Events

The development of high energy density, long running rechargeable batteries like Li ion batteries, that power so successfully all mobile electronic devices, can be considered as the greatest success of modern electrochemistry. However, the basis for this success was the capability of exploring most complex electrodes, electrolyte solutions and reactive interfaces by most sophisticated electroanalytical tools in conjunction with advanced spectroscopic and microscopic was a first-rate leader in electroanalytical ז"ל techniques. Professor Israel Rubinstein chemistry. I learned a lot from him. The main theme of this presentation is to examine what is the true horizons for advanced high energy density batteries that can promote the electro-mobility revolution. The limiting factor in Li-ion batteries in terms of energy density, cost, potential, durability and cycling efficiency are the cathode materials used. We will examine most energetic cathode materials and novel approaches we developed for their stabilization. We describe in this lecture which electrode materials can be relevant, methodologies of their stabilization by doping, coating, and affecting electrodes surface chemistry by the use of active additives. Most important cathode materials are comprising the 5 elements Li,Ni,Co,Mn,O at different stoichiometries that determine voltage and specific capacities. We will explain how the stoichiometry dictates basic cathodes properties.1,2 We will discuss the renaissance of Li metal-based rechargeable batteries.3 We have learned how the stabilize Li metal anodes in rechargeable batteries using reactive electrolyte solutions that induce excellent passivation through controlled surface reactions. The emphasis is on fluorinated co-solvents that open the door for a very rich surface chemistry that forms passivating surface films that behave as ideal solid electrolyte interphase on both anodes and cathodes in advanced secondary Li batteries. This field provides fascinating examples how systematic basic scientific work leads to development of most practical devices for energy storage & conversion.

Our Laboratory focuses on research that drives technological, environmental and social change. It includes advanced technologies in the social aspect of environment management, embracing the complexity of the human-environment relationship, and physical model development for complex and non-trivial real-world problems in the era of climate change. Our ultimate goal is to bridge the gap between machine learning and geoscience for sustainability and environmental management at the national and international (mainly in the Mediterranean) scales. We understand that machine learning, in general, and deep learning, in particular, offer promising tools to build new data-driven models for Earth system components and thus build our understanding of ecosystems. Yet, accepting that data-driven machine learning approaches in geoscientific research cannot replace physical modelling but strongly complement and enrich it. Our primary scientific interests are developing hybrid approaches, coupling physical processes (physical laws and physics-domain-specific knowledge) with the versatility of data-driven machine learning, also known as physics-aware machine learning, to better understand the ecosystems, biodiversity, dynamic processes and environmental responses to stressors, and emphasizing sustainability and decision support system development aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

causal relationships between evolution and oxygenation of the ocean are vigorously debated. At the heart of these uncertainties are inconsistencies among reconstructed timelines for the rise of O2 in marine habitats. Attempts to reconstruct the timing of marine oxygenation are often based on redox-sensitive geochemical proxies that are prone to post-depositional alteration. Thus, developing new proxies, more resistant to such alteration, is an important direction forward for constraining major changes in atmospheric and marine oxygen levels. Here, we utilize U–Pb dating in dolomite to reconstruct their (re)crystallization ages and initial 207Pb/206Pb ratios; we find that they are systematically younger and lower than expected, respectively. These observations are explained by the resetting of the U–Pb system long after deposition, followed by further evolution in a closed system. Initial 207Pb/206Pb ratios have decreased from expected terrestrial values in the interval between deposition and (re)crystallization, consistent with U decay, and can therefore be used to reconstruct the initial 238U/206Pb ratios during deposition. Within our dataset initial 238U/206Pb ratios remained low in Proterozoic to mid-Paleozoic samples and increased dramatically in samples from the late-Paleozoic–early- Mesozoic Eras. This rise is attributed to a higher ratio of U to Pb in seawater that in turn influenced the fluid composition of carbonate crystallization sites. Accordingly, we interpret the temporal shift in initial 238U/206Pb ratios to reflect a late-Paleozoic increase in oxygenation of marine environments, corroborating previously documented shifts in some redox-sensitive proxies. This timeline is consistent with evolution-driven mechanisms for the oxygenation of late Paleozoic marine environments and with suggestions that Neoproterozoic and early Paleozoic animals thrived in oceans that overall and on long time scales were oxygen-limited compared to the modern ocean.

