapeutics targeting estrogen receptor signalling have had a major impact on breast cancer survival and a key question is how additional pathways can be harnessed to personalize breast cancer therapy and prevention. Combining mouse genetics with innovative tissue recombination techniques, we established the sequential mode of action of reproductive hormones in breast development, with paracrine and cell-intrinsic mechanisms impinging on cell fate determination and oncogenic potential. However, substantial differences in mammary carcinogenesis between mice and humans and the lack of adequate models for the human disease hampered progress. We have overcome this hurdle by demonstrating that by grafting human breast cancer cells to the milk ducts of immunocompromised mice the cells recapitulate the disease process and conserve their hormone and drug sensitivities. Studies have been expanded to the human population level using breast tissue derived from a large cohort of women with different levels of circulating sex hormones exposure to discern factors determining hormone response with topology-based algorithms that we have developed. The implications for new preventive and therapeutic strategies will be discussed.

Short Bio :
Cathrin Brisken obtained MD and PhD in Biophysics from the University of Göttingen, Germany, did postdoctoral work at the Whitehead Institute, MIT, Cambridge, USA, and held appointments at the Whitehead Institute, the Cancer Center of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research. She was Dean of the EPFL Doctoral School and cofounded the International Cancer Prevention Institute. She has served on many international committees and advisory boards, currently including AACR Women in Cancer Research Council, International Breast Cancer Study Group Biological Protocol Working Group, Pezcoller Symposia Scientific Committee.
 
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Prof. Lucia Curri, University of Bari, Italy

In the last years, the extraordinary advances in the field of nanomaterial science have resulted in a great potential for applications in life science. A variety of preparative and post-preparative colloidal routes have demonstrated the ability to obtain a wide choice of inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) and nanocrystals (NCs), with different compositions, that can be achieved with a high control on size, shape and surface chemistry, ultimately tailoring their electronic, optical, magnetic, thermal and chemical size dependent properties.
A range of functionalization strategies have been developed to suitably engineer the surface of NPs and NCs and tune their specific chemical reactivity towards the surrounding environment. The control of nano-bio interfaces has demonstrated to be essential to enable nanomaterials conjugation and combination with biologically relevant entities, thus producing advanced materials for diagnosis and therapy.
The ability of engineering the surface of specialized nanomaterials, such as semiconductors, plasmonic and magnetic nanostructures, with tailored procedures, allowing to ingeniously combine NPs and NCs with peptides, drugs and other significant biological systems, is decisive for their application in diagnosis and treatment of different diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Examples of drug delivery, labelling, diagnostic and theranostics systems, based on the combination of NIR photoactive nanomaterials, plasmonic nanostructures and magnetic NPs with relevant biological functions will be illustrated.

- C. Ingrosso, M. Corricelli, F. Bettazzi, E. Konstantinidou,  G. V. Bianco, N. Depalo, M. Striccoli, A. Agostiano, M. L. Curri, I. Palchetti  (2019) J. Mater. Chem. B., 7, 768-777
- N. Depalo, M. Corricelli, I. De Paola, G. Valente, R. M. Iacobazzi, E. Altamura, D. Debellis, D. Comegna, E. Fanizza, N. Denora. V. Laquintana. F. Mavelli. M. Striccoli, M. Saviano, A. Agostiano, A. Del Gatto, L. Zaccaro, M. L. Curri (2017) ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 9 (49), 43113–43126.
- N. Depalo, R. M. Iacobazzi, G. Valente, I. Arduino, S. Villa, F. Canepa, V. Laquintana, E. Fanizza, M. Striccoli, A. Cutrignelli, A. Lopedota, P. Porcelli, A. Azzariti, M. Franco, M. L. Curri, N. Denora (2017) Nano Research, 10, 2431–2448.
- G. Valente, N. Depalo, I. de Paola, R. M. Iacobazzi, N. Denora, V. Laquintana, R. Comparelli, E. Altamura, T. Latronico, M. Altomare, E. Fanizza, M. Striccoli, A. Agostiano, M. Saviano, A. Del Gatto, L. Zaccaro, M. L. Curri (2016) Nano Research, 9, 644-662.
- E. Fanizza, R. M. Iacobazzi, V. Laquintana, G. Valente, G. Caliandro, M. Striccoli, A. Agostiano, A. Cutrignelli, A. Lopedota, M. L. Curri, M. Franco, N. Depalo, N. Denora (2016) Nanoscale, 6, 3350-3361
Bio: M. Lucia Curri received her PhD from the University of Bari in 1997, between 1995 and 1996 was Research Assistant at Chemistry Department of University College London (UK), then in 1997 she started working at CNR, first as research scientist and since 2010 as senior research scientist. In October 2018 she has been appointed full professor of Physical Chemistry at Chemistry Department of University of Bari Aldo Moro.
She has a solid expertise in surface engineering of nanoparticles and nanocrystals, in order to achieve bioconjugation, organization into mesoscale structures (films, 2/3 D assemblies) with tailored functional collective properties and integration in nanocomposites for their micro/nano fabrication by means of conventional and innovative techniques.
She is involved in the development of synthetic strategies for the preparation and functionalization of colloidal nanocrystals based inorganic materials, both for fundamental and application studies. In particular, the potential of such nanomaterials in biomedical field, including theranostic systems for diagnosis and therapy of different diseases, in environmental technologies, including detection and degradation of pollutants, and in energy conversion is investigated.
She has been and is coordinator and research unit PI in several National and International research projects in the field of synthesis, functionalization and applications of colloidal nanoparticles, and has also coordinated the European Project 7th FP LIMPID "Nanocomposite Materials for Photocatalytic Degradation of Pollutants" (G.A. 310177).
Lucia Curri has been and is member of several Conference Committees and Boards, of Panel PE5 for ERC Consolidator grant (2016-2018) and expert evaluator for European Commission (FP7 and H2020 projects) and various other International funding agencies.
She is member of the Chemical Science Doctoral Board at University of Bari and member of evaluation committees for international PhD theses.
She is co-author of over 220 papers, including more than 170 articles on JCR peer-reviewed journals and many other publications such as 10 chapters in books and several conference proceedings in national and international conferences, also as invited speaker ( (H index= 40 source Scopus, H index= 42, source Google Scholar - Jan 2020).
 

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Prof. Shinichi Nakasuka

Including an overview on the micro/nano/pico-satellite activities in the University of Tokyo

In June 2003, two Japanese universities, University of Tokyo and Tokyo Institute of Technology successfully launched the world’s first CubeSats “XI-IV” and “CUTE-1”, using a Russian rocket together with four other universities’ CubeSats. That was the icebreaking event as to micro/nano/pico-satellite development activities in Japan and in the world.  Triggered by the success of XI-IV and CUTE-1, many universities in Japan started their own satellite projects, mostly for educational objectives, and 37 Japanese university satellites have been launched till now.
University of Tokyo already developed 14 satellites, and 11 of them were launched and operated successfully in orbit.  Two CubeSats namely “XI-IV (2003)” and “XI-V (2005)” were primarily for space engineering education, but from the third satellite mission, “PRISM”, we have been challenging towards more practical applications such as remote sensing.  Our fourth satellite “Nano-JASMINE,” which is now waiting for launch, has an “Astrometry” mission to obtain very precise 3D map of large number of stars in space. From 2010, I organized nationwide micro-satellite project named “Hodoyoshi Project,” through which, three Earth remote sensing satellites “Hodoyoshi-1,3,4” were launched in 2014 by Russian Dnepr, which showed excellent performance of taking Earth pictures of 6m, 40m and 240m ground resolutions, with which we are now seeking practical applications for agriculture, forestry, fishery, disaster monitoring, etc.  Based on the bus technologies developed in Hodoyoshi Project, in December 2014, we launched the world’s first 50kg- class deep space probe “PROCYON,” which escaped from the Earth gravitational field and various observation and experiments were conducted successfully in deep space.  Based on the obtained technologies, we have been conducting and will soon finish development of 6U CubeSat “EQUULEUS” targeting towards Earth Lunar Lagrange Point 2, which will be launched by NASA’s SLS rocket in 2020-2021. Two 3U CubeSat were also launched in 2018 and 2019, for “IoT” mission to collect very weak signals from the ground.  One of them also has an objective to support Rwanda on space capacity building, too.
In this way, University of Tokyo has been stepping up from education to practical applications of micro/nano/ pico-satellites, and plans to extend their applications to wider areas.  In my talk, I will show this history, some technical details and discuss future possibilities of micro/nano/pico-satellites. The merits of micro/nano/pico-satellites will also be described including suitable missions for such satellites.

Prof. Nakasuka graduated from University of Tokyo in 1983 and got Ph.D in 1988.  He joined IBM Research during 1988-1990, and then worked for Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Tokyo as a lecturer in 1990, as an Associate Professor, and became a Professor in 2004.  He is a member of JSASS, SICE, and IAA, and the former Chairperson of IFAC Aerospace Technical Committee and current president of UNISEC-GLOBAL. His major research areas include micro/nano/pico-satellites, autonomy and intelligence for space systems, novel space systems, and guidance, navigation and control of spacecraft. He developed and launched 9 micro/nano/pico-satellites successfully including the world first CubeSat. Member of Space Policy Committee of Japanese government.

https://www.space.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/nlab/about_e.html
https://global.jaxa.jp/article/interview/vol25/index_e.html
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Dr. Nicolas Abelé

Abstract: MEMS mirror have been developed since the early 90’s, originally for telecom-switching application, but also in parallel for scanning-based laser projection systems with the great benefit of providing a projected image with very large color gamut, always-in-focus, ultra-small and low power. Originally Lemoptix was a spin-off from the EPFL Micro-Systems laboratory was one of the pioneers in this field and has develop in-house MEMS-based laser projection system for multiple markets, ranging from Head-Up Display in car, AR wearable glass, 3D sensing and pico-projector. The company has successfully been acquired by Intel in 2015 and developed the smallest AR glasses to date (https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/5/16966530/intel-vaunt-smart-glasses-announced-ar-video), then the team moved to MAGIC LEAP the leader in immersive AR glasses (www.magicleap.com). He is now co-CEO of Miraex (www.miraex.com), a MEMS-based photonics sensor and Quantum computing company. 

Bio: Nicolas Abelé, Director of HW at MAGIC LEAP, and former co-founder and CTO of Lemoptix, acquired in 2015 by Intel Corporation 8 years after its incorporation. Nicolas leads the hardware technology development from invention, to prototyping and up to production-ready at manufacturing partner lines. He holds 60 patents in the field of MEMS display and AR glass.

This seminar is part of the course 'MICRO-534 - Advanced MEMS and Microsystems'. The seminar is open to the interested public.

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Prof. Andrej Kosmrlj, Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials, Princeton University

Abstract:
Wrinkling instability of compressed stiff thin films bound to soft substrates has been studied for many years and the formation and evolution of wrinkles is well understood. Similar wrinkling instabilities also play important role in biology during the development of organs, such as brains and guts, and during the formation of bacterial biofilms grown on soft substrates. In recent years, the wrinkling instability has been exploited to create structures with tunable drag, wetting, adhesion, and to create a template for wire formation. While these studies successfully demonstrated the proofs of concepts, the quantitative understanding is still lacking, because very little is known about how wrinkled surfaces deform in response to interactions with environment. To address this issue, we investigated the linear response of wrinkled structures to external forces. By mapping the problem to the Landau theory of phase transitions, we demonstrated that the linear response to external forces diverges near the onset of wrinkling instability with the usual mean field exponent found in critical phenomena. Interactions with environment also dictate the morphology of wrinkled patterns in growing biological systems. I will discuss the formation of wrinkling patterns in bacterial biofilms grown on agar substrates, which usually have radial stripe patterns near the outer edge and zigzag herringbone-like patterns in the core. The observed wrinkling patterns result from uneven stress distribution in the biofilm as a consequence from the depletion of slowly diffusing nutrients underneath the biofilm, which are required for the bacterial growth.

