The Board of NWO Domain Science has awarded four researchers of Applied Sciences in the NWO Open Competition Domain Science – XS. Xiaozhou Ma, Dimphna Meijer, Caroline Paul and Toeno van der Sar will all receive 50.000 euros for their various projects.

A voltage keeper for cryo-EM - Dr. D.H.M. Meijer, Bionanoscience
A key hallmark of neurons, the primary cells in our brain, is the electrical signal that they transmit, also known as action potential. These electrical signals run through neuronal networks formed by communicating molecules. It remains unclear how individual molecules interact to facilitate transmission of action potentials. Here, the researchers will study the action potential on the molecular scale, using a combination of synthetic nanobiology and structural biology. The newly developed in vitro bottom-up assay will aid in finding novel therapies for severe neurological disorders that affect health and quality of life worldwide.

“Slow magnons” – slowing down magnetic waves to the pace of a Sunday driver - Dr. T. van der Sar, TUD
Twenty-one years ago, researchers shot a laser into a cloud of atoms prepared in a quantum state and observed that the speed of light was brought to a crawl – a fundamental discovery that sparked a field aimed at using ‘slow light’ in logic switches and memories. The goal of the proposed project is to realize the magnetic analogue of slow light: “slow magnons”. Magnons are waves in magnets that can carry signals on chips without the heat production of electric currents. Slowing their velocity to a stopping pace would be a fundamental breakthrough with potential applications in information technology.

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