Seismic waves excited by human activity frequently obscure signals due to tectonic processes and are discarded as a nuisance. Seismic noise-field analysis is, however, a powerful tool for characterizing anthropogenic activities. In this talk, I will briefly review the seismological fingerprints of anthropogenic noise sources and then present a scheme devised to identify precursory activity leading to the October 7 terrorist attack. The precursory activity in Gaza included massive mobilization, documented by multiple media outlets. Favorable conditions arose due to a temporary lack of anthropogenic activity in Israel, allowing remote seismic stations to record signals due to Gaza vehicle traffic in the early hours of Oct. 7. Seismogram analysis reveals a widespread signal that abruptly emerged above the nighttime noise levels about 20 minutes before the attack began. Statistical analysis suggests the signal is highly anomalous; tests for significance indicate that pre-attack inter-station correlations would emerge by chance only once every 18,000 years. Tripartite array analysis was used to detect surface waves, locate their sources, and demarcate the extent of preattack activity within the Gaza Strip. The signal’s amplitude, frequency, and spatiotemporal distribution appear to be aligned with vehicular traffic emanating from the south-central region of the Gaza Strip and extending towards its peripheries in the half-hour window preceding the invasion. This provides valuable tactical information and suggests embedding seismic noise-field analysis into decision-making protocols could enhance preparedness for terrorist attacks.

Climate change is having an impact on agricultural production and food security. Rising temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns and extreme weather events can reduce crop yields, sometimes dramatically. However, climate change can also offer new opportunities, by generating more favorable climatic conditions for agricultural production in certain regions that were previously less productive. In order to assess the positive and negative impacts of climate change on agriculture and identify effective adaptation strategies, scientists have produced massive amounts of data during the last two decades, conducting local experiments in agricultural plots and using models to simulate the effect of climate on crop yields. In most cases, these data are not pooled together and are analyzed separately by different groups of scientists to assess the effects of climate change at a local level, without any attempt to upscale the results at a larger scale. Yet, if brought together, these data represent a rich source of information that are relevant to analyze the effect of climate across diverse environmental conditions. The wealth of data available has led to the emergence of a new type of scientific activity, involving the retrieval of all available data on a given subject and their synthesis into more robust and generic results. In this talk, I review the statistical methods available to synthesize data generated in studies quantifying the effect of climate change on agriculture. I discuss both the most classic methods - such as meta-analysis - and more recent methods based on machine learning. In particular, I show how this approach can be used to map the impact of climate change on a large scale (national, continental and global) from local data. I illustrate these methods in several case studies and present several research perspectives in this area.

Electrocatalytically driven reactions that produce alternative fuels and chemicals are considered as a useful means to store renewable energy in the form of chemical bonds. in recent years there has been a significant increase in research efforts aiming to develop highly efficient electrocatalysts that are able to drive those reactions. Yet, despite having made significant progress in this field, there is still a need for developing new materials that could function both as active and selective electrocatalysts. In that respect, Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs), are an emerging class of hybrid materials with immense potential in electrochemical catalysis. Yet, to reach a further leap in our understanding of electrocatalytic MOF-based systems, one also needs to consider the welldefined structure and chemical modularity of MOFs as another important virtue for efficient electrocatalysis, as it can be used to fine-tune the immediate chemical environment of the active site, and thus affect its overall catalytic performance. Our group utilizes Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) based materials as a platform for imposing molecular approaches to control and manipulate heterogenous electrocatalytic systems. In this talk, I will present our recent study on electrocatalytic schemes involving MOFs, acting as: a) electroactive unit that incorporates molecular electrocatalysts, or b) non-electroactive MOF-based membranes coated on solid heterogenous catalysts.

Microorganisms play a crucial role in the weathering processes that transform rock into soil through chemical and physical mechanisms essential for nutrient cycling, nitrogen fixation, carbon storage, and organic matter decomposition. This intricate relationship between microbial life and landscapes forms the backbone of ecosystem dynamics and biogeochemical processes. Microbes influence rock weathering and soil production, adapting to their surroundings and creating distinct communities across various landscapes. These complex interactions and feedback mechanisms are pivotal to understanding the co-evolution of microbial communities and landscapes over time. However, existing research on microbial contributions to weathering and soil production has predominantly focused on relatively short timescales and small spatial scales. Understanding the interplay between the evolution of microbial communities and their role in weathering processes over geomorphic timescales within transient landscapes is important for a more complete understanding of how landscapes evolve as well as the impact of geomorphic changes on microbial community establishment and evolution. The main objective of this study is to elucidate the long-term dynamics of microbial communities and their role in weathering processes over millennial timescales. To achieve this, we focused on recently deglaciated basins in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, CA, examining bacterial community composition in three phases of the weathering process: exposed rock at the surface, saprolite—the weathered rock found beneath soil, and soil. Sampling along an elevational transect, we collected 25 samples of rock, soil, and saprolite, and evaluated their bacterial composition using 16S rRNA and metagenomic sequencing. Results show that both soil and saprolite samples exhibited diverse and similar microbial communities, indicating a developmental relationship between these habitats despite distinct geochemical compositions. In contrast, rock habitats are less diverse, and their composition resembles those of young deglaciated landscapes. Our findings point to a link between microbial community composition and rock-to-soil weathering processes, suggesting that the majority of weathering processes occur within the soil column (saprolite and soil), with exposed rock maintaining a steady state. The stability of these microbial communities over extended timescales suggests a potentially significant role for microbial weathering in landscape evolution. This finding underscores the importance of considering microbial contributions in future geomorphic studies, as they may play a key role in shaping the Earth's surface. Moving forward, we plan on coupling a long-term, landscape-scale geomorphic perspective with 'omics approaches from microbial ecology to comprehensively understand the complex relationships between microbial life and landscapes, ultimately advancing our knowledge of ecosystem dynamics and health.