Bio:
From 2011 to 2015 I was postdoc with David R. Nelson at Harvard University. In 2011 I received a Ph.D. in Physics at MIT, where I was co-advised by Arup K. Chakraborty and Mehran Kardar. Before coming to MIT I obtained a B. Sc. (2006) in Mathematical Physics from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, under the supervision of Primož Ziherl.
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Ilya Eigenbrot

Au-delà de la discussion de cette question, l’atelier fournira des conseils relatifs au design et à l’utilisation de ces démonstrations dans différents cas de figure. Et vous aurez l’occasion de prototyper une démonstration de votre domaine d’expertise.

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Claude Krummenacher, College of Science & Mathematics, Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey, USA

Nectins form a family of cell adhesion molecules that also serve as receptors for numerous human viruses (incl. herpes simplex virus (HSV), measles virus, poliovirus). My work has focused on the role of nectin-1 in entry of HSV into cells.  This led to the current molecular model of activation of viral glycoproteins upon nectin-1 binding. Structural and functional data showed that the viral ligand (glycoprotein D) binds a functional site of nectin-1, thereby indicating that the virus will interfere with the natural functions of nectin-1, possibly to its own advantage. Therefore, more recently, I focused on understanding how HSV affects the natural roles of nectin-1 in cell-cell recognition through direct competition with ligands and induction of down-regulation. The recent discovery that nectins are involved in regulating the Natural Killer (NK) cell activation during the innate immune response also led us to investigate the role of nectin-1 as a ligand for NK cell receptors and adhesion molecules. This is leading us to develop a model of how HSV affect nectin-1 function to spread and potentially avoid the NK cell immune response.

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Prof. Ovijit Chaudhuri, Stanford University, USA

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)


Abstract:

Bio:
Dr. Ovijit Chaudhuri is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University. He earned a B.S. in engineering physics with a minor in mathematics at UC Berkeley. Then, he obtained his Ph.D. in bioengineering at UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco, studying force generation and mechanics of actin cytoskeletal networks with Prof. Daniel Fletcher. From there, he went on to do a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University, studying cell mechanotransduction and developing engineered biomaterials for 3D culture with Prof. David Mooney. He joined Stanford in 2013, and his research interests are in cell biophysics and mechanotransduction. His honors include a DARPA young faculty award, an American Cancer Society research scholar award, and a National Research Service Award. His group’s research has been supported by the NIH, the NSF, the American Cancer Society, DARPA, and Stanford’s Bio-X Institute.
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Prof. Sossina Haile, Northwestern, USA

Zirconia substituted ceria is a widely studied material system with immense importance in heterogeneous catalysis. Enhancements to a range of properties in the oxide have been attributed to the presence of zirconium, in particular, oxygen storage capacity, oxygen mobility, and surface reaction rate. All of these features have furthermore been connected with the observation of an increase in the concentration of reduced Ce³⁺ species in the presence of Zr⁴⁺. Using a suite of characterization tools we establish the precise role that zirconium plays in controlling these properties. Our bulk thermogravimetric measurements reveal that in the presence of Zr the oxygen non-stoichiometry (d) of Ce_1-xZr_xO_2-d is indeed enhanced. Using angle-resolved X-ray Absorption Near Edge Spectroscopy (XANES), we quantify under technologically relevant conditions the Ce³⁺ concentration in the surface (2-3 nm), as well as bulk regions, of ceria-zirconia films. We find that the surface of each of the oxides far is more reduced than the bulk. However, the extent to which the surface and bulk regions differ depends strongly on the Zr concentration. Specifically, with increasing Zr, the differential between the two regions diminishes. In parallel, using electrical conductivity relaxation methods, we find that the bulk chemical diffusion of oxygen decreases in the presence of Zr. These observations can be generally explained in terms of the preferred lower coordination of the small Zr⁴⁺ ion relative to the larger Ce⁴⁺ and Ce³⁺ ions and likely trapping of oxygen vacancies in the vicinity of Zr. The substantial difference between surface and bulk properties, where even the trends are reversed, urges caution in the use of bulk-based properties as surrogate descriptors for surface characteristics.
Bio: Sossina M. Haile is the Walter P. Murphy Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University, a position she assumed in 2015 after serving 18 years on the faculty at the California Institute of Technology. She earned her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1992. Haile’s research broadly encompasses materials, especially oxides, for sustainable electrochemical energy technologies. She has established a new class of fuel cells with record performance for clean and efficient electricity generation, and created new thermochemical approaches for harnessing sunlight to meet rising energy demands. Amongst her many awards, in 2008 Haile received an American Competitiveness and Innovation (ACI) Fellowship from the U.S. National Science Foundation in recognition of “her timely and transformative research in the energy field and her dedication to inclusive mentoring, education and outreach across many levels.” She is a fellow of the Materials Research Society, the American Ceramics Society, the African Academy of Sciences, and the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences.

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Prof. Eduardo Fernandez, University Miguel Hernandez and CIBER BBN, SP.

Cortical prostheses are a subgroup of visual neuroprostheses capable of evoking visual percepts in profoundly blind people through direct electrical stimulation of the occipital cortex. This approach may be the only treatment available for blindness caused by glaucoma, end-stage retinal degenerations, optic atrophy or trauma to the retina and/or optic nerves. However, there are still a relevant number of open questions and more experiments should be done to achieve the clinical goals envisioned by this new technology.
We are now facing the challenge of creating a cortical visual neuroprosthesis, based on intracortical microelectrodes, which could allow to provide a limited but useful visual sense to profoundly blind.  We will introduce preliminary results of electrical stimulation of human visual areas and review some of the principles and difficulties related to the development of a cortical visual neuroprosthesis for the blind using intracortical microelectrodes. We will emphasize the need of customize the visual prosthetic device for the needs of each patient and the role of neural plasticity in order to achieve the desired results. Finally, we will discuss some of the exciting opportunities and challenges that lie in this intersection of neuroscience research, biomedical engineering, neuro-opthalmology and neurosurgery.

Bio. Dr. Fernandez received a M.D. degree from the University of Alicante (1986) and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience with honors in 1990. He is currently Professor and Chairman of the Department of Histology and Anatomy of the University Miguel Hernández (Spain), Director of the Neural Engineering Group of the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) in the subject area of Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN, Spain), and Adjunct Professor at John Moran Eye Center (University of Utah, USA). He is a qualified MD who combines biomedicine (molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, anatomy, physiology and regenerative medicine) with the physical sciences and engineering to develop innovative solutions to the problems raised by interfacing the human nervous system. In the latest years he has been coordinating several National and International projects to demonstrate the feasibility of a visual neuroprosthesis, interfaced with the occipital cortex, as a means through which a limited but useful sense of vision could be restored to profoundly blind. Furthermore, he is also working on brain plasticity and brain reorganization in severe vision loss.

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Prof. José Bico, PMMH-ESPCI

Abstract:
Cartographers have early realized that it is impossible to draw a flat map of the Earth without deforming continents. Gauss later generalized this geometrical constrain in his Theorema Egregium. Can we invert the problem and obtain a 3D shape by changing the local distances in an initially flat plate? This strategy in widely used in Nature: leaves or petals may develop into very complex shapes by differential growth. From an engineering point of view, can we induce similar shape changes by inflating a network of channels imbedded in a deformable flat patch? Can we program the final inflated shape?

Bio:
José Bico
- 1997-2000 PhD at the Collège de France (supervision David Quéré)
- 2001-2003 Postdoc in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, MIT, USA (supervision Gareth McKinley)
- since 2003 associate professor à ESPCI-PSL (École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de Paris, Paris Science et Lettres)

Developed "MecaWet" research group in the PMMH laboratory (Physique et Mécanique des Milieux Hétérogènes) with Benoît Roman and Étienne Reyssat, where we work on the mechanics of slender structures (“Meca”), interfacial flows (“Wet”) and the coupling of mechanics and surface forces.
Co-author with Étienne Guyon, Benoît Roman and Étienne Reyssat of a popular science book, “Du merveilleux caché dans le quotidien”, Flammarion 2018, English version to be published as “Hidden wonders” MIT press 2020.
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https://journeeindustrie.epfl.ch/en/program-2020/  

After 3 successful editions and growing number of attendees (over 600 in 2019), the School of Engineering organises the 4th edition on Wednesday March 25, 2020. The Industry Day offers different opportunities to companies, research laboratories of EPFL, as well as Master and PhD students.
For companies

• Get informed about the state of research at EPFL
• Meet professors, PhD students and master students
• Initiate collaborations to foster innovation in your company
• Present your company to students and researchers

For researchers

• Present your research to companies
• Invite your past and current industry partners
• Meet with potential future industry partners and discuss collaboration opportunities
• Take advantage of organised discussions, informal networking, and information booths
• Establish a network for the professional integration of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers

For Master and PhD students

• Find out about research and development in industry
• Learn about innovation and entrepreneurship at EPFL
• Meet potential host companies for internships, master theses in industry or future employement

In addition to the plenary presentations from industry and academia, the industry day features a technical exhibition for companies, startups, research laboratories and institutions supporting innovation. The exhibition is paired with the Salon des Technologies et de l’Innovation STIL on 2 consecutive days.
The program allows for more than four hours of networking time in the exhibition and catering space during breaks, as well as face-to-face meetings between companies and research laboratories.
We hope to welcome you at the Swisstech Convention Center on March 25 and are looking forward to offering you an interesting program.
 
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Dr. Sven Friedel,
COMSOL Multiphysics GmbH

Abstract: Photonics devices are currently employed in a wide range of applications including sensing, communication, computing, renewable energy, medical technology and material processing. Some scientifically most exciting and technologically most promising applications deal with phenomena, where a light interacts with other physical realities such as heat transfer, mechanics, electromagnetics, fluidics, acoustics, and quantum effects. Thanks to the increasing availability of powerful computational methods and computers, the behaviour of such complex systems can be predicted and optimized. However, the specific ratio between light wavelength and device size may require radically different numerical simulation techniques, such as finite element full wave resolution, beam envelope methods, ray tracing or purely thermal approximations, as well as frequency domain, time-domain or stationary analyses.
In this seminar we present a multiphysics and multiscale approach for photonics simulation using COMSOL Multiphysics® software and from the perspective of industrial research. The outset is that multiscale and multiphysics effects are not the exception but rather the rule, and are key drivers for innovation in technology and fundamental research.

Dr. Sven Friedel, COMSOL Multiphysics GmbH, holds a MSc. And PhD in Physics from the University of Leipzig and an MSc. In Geo- and Planetary Physics from the University of Newcastle Upon Type. In his academic career Sven has worked intensively in computational electromagnetics from statics to waves, and inverse methods in non-destructive testing and transport processes in porous media. In 2004, after a PostDoc time at ETH Zurich, he established the COMSOL branch office in Switzerland and has since helped with his team countless industrial and academic researches with Multiphysics simulations. Sven is regularly teaching courses on low and high frequency electromagnetic modeling.

Event Free of Charge, yet Registration Required: https://forms.gle/nB9Bdg2GQoazPL5p9 

The course is limited to 30 participants due to a limited number of available workstations and licenses. first come first serve. gaspar login required to access workstation.
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Prof. Lourdes F. Vega
Research and Innovation Center on CO2 and H2 (RICH Center) and Chemical Engineering Department,
Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE

ChE-606 - Highlights in Energy Research seminar series
One of the alternatives to mitigate CO2 emissions is to capture and separate it from diluted sources before it is emitted into the atmosphere. The first step in this process is to find suitable CO2 capture technologies, being aqueous monoethanolamine (MEA) solutions the most mature technology for this purpose currently used in industrial processes. However, this process has some important drawbacks such as high regeneration energy consumption, loss of solvent and amine degradation. Different strategies are devised to overcome these limitations, all of which require the fundamental understanding of the key molecular properties leading to the desired performance. The focus of this presentation will be on how understanding the molecular interactions of complex mixtures can help in the development of more efficient processes for CO2 capture and separation. We will present the capabilities of a robust molecular-based equation as a screening tool of chemical solvents for the efficient removal of CO2 from industrial gas streams. The tool is built based on the soft-SAFT equation in which substances are modelled as chain molecules characterized by a set of molecular parameters representing the chemical structure of molecules and key intermolecular interactions. The equation provides accurate phase equilibria, interfacial properties and viscosities of the relevant mixtures allowing predictions of their performance at process conditions, with a very limited set of experimental data. The study is performed in a systematic manner, first benchmarking the performance of the model for capturing CO2 in aqueous amines, followed by water-free and water-lean amine systems. In addition, results from molecular simulations performed to understand the effect of degraded amines in the capture and separation process will also be presented. Finally, examples will be provided on combining molecular simulations with process modeling for designing ad-hoc processes of CO2 separation by adsorption as an alternative to aqueous amines.

