The ENSIGN Consortium
The ENSIGN consortium consists of 23 internationally recognised research institutions from 14 countries from across Europe, USA, Australia, Japan and China.
The Coordinator
Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center
Aarhus University, Denmark
Aarhus University is a dynamic, modern and highly international university. Since its founding in 1928, it has grown to become a leading public university with international impact and reach across the entire research spectrum. The interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) is a collaboration between research groups in Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, and Department of Bioscience of the Faculty of Health of Aarhus University, and groups from the Faculty of Engineering and Science of Aalborg University. iNANO commands a variety of facilities for the synthesis of nanostructured/ nano-patterned materials. These include: equipment for electrospinning, photo- and electron beam-lithography, nanoparticle synthesis (supercritical synthesis), solid-phase peptide synthesis. iNANO investigates novel nano-materials. State-of-the-art SPM techniques have been developed for the studies. Another focusing area is understanding and controlling self-assembly of nano-structures.
Primary contact: Mingdong Dong, Professor at the Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, AU.
Contact: [email protected]
Beneficiaries
Division for Microrobotics and Control Engineering
Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Germany
The University of Oldenburg (UOld) is a young German research-led university which since its founding in 1973 has contributed to the economic and cultural advancement of Germany’s Northwest region. Strengthening the region as a centre of science and research is also the declared aim of its close cooperation with the University of Bremen. UOld is a centre of research with national and international appeal. All academic fields have developed concise criteria for excellence, organised according to quality, effectiveness, efficiency and originality and in compliance with international standards. The university creates space for scientific networking within the university and beyond. Interdisciplinarity and social responsibility are identity forming hallmarks of research in Oldenburg, which influence the advancement of methods and quality factors for this kind of research. Scientific networking also leads to an efficient transfer of research results into teaching. The ultimate goal of AMiR is the development of automated nanomanipulation approaches to address high-throughput fabrication and characterization of micro- and nanosystems. These activities include the investigation of application-specific nanohandling strategies; the investigation of suitable sensing technologies; the development of advanced control approaches; as well as the development of new nanohandling robots and tools. Especially the automated nanohandling inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the use of an atomic force microscope (AFM) as a nanorobot are very promising approaches.
Primary contact: Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Sergej Fatikow.
Contact: [email protected]
CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials
University of Aveiro, Portugal
The UAVR is a young university, founded in 1973, with over 15500 full-time students (Grad. And Post-graduation). The University has a strong research profile, a unique model of governance (16 Departments, 4 Polytechnic Schools and various training centre’s), acting as a regional network for education and training promoting strong links with the surrounding community and was a pioneer in launching degrees in new subject areas. CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials, is an Associated Laboratory of the University of Aveiro (UA) and joins some near 470 chemists, physicists and materials engineers making it the largest Portuguese Materials Science and Engineering (MS&E) institute (www.ciceco.ua.pt). Created in 2002, the institute has contributed to the development of scientific and technological knowledge necessary for the innovative production and transformation of materials, for a sustainable development and the benefit of society, (from ceramics to soft matter and hybrids).
Primary contact: Alexander Tselev, Principal Researcher at UAVR.
Contact: [email protected]
Department of Nanometrology
Politechnika Wrocławska (PWR), Poland
Wrocław University of Science and Technology was established in 1945, mainly as a result of the involvement of the academic staff of the now-defunct Technical University of Lviv and the Jan Kazimierz University in Lviv, who adapted the destroyed buildings of the German School of Technology – Technische Hochschule. Politechnika Wrocławska continues the tradition of these prominent Polish universities and develops in close cooperation with the leading companies of Lower Silesia. Politechnika Wrocławska is one of the largest and best technical universities in the country, one regularly ranked among the best in the national rankings. Department of Nanometrology is the only research group in Poland organized around comprehensive metrological studies of micro- and nanostructures, and has established the methodology for utilising close interaction microscopy, electron and ion microscopy associated with methods and techniques for measuring electrical, thermal, diffraction and optical properties.
Primary contact: Teodor Gotszalk, Professor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering.
Contact: [email protected]
Institute of Mechanics (IMech)
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
IMech, BAS is a scientific centre oriented on research and development in cutting-edge scientific and technological fields such as mechanics, robotics, mechatronics, biomechanics and related fields. Imech currently employs approximately 100 researchers organized in 6 departments comprising mechatronics and robotics, biomechanics, microfluidics, micro and nano mechanics related to the robotics with the special field of manufacturing and biomedical applications. Imech is involved in innovation and expert activities, as well as in exploitation and commercialization of research results through contract research with industry and the creation of start-ups. Imech is a leader in the theoretical and experimental investigations of the mechanical behaviour of robotic and human motion systems. Mechanical and Biomechanical studies promote the development of robotics, mechatronics, biomechanics, rehabilitation, ergonomics and sports. IMech has a large number of commercial agreements in various fields of industry, machine building, electrical industry, medicine, and sports. The Institute is co-founder of the virtual institute KMM-NoE with head-office in Brussels, the Gasmems Network and the innovative cluster “Mechatronics and Automation” on 2006. It is a part of the GRID-society in Bulgaria and participant in the EU GRID-project EGEE2.
Primary contact: Kostandin Kostadinov, Professor of Robotics, Mechatronics Dept.
Contact: [email protected]
Nano- and biophysics- laboratories
Dansk Fundamental Metrologi (DFM), Denmark
DFM A/S is Denmark’s National Metrology Institute (NMI), which provides a wide range of services to the industry and academia in areas related to metrology, accreditation, primary & reference standards. Moreover, DFM disseminates knowledge about metrology to companies and authorities, among other things through teaching and consulting services. As an NMI, DFM specializes in calibration and traceable measurements of SI (Système International d’Unités) standards such as length, mass, temperature, etc. Thus, DFM scientists provide expert characterization of the highest quality within a large pool of disciplines in which co-supervision of Postdocs, as well as PhD, MSc and BSc students are routinely undertaken. Two different DFM laboratories, namely nano-lab and biophysics-lab will be contributing to this project.
Primary contact: Husnu Aslan, senior scientist.
Contact: [email protected]
Department of physical and materials chemistry
University of Szeged (USZ), Hungary
The University of Szeged is one of the most prestigious Hungarian universities with 12 faculties and 21000 students originating from 115 countries. It is a research university meaning that high level innovative research activities strengthened with external national and international collaborations are carried out in fundamental science and in more applied disciplines. USZ’s research activities cover hundreds of research areas at 16 doctoral schools. The Chemistry Doctoral School contains 9 sub-programs and there are 55 PhD students enrolled in the graduate program at the moment. The relevant part of the research will be carried out at the Institute of Chemistry, which is a major contributor to the scientific profile, especially in (nano)materials science showing outstanding performance well above the national standard.
Primary contact: Istvan Szilagyi, Associate Professor, Leader of the Biocolloids Research Group.
Contact: [email protected]
Associated Partners
Johns Hopkins University (JHU)
University of Newcastle (UoN)
Monash University (MU)
Nagoya University (NU)
Tianjin University (TJU)
Changchun University of Science and Technology (CUST)
University of Bedfordshire (BED)
UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK (UoW)
Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH)
The University of Western Australia (UWA)
Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences (GDIM)
Koç University (KU)
Politecnico di Torino (POLITO)
Zhejiang University (ZU)
Central South University (CSU)