Aerosol-cloud interactions are extensively studied to understand the climatic effect of anthropogenic aerosols, as the latter can change the radiative properties of clouds. Despite the clear presence of different cloud morphologies (i.e., the spatial variation of cloud thickness), the impact of aerosol-cloud interactions under different cloud morphologies is often overlooked. I will show that accounting for cloud morphology is essential for a better process understanding and for an accurate assessment of the radiative forcing due to aerosol-cloud interactions.

Flood is the outcome of complex processes interacting at a range of scales. Flood generation and its magnitude depend on different precipitation and surface properties. As the climate becomes warmer globally, precipitation patterns are changing and, consequently, altering flood regimes. Resolving the expected changes in flood properties requires examining projections of precipitation features most correlated with floods. While the redistribution of mean annual precipitation amounts is generally known, the trends in many other essential factors controlling floods are yet to be resolved. For example, flash flood magnitude is sensitive to space-time rainstorm properties such as areal coverage or storm speed. Still, knowledge of how these properties are affected by global warming is lacking. Maximal rain rates for duration relevant to the watershed’s response time are also crucial parameters controlling the flood discharge. There is some understanding of how extreme rain rates change, but the magnitude and sign depend on the rain duration considered. Changes in frequency and the intra-seasonal distribution of precipitation events also affect flood regimes. Finally, watersheds of different properties are sensitive to different precipitation features, and thus, different watersheds may respond differently to global warming. In this talk, we will present the complexity of flood response under global warming and then focus on two questions: 1) how does global warming affect heavy precipitation events (HPEs) in the eastern Mediterranean, and 2) how these effects are imprinted in the resulting floods in small-medium Mediterranean watersheds. We simulated 41 eastern Mediterranean HPEs with the high-resolution weather research and forecasting (WRF) model. Each event was simulated twice: under historical conditions and at the end of the 21st-century conditions (RCP8.5 scenario) using the “pseudo global warming” approach. Comparison of precipitation patterns from the paired simulations revealed that heavy precipitation events in our region are expected to become drier and more spatiotemporally concentrated, i.e., we expect higher rain rates on smaller coverage areas and shorter storm durations that, in total, yield lower amounts of rainfall. These effects have some contradicting signs, and their full hydrological impact on streamflow peak discharge and volume was further explored. Ensembles of spatially-shifted rainfall data from the simulated HPEs were input to a high-resolution distributed hydrological model (GB-HYDRA) representing four small-medium-size watersheds (18–69 km2) in the eastern Mediterranean (Ramot Menashe). Flow volume is significantly reduced in future HPEs, while the change in flood peak is more complicated due to the combined effect of precipitation amount (decreasing) and precipitation rate (increasing). For the watersheds examined in this research, which are mostly agricultural, flood peaks at the watershed outlets are mostly reduced. The dynamics of flood generation at sub-watersheds of different sizes and properties are further examined in this research to understand scenarios for lowering or increasing flood peaks. This study emphasizes that detecting and quantifying global warming impact on space-time precipitation patterns is essential for flood regime projection.

Located in a highly sensitive subtropical climate area and a densely populated area, Lake Kinneret is poised to undergo both natural and human-induced transformations in the coming decades. The lake is thermally stratified throughout most of the year and mixes thoroughly each winter when the epilimnion (upper layer) water temperature reaches equilibrium with the hypolimnion (bottom layer) water temperature by surface cooling and turbulence. Both the stratified and the fully mixed periods has a significant role in the Kinneret’s ecological system. Observation shows that air above the Lake is warming in a rate of 0.4oC/decade, while the epilimnion and hypolimnion are warming in a rate of 0.3oC/decade and 0.1oC/decade, respectively, for the last 50 years. Therefore, stratification strength and duration is anticipated to change and impact the lake’s ecosystem. Additionally, the sequence of drought periods and the expected future rise in water demands from Lake Kinneret formed the basis for the government's decision to channel desalinated water, via the natural course of the Tzalmon Stream, to the lake to ensure its operational functionality at high levels. Using a 3D hydrodynamic model forced by short and long-term forecasts the above scenarios are examined and analyzed. A simulation forced by regional atmospheric RCP4.5 climate change scenario spanning from 2010-2070 show continuous warming followed by abrupt cooling of the lake water around the year 2065. This result, presumably due to enhanced latent heat loss, suggest a restrain the dramatic anticipated change in the lake stratification.