The seminar can also be followed remotely by joining the online Cisco WebEx meeting (connection possible 15 minutes before the talk).
You can find how to use 'Cisco WebEx' on MacOS (PDF file) or on a Windows system (PDF file).
In case of problem, you can contact our IT support (37679 - it.vs@epfl.ch)
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Rob Greenfiled

You’re just 1 in 7 billion people in a very confusing time on Earth. Is it possible for you to make a difference? Is it worth trying? Rob Greenfield’s answer to these questions is a resounding yes and he is here to share why and how you can be the change you wish to see in the world.

Through his lead by example activism, Rob’s life has served as a wakeup call to millions of people and has changed the lives of many. Rob will share his unique projects from diving into thousands of grocery store dumpsters, to wearing his trash for 30 days, to living off the grid in a tiny house, to his most recent year of growing and foraging 100% of his food, all designed to wake people up and instigate change. 
Although Rob takes his life to the extreme, his message is one of moderation. His work creates a counterbalance to the consumeristic society we live in today and encourages mainstream media to report on important issues, while being able to use his attention grabbing stories.
You will walk away from this evening with a deeper understanding of the life that you are living and with solutions you can adapt to be the change you wish to see.



Rob’s talk will be followed by an apéro-dégustation not of food, but of a few small-scale local projects led by Lausanne citizens. You will learn and discuss about their ideas, debate about climate solutions, have a bite to eat, and if you want to, you can go give Rob a hug. 


Follow Rob on Instagram @robjgreenfield and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/RobGreenfield

Video to embed on website and include on Facebook event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhKevstJyrc
 

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Prof. Jacob Corn, ETHZ

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)


Abstract:

Bio:
acob Corn is the Professor of Genome Biology at the ETH Zurich. His research aims to better understand and treat disease through next-​generation genome editing technologies. Jacob’s career has bridged academia and industry, working in therapeutic areas that include infectious disease, neurobiology, and oncology. His research takes a multidisciplinary approach, combining cellular biochemistry, functional genomics, computational biology, bioengineering, and biophysics. Jacob’s graduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley explored how cells replicate and protect their genomes. His postdoctoral work at the University of Washington computationally designed protein inhibitors from scratch. Jacob began his independent research career as a group leader at Genentech, where his lab discovered biological mechanisms for challenging therapeutic targets. Jacob then moved back to academia as the founding Scientific Director of the Innovative Genomics Institute and faculty at UC Berkeley.
 
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Prof. Moniek Tromp, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Detailed information on the structural and electronic properties of a catalyst or material and how they change during reaction is required to understand their reaction mechanism and performance. An experimental technique that can provide structural as well as electronic analysis and that can be applied in situ/operando and in a time-resolved mode, is X-ray spectroscopy. Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy is powerful in determining the local structure of compounds including amorphous materials and solutions, since long-range order is not required. Combined X-ray Absorption and X-ray Emission spectroscopy (XAS and XES resp.) provides detailed insights in the electronic properties of a material. Detailed information about the materials in their dynamic chemical active environment can thus be obtained and structure/electronic – performance relationships and reaction mechanisms derived. Developments in XAS using new instrumentation and data acquisition methods while selecting specific X-ray energies provide this more detailed electronic information [1]. High energy resolution XAS, XES and Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (RIXS) provide very detailed electronic information on the systems under investigation. The secondary spectrometer design also opens up lab-based spectrometer designs as will be demonstrated.
Over the last years, different approaches have been reported to allow operando time resolved XAS on catalytic systems, mostly solid-gas. Our group has also developed stopped-flow methodologies allowing simultaneous time-resolved UV–Vis/XAS experimentation on liquid systems down to the millisecond (ms) time resolution [2]. Low X-ray energy systems (light elements) or for low concentrated systems, longer XAS data acquisition times in fluorescence detection are required and therefore a stopped flow freeze-quench procedure has been developed [3]. Pushing the time-resolution has been achieved by synchronizing the synchrotron bunches with an optical laser in order to perform fast pump-probe experiments [4] or applying modulation excitation methodologies, which can isolate active from spectator species [5].
The methodologies and instrumentation have been developed and applied to a wealth of materials science, for homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis to batteries and fuel cells as well as art objects. This lecture will focus on homogeneous catalysis, providing insights in active/activated catalyst species and reaction mechanisms. A range of complementary spectroscopic techniques have for example been applied to different selective ethene oligomerisation catalysts, i.e. industrially applied chromium-based ones as well as novel iron and nickel-based systems [2]. Solving the complicated puzzles of data, revealing active and inactive catalyst intermediates as a function of time and process conditions, has led to design concepts for novel catalysts in the field.

[1] See for example: Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 45 (2006) 4651-4654; J. Phys. Chem. B 110 (2006) 16162-16164; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 47 (2008) 9260 – 9264; Catal. Today 145 (2009) 300-306; J. Phys. Chem. C 117 (2013) 23286–23294; Chem. Phys. Chem. 8 (2014) 1569–1572; J. Phys. Chem. C 119 (2015) 2419–2426.
[2] Organometallics 29 (2010) 3085–3097; Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2019, ASAP.
[3] J. Catal. 285 (2011) 247–258; ACS Catalysis 4 (2014) 4201; Catal. Sci. Techn. 6 (2016) 6237; ACS Catalysis 2019, ASAP, 10.1021/acscatal.8b03414.
[4] J. Phys. Chem. B 117 (2013) 7381–7387; Photochem. Photobiol. Sci. 17 (2018) 896-902.
[5] manuscript in preparation.
Bio: Moniek Tromp finished her MSc in Chemistry, with specialisations in spectroscopy and catalysis, at the University of Utrecht (Nld) in 2000. She then obtained a PhD from the same university, in the fields of homogeneous catalysis and time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy with Profs. Koningsberger and van Koten.  After finishing with distinction (‘cum laude’, greatest honours possible) in 2004, she moved to the University of Southampton (UK) for a Post-Doctoral Research fellowship in the fields of heterogeneous catalysis and spectroscopy. In 2007, she was awarded an EPSRC Advanced Research Fellowship to start her own independent academic career (and became lecturer). She moved to Germany in 2010, where she took up a position as professor in Catalyst Characterisation at the Technical University Munich. In 2014, she decided to come back to the Netherlands, working at the University of Amsterdam. From July 2018 she has taken up the Chair of Materials Chemistry at the Zernike Institute at the University of Groningen.
She has been awarded prestigious fellowships/awards like the EPSRC Advanced Research Fellowship, NWO VIDI and the NWO Athena prize. She is active in numerous science advisory and review panels of large research facilities and universities internationally, part of a European Science Strategy team for large facilities, has published close to 100 papers in high profile journals and given over 80 invited lectures worldwide.
She is chair of the Dutch Catalysis Society (of the KNCV). She is co-chair of the organizing committee of the annual conference on Catalysis (NCCC) in The Netherlands. Gender and diversity are important for her and she has been active as Gender Equality Officer (D) and is now developing programs for primary school on science and engineering as well as gender bias issues. From April 2019, she has taken up a board position at the National Network for Female Professors (LNVH). She is a board member of the Dutch Science Association NWO (division ENW) since May 2019.
Her research focusses on the development and application of operando spectroscopy techniques in catalysis and materials research, incl. fuel cells, batteries, photochemistry, as well as arts, with a focus on X-ray spectroscopy techniques. Novel (time resolved) X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy methods have been developed as tools in catalysis and energy material (battery and fuel cell) research. This includes the development of the required operando instrumentation and cells, as well as data analysis and theoretical methods. Application of the techniques to fundamentally or industrially interesting catalytic processes and materials has been pursued, providing unprecedented insights in properties and mechanisms.
 

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Mirjam Mekhaiel, Ingrid Le Duc

This workshop puts participants to practice lecturing by presenting 5 minutes of their teaching. Advice and feedback is given based to develop scientific communication skills appropriate for teaching.

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Prof. Olivier Pouliquen, IUSTI Laboratory, Aix Marseille University, CNRS

Abstract:
A plant accidentally put in a horizontal position bends and deforms to recover a vertical position. A crucial step in this gravisensing occurs in specific cells, the statocytes, which contain small grains of starch. The grains being denser than the surrounding intracellular fluid, they sediment at the bottom of the cell and form miniature granular piles at the bottom of the gravisensing cells. How such a sensor works and can detect inclination is unclear. Here, we address this issue by combining experiments on biological systems at the plant scale and at the cell scale and experiments on biomimetic systems. We explain how plant can be so sensitive to inclination using such an a priori « rudimentary" sensor.

Bio:
Olivier Pouliquen is a CNRS director of research, director of the IUSTI laboratory from Aix Marseille University.
His favorite research areas concern granular flows, suspensions, and more generally materials made of grains, which are found in many industrial, geophysical or biological systems, but whose behaviour is still poorly understood.
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La Startup Champions Seed Night est un événement annuel de présentation de start-ups qui réunit les entrepreneurs les plus prometteurs de l'EPFL et d'ailleurs, des investisseurs, des mentors, des leaders de l'industrie et des scientifiques pour un public de plus de 250 personnes. L'objectif de l'événement est de présenter à la communauté des projets entrepreneuriaux à croissance rapide et d'éduquer le public sur l'investissement de départ.

Plus d'informations sur la page EPFL Alumni.

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Prof. Seda Keskin
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering,
Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey

ChE-606 - Highlights in Energy Research seminar series
We have witnessed the quick growth of a new generation nanoporous materials named as metal organic frameworks (MOFs) in the last decade. MOFs have exceptional physical, chemical and structural properties such as low densities, large surface areas and high porosities which make them promising materials for a large variety of applications, mainly for CO₂ separation. The number of MOFs has been increasing very rapidly and experimental identification of materials exhibiting high CO₂ separation potential is simply impractical. High-throughput computational screening studies in which several thousands of MOFs are evaluated to identify the best candidates for a target gas separation is crucial in directing experimental efforts to the most useful materials. In this talk, we will show how molecular simulations were used to screen the MOF database to identify the best materials for CO₂ separation from flue gas (CO₂/N₂) and landfill gas (CO₂/CH₄) in addition to CO₂/H₂ and CH₄/H₂ separations. We first validated molecular simulations by comparing the simulated CO₂ uptakes, CO₂/N₂, CO₂/CH₄, and CO₂/H₂ selectivities of various types of MOFs with the available experimental data and then computed several adsorbent evaluation metrics such as selectivity, working capacity, and regenerability of MOFs. The top performing MOFs for each gas separation were identified based on the combination of these metrics. We will also discuss the relations between structural properties of MOFs and their separation performances to provide structure-property relationships that can serve as a map for experimental synthesis of new MOFs with better performances. These results will accelerate the design and development of novel materials for efficient CO₂ capture and separation.