Quantifying land-atmosphere fluxes of carbon-dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) is essential for evaluating carbonclimate feedbacks. Greenhouse gas satellite missions aim to provide global observational coverage of greenhouse gas concentrations and thus improve inversions of landatmosphere exchange fluxes. However, in key regions such as the humid tropics current missions obtain very few valid measurements. Leveraging recent advances in the global analysis of high-resolution optical imagery on cloudcomputing platforms and deep learning algorithms for cloud segmentation, we quantitatively diagnose the sources for low data yields in the tropics. We find that the main cause for low data yields are frequent shallow cumulus clouds. We find that increasing the spatial resolution of observations to 200 m would increase yields by 2–3 orders of magnitude and allow regular measurements in the wet season. Thus, the key to effective tropical greenhouse gas observations likely lies in regularly acquiring high-spatial resolution data.

The sediment – bottom-water interface is suggested as a key control on the chemical composition of the ocean by studies of trace elements in the ocean water-column, yet data regarding trace element fluxes and interactions taking place in the top ten cm of abyssal sediments are scarce. To bridge this gap, I analysed the trace and major element composition of porewater and sediment of red-clay sediment from the abyssal North Pacific, and hydrothermally influenced sediment from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The top sediment at both study regions is aerobic, nevertheless, there is large variability in the porewater concentrations of many elements at the top five cm. The North Pacific red-clay sediment is a source of cobalt, nickel, copper, arsenic, vanadium and barium to the deep-ocean, the magnitude of these fluxes is consistent with fluxes calculated based on the water-column distribution of most elements, and are equivalent to the global supply of these elements by rivers. The hydrothermally influenced sediment is a strong source of copper, zinc and cobalt up to three km from the vent due to oxidation of sulfide minerals. Close to the vents, the sediment is high in iron oxyhydroxides that adsorb the oxyanions vanadate, arsenate and phosphate, acting as a sink for these elements. The results of this study highlight the importance of red-clay sediment in shaping the chemical composition of the ocean, and suggest an important role for hydrothermally influenced sediment in modulating the contributions of hydrothermal vents to ocean biogeochemistry.

The impact of anthropogenic aerosols on clouds is a leading source of uncertainty in estimating the effect of human activity on the climate system. The challenge lies in the scale difference between clouds (~1-10 km) and general circulation and climate (~1000 km). To address this, we utilize three different novel sets of simulations that allow to resolve convection while also including a epresentation of large-scale processes. Our findings demonstrate that aerosol-cloud interaction intensifies tropical overturning circulation. Employing a weak temperature gradient approximation, we attribute variations in circulation to clear-sky humidity changes driven by warm rain suppression by aerosols. In two sets of simulations accounting for sub-tropical-tropical coupling, we show that aerosol-driven sub-tropical rain suppression leads to increased advection of cold and moist air from the sub-tropics to the tropics, thus enhancing tropical cloudiness. The increased tropical cloudiness has a strong cooling effect by reflecting more of the incoming solar radiation. The classical “aerosol-cloud lifetime effect” is shown here to have a strong remote effect (sub-tropical aerosols increase cloudiness in the tropics), thus widening the concept of cloud adjustments to aerosol perturbation with important implications for marine cloud brightening.

Biomass is characterized as "material of biological origin, excluding material embedded in geological formations or fossilized." It serves as a valuable resource for energy production and as a foundational material for the synthesis of various commodity and specialty materials. The composition of biomass is notably more diverse and intricate than that of crude oil, resulting in significant distinctions between a conventional petroleum refinery and a biomass refinery, often referred to as a biorefinery. Unlike crude oil, which is typically abundant in gaseous, liquid, and solid hydrocarbons featuring a high carbon-to-oxygen (C/O) ratio, biomass primarily consists of complex biomacromolecules with a considerably lower C/O ratio. The conversion of biomass into commodity chemicals presents a promising approach to diminish society's reliance on fossil fuel resources—the predominant challenge of the 21st century. This challenge necessitates the development of tools and technologies to facilitate the transition from a predominantly petroleum-based to an alternative bio-based chemical industry. The objective of this seminar is to showcase the recent advancements we have made in enhancing bio-based platform molecules for the production of commodity or specialty chemicals. We achieve this through the utilization of C2 to C6 bio-based platforms, exemplified by polyols (e.g., glycerol), furanoids (e.g., furfural), and carboxylic acids (e.g., levulinic acid).