The seminar can also be followed remotely by joining the online Cisco WebEx meeting (connection possible 15 minutes before the talk).
You can find how to use 'Cisco WebEx' on MacOS (PDF file) or on a Windows system (PDF file).
In case of problem, you can contact our IT support (37679 - it.vs@epfl.ch)
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Prof. Dr. Shad Roundy,
University of Utah

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture

Campus Lausanne BM 5202 (live)
Campus Microcity MC B0 302 (video)
Zoom Live Stream: https://epfl.zoom.us/j/975059431

Abstract: Biomedical implants hold the promise of dramatically improving our health and well-being by, for example, enabling us to pro-actively monitor health through real-time tracking of internal body chemistry (e.g. pH, glucose, lactate, tissue oxygen), treat diseases through targeted and tailored drug delivery, treat neural disorders through neural prostheses, etc.  Furthermore, advances in flexible integrated circuit technology and micro scale sensing can currently enable extremely small (< 1mm3), complex, biomedical implants.  However, systems of this size are almost never actually realized because the power system (e.g. a battery) is too large.  RF power transmission for implants has been widely investigated. However, for very small implants (~ mm3) RF power suffers from low achievable power density at the implant given safety constraints.
This talk will discuss two alternative methods for wirelessly delivering power to biomedical implants: acoustics and low frequency magnetic fields using magnetoelectric transducers. Acoustic power transmission exhibits high power density given its low attenuation in soft tissue and relatively less restrictive safety limitations. Its disadvantages are that acoustic power does not travel well through bone and the external transmitter requires intimate contact with skin. In this talk we will cover acoustic power transmission systems and demonstrate a novel glucose sensing mechanism that can be powered acoustically. Low frequency magnetic fields coupled to magnetoelectric transducers offer a promising alternative to both RF and acoustic power transmission. In this system, a standard coil is used as a transmitter, but the implantable receiver is made from magnetoelectric laminates (i.e. laminates of magnetostrictive and piezoelectric material). The magnetoelectric receivers have a much more favorable frequency/size relationship than standard RF receivers, enabling higher power density at lower frequencies that are safer for humans and have lower attenuation in tissue. In this talk I will discuss system and receiver design optimization for magnetoelectric based wireless power transfer systems. These systems are still early stage, and there is much room for innovation and improvement.

Bio: Shad Roundy is the director of the Integrated Self-Powered Sensing lab at the University of Utah which focuses on energy harvesting, wireless power transfer, and more generally applications of ubiquitous wireless sensing. Shad received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 2003.  From there he moved to the Australian National University where he was a senior lecturer in the Systems Engineering Department.  He spent the next several years working with startup companies LV Sensors and EcoHarvester developing MEMS pressure sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and energy harvesting devices.  In 2012, he re-entered academia joining the mechanical engineering faculty at the University of Utah.  Dr. Roundy is the recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, DoE Integrated Manufacturing Fellowship, the Intel Noyce Fellowship, and was named by MIT’s Technology Review as one of the world’s top 100 young innovators for 2004.

Note: The Seminar Series is eligible for ECTS credits in the EDMI doctoral program

Note: After the lecture, there will be time for discussion and interaction with the distinguished speaker, sandwich lunch and refreshments sponsored by the Institute of Microengineering will be provided for attendees in front of the lecture hall (BM 5104, ca. 13h15)

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Prof. Suzie H. Pun, University of Washington, USA

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)


Abstract:

Bio:
Suzie H. Pun is the Robert F Rushmer Professor of Bioengineering, an Adjunct Professor of Chemical Engineering, and a member of the Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute at UW.  She is a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and has been recognized with the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2006 and as an AAAS-Lemelson Invention Ambassador in 2015. She serves as an Associate Editor for ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering. Her research focus area is in biomaterials and drug delivery.
Suzie Pun received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University and her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology working under the supervision of Professor Mark E. Davis. She also worked as a senior scientist at Insert Therapeutics/Calando Pharmaceuticals developing polymeric drug delivery systems before joining the Department of Bioengineering at University of Washington.

 
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Prof. Christian Serre, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France


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Friedhelm Hummel (Center for Neuroprosthetics, EPFL),  Axel Thielscher (Danish Research Center for Magnetic Resonance, Copenhagen), Gesa Hartwigsen (Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig), Til Ole Bergmann (German Resilience Center, Mainz), Silvia Marchesotti (Dept of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva), Nir Grossman (UK Dementia Research Institute, Imperial College London), Marc Bächinger (Dept of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich), Estelle Raffin (Center for Neuroprosthetics, EPFL), Roland Beisteiner (Dept of Radiology, Medical University of Vienna)

The Campus Biotech is proud to host on April 7^th, 2020 a one-day research-oriented workshop focusing on “Novel and Multimodal research in Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS)”.

This special event will include several lectures from experts in the field of neuromodulation as well as vendor exhibitions, demos and hands-on training sessions in state-of-the-art brain stimulation techniques combined with neuroimaging, such as Electroencephalography (EEG) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

Thanks to the equipment available at Campus Biotech, we also plan on demonstrating how to best conduct experiments involving concurrent Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and EEG, transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation and EEG, but also concurrent TMS and functional MRI! This is a unique opportunity to exchange around new technology and share precious experience and knowledge on how to best combine imaging with the many stimulation techniques available to scientists.

The registration for this event is free but the number of seats is limited in order to ensure that everyone can benefit from the experience of our experts during the hands-on sessions.

Please visit https://nmod-workshop.campusbiotech.ch for the complete list of speakers, register online and join us at Campus Biotech in Geneva on April 7^th, 2020!
 

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Kevin Foster, Department of Zoology and Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, UK

Since Darwin, evolutionary biologists have been fascinated by social behaviours. Honeybee workers labour their whole life without reproducing, birds make alarm calls, and humans are capable of extreme cooperation and conflict. Less attention was paid to the microbes, but it is now clear that they commonly live in densely interacting communities that have major effects on animals and plants. Here, microbes display a dizzying array of social traits, from enzymes released to break down food and antibiotics, through slimey secretions that protect and disperse, to draconian molecular machines that stab, rupture and poison their competitors. But what determines whether microbes cooperate or compete with each other, and how does this affect their hosts? To answer these questions, we combine theory and experiments with pathogenic bacteria and the mammalian microbiome. This has revealed that clonemate patches naturally emerge in microbial communities, which favours strong cooperation by kin selection. But interactions between strains and species are often competitive. We find that bacteria are often at war and are even capable of reciprocation, detecting incoming attacks and responding collectively in devastating counterattacks. Microbial interactions follow the same evolutionary principles that were first understood through the study of animal behavior. However, one fascinating property of microbes is that their entire ecosystem can lie within another evolving organism – a host - that is trying to control them and their interactions. The result appears to be a complex coevolutionary dance with the host and its immune system on one side, and the whole microbiota on the other.

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Dr Felix Schürmann, BBP-CORE / FSV-BMI

Abstract:
My research is focussed on bringing the toolbox of computational science to neuroscience, aiming to provide a framework in which the brain’s multi-modal and multi-scale data can be related, completed and explored. For problems such as the building of biophysically detailed neuronal models, we were able to devise advanced optimization algorithms with novel error functions yielding some of the most faithful models. In other cases, such as the microconnectome, we developed first principle computational methods that derive dense parameters from sparse data through constraint resolution and forward computations. In yet other cases, such as the simulation of brain tissue models, our research transformed prior numerical methods and simulation schemes, making it possible to use massively parallel supercomputers efficiently. Lastly, we introduced analytical performance modelling to brain simulations, giving the first quantitative framework in which modelling decisions and computational cost implications can be understood. This research has enabled the Blue Brain Project and other groups to build some of the most detailed models of neurons and brain regions to date.

Short Bio
Felix Schürmann is adjunct professor at the Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), co-director of the Blue Brain Project and affiliated with the Brain Mind Institute. He studied physics at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, supported by the German National Academic Foundation. Later, as a Fulbright Scholar, he obtained his Master’s degree in Physics from SUNY at Buffalo, USA, on simulating quantum computers. He received his Ph.D. at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, under the supervision of the late Karlheinz Meier. For his thesis he co-designed an efficient implementation of a neural network in hardware. Since 2005 he is involved in EPFL’s Blue Brain Project, where he oversees all computer science research and engineering to enable reconstruction and simulation of brain tissue models at unprecedented scale and detail. Since he strongly believes that the futures of neuroscience and computing are entangled, he also directs his own research group to rethink today’s simulation capabilities and leverage neuroscience for future computing.
 
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Prof. Dr. Klaus Weber,
Australian National University

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture

Campus Lausanne BM 5202 (live)
Campus Microcity MC B0 302 (video)
Zoom Live Stream: https://epfl.zoom.us/j/694326308

Abstract: Perovskite Cells are complex devices consisting of several components and interfaces. Understanding the properties and interactions of the different components is very challenging, particularly when there are so many options for each of them. It is important to develop suitable tools to deal with this challenge.
In this talk I will focus on several aspects of perovskite cells. First, I will  make the case that computational modelling is an essential tool for the interpretation of experimental data, by contrasting different possible explanations for measurements obtained by different means, which shows that a less than rigorous interpretation can add to confusion, rather than provide useful information.
Second, I will discuss simulations of perovskite and perovskite – silicon modules, which focus on the potential effects of partial shading. These simulations show that great care must be taken when designing such modules so as to ensure that shading conditions that may typically be encountered during operation does not permanently damage the module.
I will conclude with some suggestions and open questions around how it may be possible to better standardise and verify experimental results , to increase the usefulness of reported results in accelerating the development of practical perovskite solar devices.

Bio: Dr Klaus Weber is Associate Professor in the Research School of Engineering at the Australian National University (ANU). He co-invented and developed several thin film cell technologies including SLIVER technology, for which he was closely involved in the commercial development including the current ARENA project (formerly with Transform Solar). He has authored over over 140 publications. He is a recipient of the Weeks Award by the International Solar Energy Society and the Alan Walsh Medal for Service to Industry by the Australian Institute of Physics. His work on SLIVER technology received numerous other awards including the Banksia Award and the Aichi World Expo Global Eco-Tech 100 award.

Note: The Seminar Series is eligible for ECTS credits in the EDMI doctoral program

Note: After the lecture, there will be time for discussion and interaction with the distinguished speaker, sandwich lunch and refreshments sponsored by the Institute of Microengineering will be provided for attendees in front of the lecture hall (BM 5104, ca. 13h15)

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Prof. Patrick Couvreur, Paris-Sud University, France

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)


Abstract:

Bio:
Patrick COUVREUR is Full Professor of Pharmacy at the Paris-Sud University and holder of the chair of “Innovation Technologique” (2009-2010) at the prestigious « Collège de France ». He is appointed as a Senior Member of the “Institut Universitaire de France” since 2009. He is also the recipient of an “ERC Advanced Grant” (2010-2015) and of an “ERC Proof of Concept” (2015-2016). He has hold many important national and international academic positions as Director of the UMR CNRS 8612 (a CNRS associated department gathering together more than 120 researchers in the drug delivery field), Director of the Doctoral School “Therapeutic Innovation” (over 300 PhD students at Paris-Sud University), founder member of the pole of competitivity MEDICEN, Extraordinary Professor at the University of Louvain (Belgium), member of the board of governors of many international scientific organizations (ie. The International Pharmaceutical Federation FIP, the Controlled Release Society CRS, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Scientists, APGI etc.). He is the chair of the LS-7 panel of the European Research Council (ERC consolidator grant) and has served in many scientific committees (Institut Pasteur, ENS Cachan, Academic Council of Paris-Saclay University, Scientific Committee of the Région Centre, Comité National of the CNRS, Conseil National des Universités CNU etc.). Prof Patrick COUVREUR’s contributions in the field of drug delivery, nanomedicine and drug targeting are highly recognized around the world with more than 500 peer review research publications (Google Scholar H-index 119 and Thomson Reuters H-index 88), some of them in prestigious journals (Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Materials, Nature Communications, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Angewandte Chemie, Cancer Research, Journal of the American Chemical Society etc.). His research is interdisciplinary, aiming at developing new nanomedicines for the treatment of severe diseases. This research is at the interface between Physico-Chemistry of Colloids, Polymer Chemistry, Material Science, Cellular and Molecular Biology and Experimental Pharmacology. Patrick COUVREUR’s research has led to the funding of two start-up companies (Bioalliance and Medsqual). Bioalliance (now ONXEO) entered the stock market in 2005 and a nanomedicine invented in Couvreur’s lab is currently finishing phase III clinical trial for the treatment of the hepatocarcinoma. The major scientific contribution of Patrick COUVREUR to the Pharmaceutical Sciences is also recognized by numerous international (the “2004 Pharmaceutical Sciences World Congress Award”, the prestigious “Host Madsen Medal”, the “European Pharmaceutical Scientist Award” of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the European Inventor Award 2013 given by the European Patent Office and the Higuchi Award 2015, Japan) and national awards (The Grand Prix de l’Innovation of « L’USINE NOUVELLE » 2008the “Prix Galien 2009” and the “Médaille de l’Innovation 2012 of the CNRS). His appointment as a member of eight academies (Académie des Sciences, Académie des Technologies, Académie Nationale de Médecine and Académie Nationale de Pharmacie in France, as well as the Académie Royale de Médecine in Belgium, the Royal Academy of Pharmacy in Spain, the United States National Academy of Medicine and the United States National Academy of Engineering) is another recognition of major scientific and scholarly contributions of Patrick COUVREUR.
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Prof. Timothy P. Lodge, University of Minnesota, USA