Understanding mechanisms of work for a wide range of applied nanomaterials begins with identifying “active units” in operating conditions, zooming in on the “active sites” and ends with a model explaining their role for functioning of the material or device. There are two main hurdles that we are particularly interested in overcoming: 1) heterogeneity of active species and sites and 2) their dynamics that can be directly responsible for their mechanisms. One possible method, ideally suitable for capitalizing on these challenges for rational design of new catalytic pathways, is the Aufhebung (sublation) principle from the Hegelian dialectics. It describes the process of advancing knowledge by integrating the two opposites: the thesis and antithesis. We adopt this principle to leverage the inherent heterogeneity of catalytic active species and active sites in metal catalysts for understanding and predicting new catalytic pathways for CO and CO2 conversion reactions. Starting with atomically dispersed (the thesis) Pt on ceria support, we use multimodal, operando characterization for monitoring formation of nanoparticles (the antithesis), identify reaction active species and unique active sites at the metal-support interface. With this knowledge, we design the “single-atoms” catalysts (synthesis) possessing the same active sites and enhanced stability in reaction conditions. I will highlight the role of oxygen vacancies for enhancing the dynamicity of Pt atoms and opening new reaction pathways for direct and reverse water gas shift reactions and CO oxidation reaction.

The use of SOM in atmospheric science has grown popular over the recent years. The SOM's strength lies in its ability to project the continuum of a given dynamical system to an easily understood spectrum of dominant states. The SOM relies on a neural network, where each grid-point in each node (cluster) is assigned with a specific weight for a given input parameter. The SOM then operates competitively, shifting individual members between the nodes to minimize internal node variability while maximizing the distances between the nodes. Here, two novel SOM applications are demonstrated, recently used to classify Mediterranean cyclones from an upper-level PV perspective. Each approach yields the potential to enhance the understanding of different aspects of Mediterranean cyclone's predictability and is readily applicable to other regions of interest.

The lecture presents recent results obtained in the laboratory of Prof. Oleg Vasyutinskii in the Ioffe Institute, St.Petersburg, Russia along several directions of application of modern laser techniques for investigation of the dynamics of molecules relevant for biology and medicine. The particular directions under discussion will be as follows. • Investigation of energy transfer in the excited states of molecular probes in solutions by means of polarized fluorescence spectroscopy. • Pump-and-probe polarization modulation spectroscopy for investigation of sub-picosecond dynamics in excited biomolecules. • Dynamics of singlet oxygen generation and degradation in solutions and on organic surfaces.

While colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are already an important building block in electro-optical devices, in the realm of quantum science and technology, they are often considered inferior with respect to emitters such as solid-state defects and epitaxial quantum dots. Despite their single-photon emission [1], demonstrations of quantum coherence and control are largely still lacking. The main obstacle towards these is spectral diffusion – stochastic fluctuations in the energy of photons emitted from an individual CQD even at cryogenic temperatures. In this talk, I will present our recent work providing, for the first time, direct and definitive proof that these fluctuations arise from stochastic electric fields in the particle’s nano environment [2]. However, the high sensitivity of CQDs to electric fields, through the quantum-confined Stark effect, can also be perceived as a feature, rather than a bug. I will present future concepts for coherent control of a single photon’s temporal wavefunction through an electric bias. Relying on tools from the terahertz and femtosecond-laser toolboxes [3,4], spectroscopy and control at fast-to-ultrafast (millisecond-to-femtosecond) timescales, will play a detrimental role in fulfilling the unique potential that CQDs hold in the field of quantum optics,. [1] R. Tenne, U. Rossman, B. Rephael, Y. Israel, A. Krupinski-Ptaszek, R. Lapkiewicz, Y. Silberberg, and D. Oron, Super-Resolution Enhancement by Quantum Image Scanning Microscopy, Nature Photonics 13, 116 (2019). [2] F. Conradt, V. Bezold, V. Wiechert, S. Huber, S. Mecking, A. Leitenstorfer, and R. Tenne, Electric-Field Fluctuations as the Cause of Spectral Instabilities in Colloidal Quantum Dots, Nano Lett. 23, 9753 (2023). [3] P. Henzler et al., Femtosecond Transfer and Manipulation of Persistent Hot-Trion Coherence in a Single CdSe/ZnSe Quantum Dot, Physical Review Letters 126, 067402 (2021). [4] P. Fischer, G. Fitzky, D. Bossini, A. Leitenstorfer, and R. Tenne, Quantitative Analysis of Free-Electron Dynamics in InSb by Terahertz Shockwave Spectroscopy, Physical Review B 106, 205201 (2022).