Nanostructured materials with co-continuous structures, in which each discrete domain is independently interconnected, can simultaneously optimize “orthogonal” properties such as ion transport and mechanical strength. Potential applications include porous membranes, fuel cells, and rechargeable metal batteries. Block polymers have been exploited as templating agents to access such morphologies, for example via ordered periodic phases such as the double gyroid, or by polymerization-induced microphase separation. In such cases the conducting domains are typically ≤ 20 nm in size, which can compromise both mobility and strength. An alternate route involves blending an A–B diblock copolymer with the constituent A and B homopolymers, leading to a disordered bicontinuous microemulsion (BmE) state. We have shown that charge-free ternary A–B/A/B polymer blends universally self-assemble into the thermodynamically stable BmE phase, albeit with carefully designed molecular weights and compositions. The BmE displays globally disordered but locally correlated domains, with tunable characteristic length scales in the range of ca. 20–100 nm, well beyond the domain sizes typically associated with pure diblocks. The interesting question that arises is whether this phase can also be accessed in blends containing charge, where in general the intermolecular interactions are stronger and more long-ranged. We are exploring this issue in two cases: an A–B/A/B ternary system with added salt, and an A–B/A/B system in which one of the polymers is ionomeric.
Bio: Tim Lodge graduated from Harvard in 1975 with a B.A. cum laude in Applied Mathematics. He completed his PhD in Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin in 1980, and then spent 20 months as a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow at NIST. Since 1982 he has been on the Chemistry faculty at Minnesota, and in 1995 he also became a Professor of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science. In 2013 he was named a Regents Professor, the University’s highest academic rank.
He has been recognized with the American Physical Society (APS) Polymer Physics Prize (2004), the International Scientist Award from the Society of Polymer Science, Japan, (2009), the 2010 Prize in Polymer Chemistry from the American Chemical Society (ACS), and the Hermann Mark Award (2015) and the Paul Flory Education Award (2018) of the ACS Division of Polymer Chemistry. He has been elected to Fellowship in the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the APS, the ACS, and the Neutron Scattering Society of America. In 2016 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
From 2001–2017 Tim served as the Editor-in-Chief of the ACS journal Macromolecules. In 2011 he became the founding Editor for ACS Macro Letters. He has served as Chair of the Division of Polymer Physics, APS (1997–8), and as Chair of the Gordon Research Conferences on Colloidal, Macromolecular and Polyelectrolyte Solutions (1998) and Polymer Physics (2000). Since 2005 he has been Director of the NSF-supported Materials Research Science & Engineering Center at Minnesota. He has authored or co-authored over 450 papers in the field of polymer science, and advised or co-advised over 80 PhD students. His research interests center on the structure and dynamics of polymer liquids, including solutions, melts, blends, and block copolymers, with particular emphases on self-assembling systems using rheological, scattering and microscopy techniques.
 

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Prof. Ali Jadbabaie, MIT

Titre à définir    

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Jean-Paul Paddack - Executive Director at WWF International
Antonin Guez - CEO at Engie Suisse
Claudia Binder - ENAC Dean at EPFL
Hari Tulsidas - UNECE Officer
Josef Känzig - Head of section at FOEN
Christian Theiler -  EUROfusion & Professor at SPC
Roger Nordmann - Swiss MP (PS)
Mario Paolone - Head of DESL at EPFL
Hubert Girault - Head of LEPA at EPFL
Guillaume Krivtchik - Researcher at CEA
David Atienza - EcoCloud Professor

Ce forum d'une journée a pour but de créer un espace d'échange entre les experts scientifiques, industriels et politiques autour des problématiques liées à la gestion durable des ressources naturelles dans un contexte de transition énergétique. Organisé par l'association étudiante Zero Emission Group, cet événement est à la fois conçu pour favoriser un niveau élevé de réflexion sur la durabilité, et une dynamique forte entre les étudiants et les experts invités. 

Six thèmes principaux seront abordés (événement anglophone):

• Ecosystem services
• Mobility
• Digitalization
• Renewable Grids
• Building Sector
• Nuclear Energy

Des pauses de networking auront lieu dans le Forum du Rolex entre chaque séance, avec à disposition un buffet végétalien.
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Prof. Josué Sznitman, Technion, Israel

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)


Abstract:

CV:
Education: Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), 2007 M.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), 2003 B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, MIT, 2002 Academic appointments: Aug 2010 - present: Senior Lecturer Dept. Biomedical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology Jan 2009 - Jul 2010: Lecturer / Research Associate Dept. Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University Jan 2008 - Dec 2008: Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dept. Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania Sept 2003 - Dec 2007: Teaching & Research Assistant Institute of Fluid Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich
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Prof. Kristin Persson, UC Berkeley, USA

Fueled by our abilities to compute materials properties and characteristics orders of magnitude faster than they can be measured and recent advancements in harnessing literature data, we are entering the era of the fourth paradigm of science: data-driven materials design. The Materials Project (www.materialsproject.org) uses supercomputing together with state-of-the-art quantum mechanical theory to compute the properties of all known inorganic materials and beyond, design novel materials and offer the data for free to the community together with online analysis and design algorithms. The current release contains data derived from quantum mechanical calculations for over 100,000 materials and millions of properties. The resource supports a growing community of data-rich materials research, currently supporting over 100,000 registered users and over 1 million data records served each day through the API. The software infrastructure enables thousands of calculations per week – enabling screening and predictions - for both novel solid as well as molecular species with target properties.  However, truly accelerating materials innovation also requires rapid synthesis, testing and feedback. The ability to devise data-driven methodologies to guide synthesis efforts is needed as well as rapid interrogation and recording of results – including ‘non-successful’ ones. In this talk, I will highlight some of our ongoing work, including efficient harnessing of community data together with our own computational data enabling iteration between ideas, new materials development, synthesis and characterization as enabled by new algorithmic tools and data-driven approaches.
Bio: Persson obtained her Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden in 2001. She is an Associate Professor in Materials Science and Engineering at UC Berkeley with a joint appointment as Senior Faculty Scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Persson is the Director and co-founder of the Materials Project (www.materialsproject.org); one of the most visible of the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) funded programs attracting over a hundred thousand users worldwide. She is a leader in the MGI community, and is known for her advancement of data-driven materials design and advancement of materials informatics.

She is an Associate Editor for Chemistry of Materials and has received the 2018 DOE Secretary of Energy’s Achievement Award, the 2017 TMS Faculty Early Career Award, the LBNL Director’s award for Exceptional Scientific Achievement (2013) and she is a 2018 Kavli Fellow. She holds several patents in the clean energy space and has co-authored more than 160 peer-reviewed publications.

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The association Swiss Solar Boat (member of the MAKE fund) aiming to participate to the Monaco Solar & Energy Boat Challenge is proud to present its first boat created by students. The unveiling will consist in a presentation of the project and the path taken, some interventions by our partners, the unveiling and an aperitif to talk about the adventure.

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Susanne Martin

• Do they hear me? Exploring breath and voice and articulation.
• Do I allow myself being seen and heard? Exploring bodily tension and release as basis for facing an audience and dealing with stage fright.
• What if the situation turns out differently than planned? Paying attention to the here and now as basis for improvising and spontaneous solutions.
• How can I hear them? Caring for your audience as basis for developing an engaged learning/teaching situation.

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Dario Farina, Professor and Chair in Neurorehabilitation Engineering, Imperial College London, UK.

Alpha motor neurons receive synaptic input that they convert into the ultimate neural code of movement -- the neural drive to muscles. The study of the behaviour of motor neurons provides a window into the neural processing of movement. Recently, the interfacing (bioelectrodes) and processing methods for identifying the output of motor neuron pools from interference electromyogram (EMG) signals have been advanced substantially. In the past decade, these methods have indeed allowed the monitoring of the behaviour of tens to hundreds of motor neurons concurrently, with minimally invasive or non-invasive methods. This new population analysis has opened new perspectives in the study of neural control of movement. The talk will overview the technology for motor neuron interfacing as well as the potential of motor neuron recording technology for man-machine interfacing. Examples of closed-loop neural interfacing based on non-invasive decoding of spinal motor neuron behaviour will be discussed in relation to assistive and rehabilitation devices.

Bio
Dario Farina received Ph.D. degrees in automatic control and computer science and in electronics and communications engineering from the Ecole Centrale de Nantes, Nantes, France, and Politecnico di Torino, Italy, in 2001 and 2002, respectively, and an Honorary Doctorate degree in Medicine from Aalborg University, Denmark, in 2018. He is currently Full Professor and Chair in Neurorehabilitation Engineering at the Department of Bioengineering of Imperial College London, UK. He has previously been Full Professor at Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark, (until 2010) and at the University Medical Center Göttingen, Georg-August University, Germany, where he founded and directed the Department of Neurorehabilitation Systems (2010-2016). Among other awards, he has been the recipient of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Early Career Achievement Award (2010), The Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award (2016), and has been elected Distinguished Lecturer IEEE (2014). He has also received continuous funding by the European Research Council since 2011. His research focuses on biomedical signal processing, neurorehabilitation technology, and neural control of movement. Within these areas, he has (co)-authored >450 papers in peer-reviewed Journals, which have currently received >27,000 citations. Professor Farina has been the President of the International Society of Electrophysiology and Kinesiology (ISEK) (2012-2014) and is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the official Journal of this Society, the Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology. He is also currently an Editor for Science Advances, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics, Wearable Technologies, and the Journal of Physiology. Professor Farina has been elected Fellow IEEE, AIMBE, ISEK, EAMBES.

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Eric Colinet, R&D manager, APIX analytics, Grenoble, France

Abstract: Apix-Analytics, the leader in Nano-Sensor (NEMS) based gas chromatography (GC) system is a start-up company from CEA-LETI and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) founded in December 2011. The presentation will present why NEMS resonators offer a unique breakthrough technology in the GC field and will discuss how the key challenges such as industrialization, multi scale system integration combining mechanical, chemical and electronic sub-systems are addressed.

Bio: Eric Colinet graduated from INSA-Lyon France in 2002 and received a PhD from SUPELEC PARIS in 2005 and a HDR from INP- GRENOBLE in 2010. In 2011, he cofounded Apix-Analytics, a start-up company from CEA-LETI/CALTECH specialized in Nano-Sensor based gas analysis systems, where he is now managing the research and development activities. His field of expertise covers micro & nano electromechanical systems (MEMS-NEMS), sensors & actuators, control theory & signal processing, solid-state electronics & IC, MEMS-CMOS Integration. He is the author of more than 100 scientific papers and holds over 20 patents.

This seminar is part of the Master's class MICRO534, Advanced MEMS and Microsystems, and is open to the informed public.