Innovative battery electrode materials are essential for unlocking the full potential of Li-ion batteries in various aspects of modern life. A primary focus is identifying novel materials with greater elemental diversity that offer improved stability, rapid charge capabilities, and high performance. Promising candidates, like early transition metal oxides, are earth-abundant and present opportunities for next-generation anode materials due to their redox voltage and more than a single stable oxidation state. Exploring fundamental design principles for improved de/lithiation mechanisms will influence battery functionality and advance energy storage capabilities. The first part will delve into the impact of the insulator-metal transition during lithiation, focusing on two distinctive Wadsley-Roth (WR) structures. Our findings underscore the critical role of disorder within these structures in determining kinetics and retained capacities for these anodes. The second part proposes a novel strategy leveraging the induction effect to reduce the operation voltage of Mo-oxide-based anodes. This reduction opens the door for Mo-based oxide anodes as an alternative to graphene. Understanding these key aspects can guide the search for alternatives to existing anodes for advancing the development of Li-ion batteries with enhanced performance in the energy storage field.

In living systems, the tissue micro-architecture consists of myriad cellular and subcellular elements whose density, size/shape distributions, composition, and permeability, endow the tissue with its biological functionality. Dynamic transport mechanisms are further critical for maintaining homeostasis and supporting diverse physiological functions such as action potentials and biochemical signaling. Still, how these biophysical properties change over time and how they couple to activity, remains largely unknown. This is mainly due to the difficulty in mapping these properties in-vivo, longitudinally, and with sufficient specificity. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), with its capacity for longitudinal studies and wealth of microscopic information leading to multiple contrast mechanisms, provides an outstanding opportunity to decipher these phenomena. In this talk I will discuss our recent advances in diffusion and functional MRI, including novel pulse sequences and biophysical modeling of diffusion processes in the microscopic tissue milieu, which provide, for the first time, the sought-after specificity for density, size, and permeability of particular (sub)cellular elements in tissues. I will show new experiments in rodents proving unique power-laws predicted from biophysical models, revealing axon density and size, as well as cell body density and size, along with validations against ground-truth histology and applications in animal models of disease. Evidence for exchange between the intracellular and extracellular space will also be given, along with a first approach for quantitatively mapping permeability in tissue. I will also introduce correlation tensor MRI (CTI), a new approach for source-separation in diffusional kurtosis, that offers surrogate markers of neurite beading effects, thereby further enhancing specificity, especially in stroke. Finally, I will touch upon dynamic modulations of neural tissue microstructure upon neural activity, and provide evidence for the existence of a neuro-morphological coupling in diffusion-weighted functional MRI signals. Future vistas and potential applications will be discussed.

Large arrays of trapped neutral atoms have emerged over the past few years as a promising platform for quantum information processing, combining inherent scalability with high-fidelity control and site-resolved readout. In this talk, I will discuss ongoing work with arrays of Alkaline-earth atoms. These divalent atoms offer unique properties stemming largely from their long-lived metastable states, which form the basis of the optical atomic clock. I will describe the design of a universal quantum processor based on clock qubits and its application in quantum metrology, and I will address the challenge of generating and benchmarking highly entangled states in an analog quantum simulator. First, we realize scalable local control of individual clock qubits, which we utilize to extend the Ramsey interrogation time beyond the coherence time of a single atom [1]. To realize a universal quantum processor, we demonstrate record high-fidelity two-qubit entangling gates mediated by Rydberg interactions, which we combine with dynamical reconfiguration to entangle clock probes in GHZ states and perform Ancilla-based detection [2]. We then use the narrow clock transition to measure and remove thermal excitations of atoms in tweezers (a technique known as erasure conversion) and generate hyperentangled states of motion and spin [3]. In the second part of the talk, I will describe a different approach for generating large scale entangled states in an analog quantum simulator configuration [4], including error mitigation [5] and benchmarking of a 60-atom simulator [6]. Together, these show the great promise and the large variety of experiments accessed with this emerging platform. [1] A. Shaw*, R. Finkelstein*, R. Tsai, P. Scholl, T. Yoon, J. Choi, M. Endres, Multi-ensemble metrology by programming local rotations with atom movements, arxiv:2303.16885, Nature Physics in press (2023). [2] R. Finkelstein, R. Tsai, A. Shaw, X. Sun, M. Endres, A universal quantum processor for entanglement enhanced optical tweezer clocks, in preparation. [3] P. Scholl*, A. Shaw*, R. Finkelstein*, R. Tsai, J. Choi, M. Endres, Erasure cooling, control, and hyper-entanglement of motion in optical tweezers, arXiv:2311.15580 (2023). [4] J. Choi, A. Shaw, I. Madjarov, X. Xie, R. Finkelstein, J. Covey, J. Cotler, D. Mark, H.Y. Huang, A. Kale, H. Pichler, F. Brandão, S. Choi, and M. Endres, Preparing random states and benchmarking with many-body quantum chaos, Nature 617 (2023) [5] P. Scholl, A. Shaw, R. Tsai, R. Finkelstein, J. Choi, M. Endres, Erasure conversion in a high-fidelity Rydberg quantum simulator, Nature 622 (2023). [6] A. Shaw, Z. Chen, J. Choi, D.K. Mark, P. Scholl, R. Finkelstein, A. Elben, S. Choi, M. Endres, Benchmarking highly entangled states on a 60-atom analog quantum simulator, arXiv:2308.07914 (2023).