Apix Analytics - Company Website

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Prof. Dr. Dimos Poulikakos,
ETH Zürich

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture

Campus Lausanne BM 5202 (live)
Campus Microcity MC B0 302 (video)
Zoom Live Stream: https://epfl.zoom.us/j/440644837

Abstract: Interfaces separating different kinds of matter, or different phases of the same matter, abandon in nature and technology. What is more, they invariably play a critical role in all systems where they occur, from regulating transport of energy and species, to dictating system shape and form. Interfaces differ in their structure and properties from the bulk matter they surround. I note here the famous quote of Wolfgang Pauli that “God made bulk (materials) but surfaces are the work of the devil”. Interfaces are of course of critical importance in small scale systems and even more so as we move toward nanoscales, where their proportion in a given system increases dramatically and their effect dominates system behaviour.

In this lecture I will primarily focus on liquid/gas and liquid/solid interfaces as they manifest themselves in simple systems, such as small droplets and nanoparticles, in particular when they are at a metastable thermodynamic state or under the regulated influence of an external field (gravitational, acoustic, electric or electromagnetic), showing in parallel novel applications deriving from understanding their physics.  

First, I will address the spontaneous removal of discrete condensed matter from surfaces, of importance in nature and in a broad range of technologies, e.g. self-cleaning, anti-icing, and condensation. The understanding of phenomena leading to such behavior, combined with rational micro/nano surface texture design promoting their manifestation, remain a challenge. I will show how water droplets resting on superhydrophobic surfaces in a low-pressure environment can self-remove through sudden spontaneous levitation and subsequent trampoline-like bouncing behavior, i.e. sequential droplet-substrate collisions with restitution coefficients greater than unity, despite complete surface rigidity, seemingly violating the second law of thermodynamics. Due to the high-vaporization rates experienced by droplets, and the inherently associated significant cooling, freezing from a metastable state can occur. I will show how increasing vaporization —triggered suddenly by metastable state freezing— has a strong boosting effect and can spontaneously remove surface icing (by levitating or even launching away generated icy drops/particles) the moment they freeze. This work exemplifies how surface texturing aware of such interfacial phenomena alone, can prohibit water droplet retention on surfaces, also when they freeze.

Next, a remarkably simple process for the maskless direct printing of nanoparticles of all kinds, through electrohydrodynamic “NanoDrip” printing of colloidal nanodroplets will be presented and the related interfacial physics and transport phenomena leading to the tunable formation of in- and out-of-plane functional nanostructures as single entities or large arrays will be explained.  A host of applications enabled by NanoDrip printing will be discussed, ranging from plasmonics, driven by single photon emitters (quantum dots, or even precisely printed single organic molecules) to the printing of transparent conductive grids and to tracking force microscopy (TFM) methods for cells with unprecedented facility and resolution.

Finally, I will discuss the controllable manipulation of biological and synthetic nanoscopic species in liquids at the ultimate single object resolution (biological quantum level), important to many fields such as biology, medicine, physics, chemistry and nanoengineering. I will present the concept of electrokinetic nanovalving, with which we confine and guide single biological nano-objects in a liquid, solely based on spatiotemporal tailoring of the free energy landscape guiding the motion. The electric field generating this energy landscape is readily modulated collaboratively by wall nanotopography and by addressable embedded nanoelectrodes in a nanochannel. I will demonstrate guiding, confining, releasing and sorting of biological nano-objects, ranging from macromolecules to adenoviruses, but also a broad palette of other nano-objects such as lipid vesicles, dielectric and metallic particles, of various sizes and inherent charges, suspended in electrolytes with to biological buffer solution levels. Such systems can enable individual handling of multiple entities as well as simultaneously obtaining accurate information of the properties of their such as electrical conductivity and permittivity, in applications ranging from chemical or biochemical synthesis to precise drug delivery, in a continuous lab-on-chip environment with biological quantum level resolution.


Bio: Professor Dimos Poulikakos holds the Chair of Thermodynamics at ETH Zurich, where in 1996 he founded the Laboratory of Thermodynamics in Emerging Technologies in the Institute of Energy Technology. He served as the Vice President of Research of ETH Zurich in the period 2005-2007. Professor Poulikakos was the ETH director of the IBM-ETH Binnig-Rohrer Nanotechnology center, a unique private-public partnership in nanotechnology at the interface of basic research and future oriented applications (2008-2011). He served as the Head of the Mechanical and Process Engineering Department at ETH Zurich (2011-2014). He is currently the Chairperson of the Energy Science Center of ETH Zurich and a member of CORE, the advisory board of the Swiss government on issues related to energy. As of January 2020, he is also the president of Division IV the of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) and member of the presiding board of SNF.

His research is in the area of interfacial transport phenomena, thermodynamics and related materials nanoengineering, with a host of related applications. The focus is on understanding the related physics, in particular at the micro- and nanoscales and employing this knowledge to the development of novel technologies. Specific current examples of application areas are the direct 2D and 3D printing of complex liquids and colloids with nanoscale feature size and resolution, the science-based design of supericephobic and omniphobic surfaces, the chip/transistor-level, bio-inspired 3D integrated cooling of supercomputer electronics, the development of facile methods based on plasmonics for sunlight management and the development of nanofluidic technologies and surface textures for biological applications under realistic fluidic environments (accelerated and guided cell adhesion, re-endothelialization, antifibrotic surface textures and materials, single virus trapping and transport).

Among the awards and recognitions he has received for his contributions are the White House/NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award in 1985, the Pi Tau Sigma Gold Medal in 1986, the Society of Automotive Engineers Ralph R. Teetor Award in 1986, the University of Illinois Scholar Award in 1986 and the Reviewer of the Year Award for the ASME Journal of Heat Transfer in 1995. He is the recipient of the 2000 James Harry Potter Gold Medal of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He was a Russell S. Springer Professor of the Mechanical Engineering Department of the University of California at Berkeley (2003) and the Hawkins Memorial Lecturer of Purdue University in 2004. He received the Heat Transfer Memorial Award for Science in 2003 from ASME. In 2008 he was a visiting Fellow at Oxford University and a distinguished visitor at the University of Tokyo.  He is the recipient of the 2009 Nusselt-Reynolds Prize of the World Assembly of Heat Transfer and Thermodynamics conferences (awarded every four years), for his scientific contributions. He is the 2012 recipient of the Max Jacob Award, for eminent scholarly achievement and distinguished leadership in the field of fluidics and heat transfer. Awarded annually to a scholar jointly by (ASME) and (AIChE), the Max Jacob Award is the highest honor in the field of thermofluidics these professional organizations bestow. He was presented with the Outstanding Engineering Alumnus Award of the University of Colorado in Boulder in 2012. He received the Dr.h.c. of the National Technical University of Athens in 2006. In 2008 he was elected to the Swiss National Academy of Engineering (SATW), where from 2012 to 2015 he also served as president of its science board.


Note: The Seminar Series is eligible for ECTS credits in the EDMI doctoral program

Note: After the lecture, there will be time for discussion and interaction with the distinguished speaker, sandwich lunch and refreshments sponsored by the Institute of Microengineering will be provided for attendees in front of the lecture hall (BM 5104, ca. 13h15)

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Prof. Nathan Swami, University of Virginia, USA

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)


Abstract:

Bio:
Nathan Swami is a Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA. His group seeks to develop electrically functional microfluidic devices and instrumentation for label-free manipulation, sorting and cytometry of biosystems, for applications in biomolecular sensing, in vitro disease modeling and integrative tissue regeneration. Some of the chief enablers in his group include: (1) soft imprint lithography for 3D patterning of biodegradable scaffolds towards patterning cellular interactions for enabling tissue regeneration; (2) electrochemical analysis in microfluidic and droplet systems for biomolecular sensing; and (3) label-free impedance and deformability-based sorting and cytometry of biosystems. Prior to University of Virginia, he served on the scientific staff of the MEMS & Microfluidics group at Motorola Labs and prior to that, he served as a Scientist at Clinical Microsensors, Inc., a Caltech start-up interfacing microelectronics to bio-analysis. He seeks to impact emerging biomanufacturing approaches, as well as detection systems within point-of-care and resource-poor settings for personalizing medical decisions
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Roland Tormey

Comment évaluer les étudiants de façon valide et objective en mesurant notamment s'ils ont atteint les acquis de formation visées.

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Prof. Bert Meijer, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands

The intriguing prospects of molecular electronics, nanotechnology, biomaterials, and the aim to close the gap between synthetic and biological molecular systems are important ingredients to study the cooperative action of molecules in the assembly towards functional supramolecular materials and systems. The design and synthesis of well-defined supramolecular architectures requires a balanced choice between covalent and non-covalent synthesis of the different fragments. For synthetic chemists, the non-covalent synthesis of these supramolecular architectures is regarded as one of the most challenging objectives in science: How far can we push chemical self-assembly and can we get control over the kinetic instabilities of the non-covalent architectures made? Moreover the increasing number of different components in the assembly processes increases the complexity of the system, as many competing events occur and pathway selection is needed. Mastering this complexity with a combination of experiments and simulations is a prerequisite to achieve the challenges set in creating functional materials and systems. In the lecture we illustrate our approach using a number of examples out of our own laboratories, with the aim to come to new strategies for multi-step non-covalent synthesis of functional supramolecular materials and systems.
Bio: E.W. “Bert” Meijer is Distinguished University Professor in the Molecular Sciences, Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Eindhoven University of Technology and co-director of the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems. After receiving his PhD degree at the University of Groningen with Hans Wynberg, he worked for 10 years in industry (Philips and DSM). In 1991 he was appointed in Eindhoven, while in the meantime he has held part-time positions in Nijmegen, Mainz, and Santa Barbara, CA. Bert Meijer is a member of many editorial advisory boards, including Advanced Materials and the Journal of the American Chemical Society. Bert Meijer has received a number of awards, including the Spinoza Award in 2001, the ACS Award for Polymer Chemistry in 2006, the AkzoNobel Science Award 2010, the International Award of the Society of Polymer Science Japan in 2011, the Cope Scholar Award of the ACS in 2012, the Prelog Medal in 2014, the Nagoya Gold Medal in 2017 and the Chirality Medal in 2018. He is a member of a number of academies and societies, including the Royal Netherlands Academy of Science, where he is appointed to Academy Professor in 2014.

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Prof. Serhiy Yarusevych, Fluid Mechanics Research Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo

Abstract:
A brief overview of ongoing and recent research projects in the Fluid Mechanics Research Laboratory will be presented first. These projects include experimental investigations of airfoil performance in low Reynolds number flows, flows over complex cylindrical geometries common to mechanical systems and civil structures, energy harvesting from vortical structures, flow induced vibrations, and flow control.
The main presentation will focus on separating-reattaching flows on airfoils and their response to forcing. Recent advancements in small and medium scale wind turbines as well as unmanned aerial vehicles brought about an increased interest in airfoil operation at low chord Reynolds numbers (below about 500,000). Airfoil performance in this domain of Reynolds numbers differs significantly from that common to high Reynolds number flows. In particular, a laminar boundary layer on the suction side of the airfoil often separates even at low angles of attack, which detrimentally affects airfoil performance. The severity of airfoil performance degradation depends significantly on separated shear layer development. The shear layer is inherently unstable and undergoes transition to turbulence downstream of separation, which can lead to flow reattachment and the formation of a separation bubble. Recent results from a series of experimental studies will be presented to provide a new outlook on the attendant bubble dynamics and the response of such flows to controlled excitation.

Bio:
Dr. Serhiy Yarusevych received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto in 2006. Since 2006, he has been directing the Fluid Mechanics Research Laboratory in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University ofWaterloo, Canada. His research is focused on fluid mechanics and its multidisciplinary applications in engineering, including operation of airfoils at low Reynolds numbers, flows over bluff bodies, free shear flows, flow induced vibrations and noise, laminar-to-turbulent transition, and flow control.
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Invited speakers: Georgia Konstantinidou, University of Bern    /    Markus Stoffel, ETH Zurich    /    8 short talks will be selected from submitted abstracts

This symposium is organised by students and post-docs of the network, for their peers (i.e. you!). Up to 8 abstracts will be selected to establish the program and the not-selected will fill up the poster session. Two invited speakers will open respectively the morning and afternoon session.
This year the symposium will be held at EPFL, in room SV1717.
Invited speakers:

• Georgia Konstantinidou, University of Bern
• Markus Stoffel, ETH Zurich

8 short talks will be selected from submitted abstracts.

Prizes for best poster and best oral presentation.

Deadline for abstract submission: 05.04.2020
Deadline for registration only: 19.04.2020

Participation will be likely recognized by the Federation of Swiss Cantonal Veterinary Office as a half day of ongoing training (demand is being processed).
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Prof. Kam Leong, Columbia University, USA

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)


Abstract:


Bio:
Prof. Leong received a BS in chemical engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.  He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Editor-in-Chief of Biomaterials. 
 
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Prof. Olli Ikkala, Aalto University, Finland


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Dr. Michel Despont

Abstract: The integration of microsystems and, in particular, of MEMS devices continues to be a key element of many high technology application areas. If the devices themselves are crucial elements for innovation, their integration in a complete microsystem are essential for their successful commercialization. Hence development of 3D integration and packaging technologies are of the upmost importance. At CSEM we develop new solutions for wafer level hybridization and packaging solutions to respond to the demand of the industry active in microsystem technology. An overview of the packaging and hybridization technology will be presented along with some concrete examples such are biocompatible hermetic packaging for active implant, wafer level gas cell for atomic clock, wafer level hybridization for complex micromechanical components, heterogeneous integration of microdevices at wafer level, MEMS integration on soft micromodule.

Bio: Dr. Michel Despont received a Ph.D. in physics from the Institute of Microtechnology, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland, in 1996. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the IBM Research - Zurich laboratory in 1996, he spent one year as a visiting scientist at the Seiko Instrument Research Laboratory in Japan. In 2005, he was appointed manager and led the nanofabrication group at IBM Research – Zurich Laboratory. Since 2013, Dr Despont is currently employed by the Swiss Centre of Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM) as Vice-President of the MEMS program and manager of the Emerging Micro&Nano Technologies section in the Micro&Nano Systems division.

CSEM Website.

This seminar is part of the Master's class MICRO534, Advanced MEMS and Microsystems, and is open to the informed public.

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Siara Isaac

Explore ways to design lab experiments that help students develop a scientific approach which is transferable to real world complexity.
 

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L’EPFL Racing Team, membre des projets MAKE, est heureuse de vous convier à la présentation de sa nouvelle voiture qui participera aux compétitions de l’été 2020. Lors de cette soirée, l’association de Formula Student EPFL vous dévoilera sa seconde voiture, une voiture électrique devenue plus performante et légère. Divers intervenants feront leur apparaissions dont notre CTO qui interviendra sur les choix techniques lors de la construction.
Pour en apprendre davantage sur notre nouvelle conception et vous laissez le temps de poser des questions, un apéritif sera offert en fin de présentation.


N’hésitez pas à nous suivre sur les réseaux sociaux ou sur notre site officiel https://lausanneracingteam.ch/
 

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Prof. Yvonne Y. Chen, UCLA, USA

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)


Abstract:

Bio:
Yvonne earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University and her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology. She received postdoctoral training at the Center for Childhood Cancer Research within the Seattle Children’s Research Institute, and at the Department of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School. Yvonne was a Junior Fellow in the Harvard Society of Fellows prior to joining the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2013. Dr. Chen has been a recipient of the NIH Director’s Early Independence Award, the ACGT Young Investigator Award in Cell and Gene Therapy for Cancer, the NSF CAREER Award, the Mark Foundation Emerging Leader Award, and the Cancer Research Institute’s Lloyd J. Old STAR Award. Yvonne is also a Member Researcher in the Parker Institute for Cancer
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Dr Soraia Pimenta, Imperial College London, UK

High-performance discontinuous composites (also known as tow-based discontinuous composites (TBDCs), advanced-SMCs, or randomly-oriented strands) are composed by chopped carbon-fibre tows randomly oriented and distributed in a polymeric matrix. This discontinuous and random microstructure allows components with complex 3D shapes to be moulded using fully automated processes, with processing times down to a few minutes. In addition, the tow-based microstructure allows these materials to achieve a high content of carbon fibres (up to 60% in volume) and, consequently, to achieve good mechanical properties. Due to this combination of manufacturability and high-performance, TBDCs are now being used to manufacture lightweight (semi-)structural components in the aeronautics, automotive and sports industries.
While the multi-scale nature of the microstructure of TBDCs (reinforced at both the tow- and fibre-levels) is key for their unique combination of manufacturability and performance, it also creates two challenges for the effective use of these materials. Firstly, it widens the design space of the material, since its mechanical properties are dictated not only by the fibre and matrix types, but also by the dimensions of the tows. Secondly, the large dimensions of the tows (up to 50 mm long and 20 mm wide) lead to significant variability of local mechanical properties (e.g. stiffness and strength) from one point of a component to another; this makes TBDCs extremely damage tolerant, but it also complicates structural design.
This talk will address these two challenges through a combination of experiments and modelling. Regarding the first challenge, we have experimentally characterised the mechanical response of TBDCs with a range of material microstructures, to assess the effect of tow geometry and preferential orientation on the properties of the composite; we show that the thickness (or filament count) of the tows has a very significant impact on performance, with thicker tows leading to a knock-down on both strength and stiffness. We also propose computationally-efficient models which can be used to perform virtual experiments, identify optimal material microstructures, and support the development of improved materials.
Regarding the second challenge, we have characterised the damage tolerance of TBDCs using a combination of unnotched and notched specimens; we show that the fracture toughness of TBDCs can be higher than that of continuous-fibre composites. Moreover, notched specimens present no reduction in load-bearing capacity (compared to unnotched specimens), and often fail away from the notch; this makes TBDCs the ultimate “damage tolerant” material, but makes it difficult to predict the behaviour of structures with complex geometries. We overcome this challenge by proposing a stochastic framework based on Finite Element (FE) Monte-Carlo simulations, which accounts for the spatial variability of local mechanical properties of TBDCs, and uses non-local homogenisation criteria to predict failure in a mesh-independent way.
Bio: Dr Soraia Pimenta obtained her PhD from Imperial College London in 2013, and she is now a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Soraia’s research interests include developing accurate and efficient models for the mechanical response of composites, and promoting a new generation of easy-to-manufacture, damage tolerant and sustainable materials. Soraia won the SAMPE Schliekelmann Award in 2009, the International Committee for Composite Materials Tsai Award in 2011, the Japan Society for Composite Materials Hayashi Memorial International Award in 2015, and the Imperial College President’s Medal for Outstanding Early Career Researcher in 2015. She has also been a Research Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering since 2015.
 

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Prof. Dr. Sorin Voinigescu
University of Toronto

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture

Campus Lausanne BM 5202 (live)
Campus Microcity MC B0 302 (video)
Zoom Live Stream: https://epfl.zoom.us/j/682338354

Abstract: Universal quantum processors (QPs) “can now perform computations in a Hilbert space of dimension 2⁵³ ≈ 9 × 10¹⁵, beyond the reach of the fastest classical supercomputers available today.” Despite reaching this crucial milestone, they remain expensive, difficult-to-scale, room-size, laboratory devices that operate at extremely low temperature, require many hours of tweaking before use, and can only run simple quantum algorithms of limited practical use. Their core building block, the qubit, is based on exotic superconducting Josephson-junction technology and is controlled by racks of electronic equipment connected through long coaxial cables. For the next phase of QP development where real-world problems can be solved, solutions must be found to ensure QP (i) scalability to millions of qubits, (ii) high fidelity (accuracy), (iii) reliability, (iv) low-cost, low-variability, high-yield volume manufacturing, and (v) ease and speed of testability.
To address the scalability, reliability, and manufacturing challenges, we propose to use the minimum-size transistor of production CMOS technology as the quantum processor qubit. This was not possible in the past due to large transistor dimensions but has become feasible in 22nm (Fully-Depleted Silicon on Insulator) FDSOI CMOS. The prospect of cheap quantum information processing in “plain old CMOS” is potentially revolutionary, since most other alternative proposals require fairly exotic technologies that lack scalability, high yield, reliability and low variability, and are difficult to interface with classical processors. It takes advantage of the the natural progression of Moore's law to nanoscale dimensions and the transition from classical to quantum MOSFET behaviour.
This presentation will discuss the fundamental concepts and the feasibility of high-temperature (2-12 K) quantum processors, based on heterostructure Si_1-xGe_x/Si_1-yGe_y hole-spin qubits, monolithically integrated with control and readout electronics in commercial 22nm FDSOI CMOS technology. These temperatures, while still low, are 100 times higher than those of current competing quantum processors. Operation temperature is important because the QP is placed in a cryostat whose thermal lift (capacity to remove heat) increases exponentially with temperature.  Monolithic integration improves quantum processor fidelity, allows for scalability and ease of testability, reduces power consumption and cost, and improves manufacturability, yield and reliability.
The beneficial aspects of the SiGe channel hole-spin qubit will be emphasized in comparison with its silicon-only electron-spin counterpart. It will also be shown that, at 2-12 K, MOSFETs and cascodes can be operated as quantum dots in the subthreshold region, while behaving as classical MOSFETs and cascodes in the saturation region, suitable for qubits and mm-wave mixed-signal processing circuits, respectively.
Irrespective of the qubit technology, the development of large quantum processors is limited by the power consumption and associated heat dissipation of the analog-mixed-signal control and readout electronics and by the challenge of interconnecting such a large number of qubits with the control electronics. By developing elevated-temperature qubits, the heat dissipation constraints on the co-integrated or co-located control electronics and on the cryostat thermal lift are relieved, thus allowing for the integration of more complex quantum processors.
However, elevated-temperature qubits require higher-frequency spin control electronics, in the upper millimetre-wave and even THz frequency range. The design of low-power millimetre-wave spin manipulation electronic circuits will also be covered.  Finally, I will present measurements for full technology characterization at cryogenic temperatures up to 67 GHz and describe a methodology for cryogenic mm-wave control electronics design based on room-temperature transistor models.

Bio: Sorin P. Voinigescu is a Professor  in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Toronto where he holds the Stanley Ho Chair in Microelectronics and is the Director of the VLSI Research Group. He is an IEEE Fellow and an expert on millimeter-wave and 100+Gb/s integrated circuits and atomic-scale semiconductor device technologies. He obtained his  PhD degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto in 1994 and his  M.Sc Degree in Electronics and Telecommunications from the Politechnical Institute of Bucharest in 1984.

Note: The Seminar Series is eligible for ECTS credits in the EDMI doctoral program

Note: After the lecture, there will be time for discussion and interaction with the distinguished speaker, sandwich lunch and refreshments sponsored by the Institute of Microengineering will be provided for attendees in front of the lecture hall (BM 5104, ca. 13h15)

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Prof. Karla Neugebauer, Yale School of Medicine, USA

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)


Abstract:

Bio:

• 2001 – 2013 Research Group Leader, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, Germany
• 1999-2001 Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, WA
• 1998-1999 Staff Scientist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle WA
• 1996-1997 Postdoc at EMBL in Heidelberg Germany
• 1991-1996 Postdoc at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle WA

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Prof. Deb Kelly, Penn State Cancer Institute, USA

Deparment of Biomedical Engineering; Center for Structural Oncology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA 16802, USA

Biomedical research improves our understanding of human health and disease through the development of new technologies. High-resolution imaging is one technology that is transforming our view of the nanoworld – permitting us to study cells and molecules in exquisite detail. Structural information of dynamic components, however, reveals only an instant of their complex narrative.

Recent advances in the production of materials such as graphene and silicon nitride provide new opportunities for EM imaging in real-time. We use these materials to create environmental chambers and perform experiments in situ, or “inside”, the EM column. Together, with microfluidic technology, we can now view biological processes in a native liquid environment at the nanoscale. Other recent applications of in situ imaging include real-time recordings of nanoparticle therapies interacting with cancer stem cells and changes in the molecular intricacies of viral pathogens. These results complement our ongoing cryo-EM studies on tumor suppressor proteins as we strive to analyze molecular events with high spatial and temporal resolution.