Noble metal thin films have attracted significant interest owing to their distinctive properties and structures, which make them ideal for applications in microelectronics, catalysis, energy, and photovoltaics. While several parameters influence the properties of these metals for such applications, the deposition process remains a critical factor. Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) stands out as a prevalent deposition technique due to its surface-sensitive nature. The ALD process is characterized by its self-limiting surface reactions, promoting a layer-by-layer growth mechanism and allowing for precise control over film thickness and conformality. However, challenges arise in achieving continuous, pinhole-free noble metal ALD layers on oxide surfaces, often resulting in low film quality. These challenges can be traced back to the lack of adequate nucleation sites and the poor wettability of the low-surface energy substrates. The research studied the impact of substrate surface functionalization using organometallic molecules, such as trimethylaluminum (TMA) and diethylzinc (DEZ), on the nucleation and growth of Ru layers. The results reveal an enhancement in both nucleation density and the average diameter of the Ru nanoparticles deposited, and these improvements were attributed to an increase in both nucleation sites and elevated surface diffusivity. The latter effect is speculated to result from a reduction in the substrate's surface free energy. The study also examines the influence of substrate surface characteristics, including surface termination and crystallinity, on the nucleation and growth of Ru metal via ALD. The morphologies of the resulting Ru thin films are studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS). These analytical results are integrated with an experimental model to elucidate the differences in growth mechanisms observed across substrates. The findings underscore the importance of substrate choice in the ALD process and broaden our understanding of Ru metal growth. This research serves as an important step in optimizing the ALD process for various applications by tailoring substrate selection.

Strong light-matter interactions are at the core of many electromagnetic phenomena. In this talk, I will give an overview of several nanophotonic systems which support polaritons – hybrid light-matter states, as well as try to demonstrate their potential usefulness in applications. I will start with transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and specifically discuss one-dimensional edges in these two-dimensional materials (1-2). I will show that TMDs can be etched along certain crystallographic axes, such that the obtained edges are nearly atomically sharp and exclusively zigzag-terminated, while still supporting polaritonic regime. Furthermore, I will show that Fabry-Pérot resonators, one of the most important workhorses of nanophotonics, can spontaneously form in an aqueous solution of gold nanoflakes (3-4). This effect is possible due to the balance between attractive Casimir-Lifshitz forces and repulsive electrostatic forces acting between the flakes. There is a hope that this technology is going to be useful for future developments in self-assembly, nanomachinery, polaritonic devices, and perhaps other disciplines. References: 1) Nat. Commun., 11, 4604, (2020) 2) Laser & Photonics Rev., 17, 2200057, (2023) 3) Nature 597, 214-219, (2021) 4) Nat. Phys. 19, 271-278, (2023)

Terrestrial sequestration of carbon has mitigated ≈30% of anthropogenic carbon emissions. However its distribution across different pools—live or dead biomass, and soil and sedimentary organic carbon— which has important implications for future climate change mitigation, remains uncertain. By analyzing global observational datasets of changes in terrestrial carbon pools, we are able to partition carbon that has been sequestered on land between 1992-2019 into live biomass and non-living organic carbon pools. We compare our observation-based estimates against predictions of global vegetation models and identify key processes that are not included in most models that can help align the models with observations. We find that most terrestrial carbon gains are sequestered as non-living organic matter, and thus more persistent than previously appreciated, with a substantial fraction linked to human activities such as river damming, wood harvest, and garbage disposal in landfills.