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute [R01CA193578, R01CA227261, and R01CA219700 to D.F.K.].
Bio: Deb Kelly completed her PhD in Molecular Biophysics at Florida State University and her post-doctoral training in Structural Biology at Harvard Medical School. During these pursuits, she developed technical breakthroughs in the field of cryo-EM that are now being used by the in situ TEM community. As interest in situ TEM has skyrocketed in recent years, the Kelly team has been on the leading-edge of adapting this technology for biomedical applications, in particular cancer research. Dr. Kelly is currently a professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University, where the holds the Lloyd and Dottie Foehr Huck Chair in Molecular Biophysics and directs the Center for Structural Oncology (CSO). The CSO focuses on combating the molecular culprits that fuel human cancer while revealing the hidden enemies that cancer cells use to outsmart modern medicine. 
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Various speakers

June 2 to 12, 2020 – Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Highlights in Microtechnology (HIM) summer course is a training program, offering a unique opportunity to experience two weeks of high-level teaching, on topics at the heart of microtechnology.
The course is part of EPFL’s doctoral program, but is open to students coming from other universities and other countries.
Written exam on June 18th.
 
Supported by the doctoral programs:
EDRS Robotics, Control and Intelligent Systems
EDPO Photonics
EDMI Microsystems and Microelectronics
EDAM Manufacturing
 

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Prof. Dr. Anne Ladegaard Skov,
Technical University of Denmark, DTU

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture

Campus Lausanne BM 5202 (live)
Campus Microcity MC B0 302 (video)
Zoom Live Stream: https://epfl.zoom.us/j/927149523

Abstract: Soft robotics put a demand forward for softer and softer materials with mechanical integrity and stability over time. Hydrogels are natural candidates with respect to the softness and to some extent with respect to the mechanical integrity, but over time, hydrogels change properties due to the change of water content. Silicone elastomers are the excellent for soft robotics due to their inherent softness, mechanical integrity and stability both with respect to temperature (between -100 and 300◦C) and deformation (mechanical stability for more than 100 mio cycles is not uncommon). However, silicone elastomers are challenged with demands of elastic moduli below ~500 kPa. Various network structures have been made to decrease the elastic moduli beyond the natural lower limit arising from the elastic response from entanglements. Amongst these structures are slide-ring elastomers, bottlebrush elastomers, and a completely novel type of elastomer where the origin of elasticity is currently not understood. The pros and cons of these network synthesis methods and the resulting properties will be discussed in this talk.

Bio: Anne Ladegaard Skov is a professor of polymer science and engineering specialising in design and utilization of silicone elastomers in the Danish Polymer Centre at Department of Chemical Engineering, DTU. She holds a PhD in polymer physics from DTU. She was a research fellow at Cambridge University, UK, before taking up a position as assistant professor at DTU. She has headed the Danish Polymer Centre sinde 2016. In 2018 she was promoted to full professor. She has worked with functionalisation and formulation of silicone elastomers with main focus on silicone elastomers used and optimised for dielectric elastomers and more recently for flexible electronics and drug delivery amongst others.


Note: The Seminar Series is eligible for ECTS credits in the EDMI doctoral program

Note: After the lecture, there will be time for discussion and interaction with the distinguished speaker, sandwich lunch and refreshments sponsored by the Institute of Microengineering will be provided for attendees in front of the lecture hall (BM 5104, ca. 13h15)

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Prof. Dr. Donhee Ham,
Harvard University

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture

Campus Lausanne BM 5202 (live)
Campus Microcity MC B0 302 (video)
Zoom Live Stream: https://epfl.zoom.us/j/934241343

Abstract: Massively parallel, intracellular recording of a large number of mammalian neurons across a network has been a great technological pursuit in neurobiology, but it has not been achieved until our recent breakthrough [1]. For example, the intracellular recording by the patch clamp revolutionized neurobiology with its unparalleled sensitivity that can measure down to subthreshold synaptic activities, but it is too bulky to scale into a dense array, and only ~10 parallel patch recordings have so far been possible. For another example, the microelectrode array (MEA) can record from many more neurons, but this extracellular technique has too low a sensitivity to tap into synaptic events. In this talk, I will share the recent breakthrough of ours [1], a CMOS nanoelectrode array that massively parallelizes the intracellular recording from thousands of connected mammalian neurons. I will also explore the applications of this unprecedented tool in fundamental and applied neurobiology, in particular, functional connectome mapping, high-throughput drug screening for neurological disorder, and copying biological neuronal networks as a possible new synthesis of machine intelligence.

[1] J. Abbott et al, “A nanoelectrode array for obtaining intracellular recordings from thousands of connected neurons,”  Nature Biomed. Eng., doi: 10.1038/s41551-019-0455-7 (2019)

Bio: Donhee Ham is Gordon McKay Professor of Applied Physics and EE at Harvard and Samsung Fellow. He earned a BS in physics from Seoul National University. Following a military service, he went to Caltech for graduate training, where he worked in LIGO under Prof. Barry Barish in physics, and later obtained a PhD in EE winning the Wilts Prize for the best EE thesis. His experiences/recognitions include IBM T. J. Watson Research, distinguished visiting professorship at Seoul National University, IEEE conference committees (e.g., ISSCC), distinguished lecturer for IEEE SSC Society, associate editor for IEEE TBioCAS, IBM faculty fellowship, and MIT TR35. His intellectual focus includes neuro-electronic interface, neuromorphic processor, low-dimensional and quantum devices, NMR technology, and integrated circuits.


Note: The Seminar Series is eligible for ECTS credits in the EDMI doctoral program

Note: After the lecture, there will be time for discussion and interaction with the distinguished speaker, sandwich lunch and refreshments sponsored by the Institute of Microengineering will be provided for attendees in front of the lecture hall (BM 5104, ca. 13h15)

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Prof. Dr. Allard Mosk,
Utrecht University

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture

Campus Lausanne BM 5202 (live)
Campus Microcity MC B0 302 (video)
Zoom Live Stream: https://epfl.zoom.us/j/119888136

Abstract: Random scattering of light, which takes place in paper, paint and biological tissue is an obstacle to imaging and focusing of light and thus hampers applications ranging from laser ablation to precision measurements. At the same time scattering is a phenomenon of basic physical interest as it allows the study of fascinating interference effects such as open transport channels [1,2], which enable lossless transport of waves through strongly scattering materials. The frequency bandwidth of these channels [3] is critical to their usefulness as it determines their ability to carry pulses and their information-carrying capacity. After a broad overview of the field, we present new measurements of the frequency bandwidth and intensity fluctuations in these channels. Moreover, we show that  optimizing the incident light wave is essential to  extract precise information about the position of any scatterer. The information we retrieve turns out to be limited by our knowledge of the position of the other scatterers and the local density of states [5].

Bio: Allard Mosk (1970) started his physics career in ultracold atomic gases with work in Amsterdam (Ph.D. 1994), Heidelberg, and Paris, performing the first observation of a Feshbach resonance in Li, and of photoassociation of H. In 2003 he joined the Complex Photonic Systems group at the University of Twente. where he pioneered wavefront shaping methods to focus and image through strongly scattering media. Since 2015 he holds a chair at Utrecht University, The Netherlands, where he studies statistical properties of light in complex scattering media with a view on imaging and optical precision measurements.

Note: The Seminar Series is eligible for ECTS credits in the EDMI doctoral program

Note: After the lecture, there will be time for discussion and interaction with the distinguished speaker, sandwich lunch and refreshments sponsored by the Institute of Microengineering will be provided for attendees in front of the lecture hall (BM 5104, ca. 13h15)

References:

1. A. P. Mosk, A. Lagendijk, G. Lerosey, and M. Fink, Controlling waves in space and time for imaging and focusing in complex media, Nat. Photon., 6, 283 (2012).
2. I.M. Vellekoop and A.P. Mosk, Universal optimal transmission of light through disordered materials, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 120601 (2008).
3. Jeroen Bosch, Sebastianus A. Goorden, and Allard P. Mosk, Frequency width of open channels in multiple scattering media, Opt. Expr. 24, 26472-26478 (2016)
4. X. Xu, X. Xie, A. Thendiyammal, H. Zhuang, J. Xie, Y. Liu, J. Zhou, and A. P. Mosk, Imaging of objects through a thin scattering layer using a spectrally and spatially separated reference, Opt. Express 26 (12), 15073–15083 (2018).
5. D. F. Bouchet, R. Carminati, and A. P. Mosk, Influence of the local density of states on the localization precision of single particles in scattering environments, arXiv. org 1909.02501 (2019).

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Prof. Dr. Alberto Salleo,
Stanford University

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture

Campus Lausanne BM 5202 (live)
Campus Microcity MC B0 302 (video)
Zoom Live Stream: https://epfl.zoom.us/j/843927942

Abstract: Organic semiconductors have been traditionally developed for making low-cost and flexible transistors, solar cells and light-emitting diodes. In the last few years, emerging applications in health case and bioelectronics have been proposed. A particularly interesting class of materials in this application area takes advantage of mixed ionic and electronic conduction in certain semiconducting polymers. Indeed, the ability to transduce ionic fluxes into electrical currents is useful when interacting with living matter or bodily fluids. My presentation will first discuss the fundamental aspects of how mixed conduction works in polymeric materials and show some applications in biosensing. The bulk of my talk will focus on polymer-based artificial synapses.
The brain can perform massively parallel information processing while consuming only ~1- 100 fJ per synaptic event. I will describe a novel electrochemical neuromorphic device that switches at record-low energy (<0.1 fJ projected, <10 pJ measured) and voltage (< 1mV, measured), displays >500 distinct, non-volatile conductance states within a ~1 V operating range. Furthermore, it achieves record classification accuracy when implemented in neural network simulations. Our organic neuromorphic device works by combining ionic (protonic) and electronic conduction and is essentially similar to a concentration battery. The main advantage of this device is that the barrier for state retention is decoupled from the barrier for changing states, allowing for the extremely low switching voltages while maintaining non-volatility. Our synapses display outstanding speed (<20 ns) and endurance achieving over 10⁹ switching events with very little degradation all the way to high temperature (up to 120°C). These properties, which are unheard of in the realm of organic semiconcuctors, are very promising in terms of the ability to integrate with Si electronics to demonstrate online learning and inference. When connected to an appropriate access device our device exhibits excellent linearity, which is an important consideration for neural networks that learn with blind updates.

Bio: Alberto Salleo is currently Full Professor of Materials Science and Department Chair at Stanford University. Alberto Salleo holds a Laurea degree in Chemistry from La Sapienza and graduated as a Fulbright Fellow with a PhD in Materials Science from UC Berkeley in 2001. From 2001 to 2005 Salleo was first post-doctoral research fellow and successively member of research staff at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center. In 2005 Salleo joined the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Stanford as an Assistant Professor in 2006. Salleo is a Principal Editor of MRS Communications since 2011.While at Stanford, Salleo won the NSF Career Award, the 3M Untenured Faculty Award, the SPIE Early Career Award, the Tau Beta Pi Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award, and the Gores Award for Excellence in Teaching, Stanford’s highest teaching award. He has been a Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher since 2015, recognizing that he ranks in the top 1% cited researchers in his field.

Note: The Seminar Series is eligible for ECTS credits in the EDMI doctoral program

Note: After the lecture, there will be time for discussion and interaction with the distinguished speaker, sandwich lunch and refreshments sponsored by the Institute of Microengineering will be provided for attendees in front of the lecture hall (BM 5104, ca. 13h15)

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Prof. Dr. Martin Kaltenbrunner
Johannes Kepler University Linz

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture

Campus Lausanne BM 5202 (live)
Campus Microcity MC B0 302 (video)
Zoom Live Stream:

Abstract:

Bio:

Note: The Seminar Series is eligible for ECTS credits in the EDMI doctoral program

Note: After the lecture, there will be time for discussion and interaction with the distinguished speaker, sandwich lunch and refreshments sponsored by the Institute of Microengineering will be provided for attendees in front of the lecture hall (BM 5104, ca. 13h15)

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