Processes in nature are often long-lasting, but they have a common goal, i.e., to advance structures or constructions. Especially for the composition of materials, it is worth having a closer look and mimic the natural concept for improving the properties of the known materials and in this way opening doors for new application fields. Among the concepts in nature there is the hybridization of materials, i.e., the blend of organic and inorganic materials with the goal of outperforming both constituting components. The engineering of such hybrid materials can be done in synthetic wet-chemical or in physical ways and often the results, i.e., the properties of the materials, will differ, even if their composition is identical. This may result from different qualities of interactions between the constituting materials. The quality of interactions can be controlled by the choice of the chemicals and/or the choice of hybridization process. Two recently developed approaches for hybridization base on vapor phase chemistry and are derived from atomic layer deposition (ALD) and result in hybrid thin film growth (molecular layer deposition, MLD) or subsurface hybridization of polymers (vapor phase infiltration, VPI). Both approaches open a plethora of new options for materials design for future applications. In this talk, some approaches of our group will be discussed that show great promise of vapor phase-grown hybrid films for innovation in technological fields beyond the microelectronics industry. Examples, where mechanical and electronic properties of polymeric materials have been significantly improved through nanoscale coatings and infiltration, will be shown. Furthermore, new concepts towards self-healing of semiconducting thin films, enabled by hybrid materials, will be shown. In most cases, the chemical or physical properties of the initial substrate are altered, typically improved, and new functionalities are added.

Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are a large, eukaryotic ion-channel superfamily that control diverse physiological functions. To date, more than 210 structures from over 20 TRP-channels have been determined, all are tetramers. Using high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM), a pioneering technique capable of “filming” single-molecule proteins, we discovered a rare and transient pentameric state for TRPV3, and determined the pentamer structure using single-particle cryo-EM. Our results suggest that the pentamer relates to the pore-dilated state, a structurally-elusive state characterized by increased conductance and permeability to small molecules. These findings lay the foundation for many new directions in ion-channel research, and demonstrate the strength of HS-AFM in discovering transient and rare states of proteins.

Wetting describes the ability of liquids to maintain contact with a solid surface, a phenomenon that is ubiquitous in nature.1 However, in engineering and medical applications, contact of solid surfaces with aqueous media leads to undesirable phenomena such as corrosion, chemo- and biofouling, which have extremely negative economic, health, and environmental impacts. Therefore, control of wetting on solid surfaces is key to mitigating its detrimental effects. The latter can be achieved by minimizing the contact of the solid substrate with aqueous media, so-called superhydrophobic surfaces (SHS). Although SHS have been studied for decades to overcome wetting challenges,2 they are still rarely used in engineering applications. When immersed underwater, a special type of SHS can trap air on its surface, so-called air plastron, also known as an aerophilic surface. To date, plastrons have been reported to be impractical for underwater engineering due to their short lifetime. Here, I will describe aerophilic surfaces made of titanium alloy (Ti) with an extended lifetime of plastron conserved for months underwater.3 The extended methodology was developed to unambiguously describe the wetting regime on such aerophilic surfaces since conventional goniometric measurements are simply impractical. My aerophilic surfaces drastically reduce the adhesion of blood, and when immersed in aqueous media, prevent the adhesion of bacteria, and marine organisms such as barnacles, and mussels. Applying thermodynamic stability theories, we describe a generic strategy to achieve long-term stability of plastron on aerophilic surfaces for demanding and hitherto unattainable applications. (1) Quéré, D. Wetting and Roughness. Annual Review of Materials Research 2008, 38 (1), 71-99. (2) Cassie, A. B. D.; Baxter, S. Wettability of porous surfaces. Transactions of the Faraday Society 1944, 40, 546-551. (3) Tesler, A.B.;* Kolle, S.; Prado, L.H.; Thievessen, I.; Böhringer, D.; Backholm, M.; Karunakaran, B.; Nurmi, H.A.; Latikka, M.; Fischer, L.; Stafslien, S.; Cenev, Z.M.; Timonen, J.V.I.; Bruns, M.; Mazare, A.; Lohbauer, U.; Virtanen, S.; Fabry, B.; Schmuki, P.; Ras, R.H.A.; Aizenberg, J.; Goldmann, W.H. Long-Lasting Aerophilic Metallic Surfaces Underwater. Nature Materials 2023, accepted. *Corresponding author

Sub-seasonal forecasting aims to predict the mean weather conditions on weekly time-scales 2-6 weeks ahead. In the midlatitudes, lLarge-scale, quasi-stationary, recurrent, and persistent flow patterns, so-called weather regimes, explain sub-seasonal weather variability in the European region. However, forecast skill and predictability for regimes are mostly very poor on sub-seasonal forecast horizons. In this presentation we shed light on how synoptic-scale processes, affect the predictability and forecast skill of North Atlantic-European weather regimes. We focus on the upper-tropospheric divergent outflow due to latent heat release in ascending air streams, so-called warm conveyor belts (WCBs). We find evidence that a misrepresentation of diabatic WCB outflow at onset of regimes characterised by blocking anticyclones is likely the cause for vanishing regime skill on sub-seasonal time scales. At the same time results suggest that a correct representation of WCB activity might be a window of forecast opportunity for regimes. We further discuss how the occurrence of regimes is modulated by the state of the winter stratosphere and the MJO, which provide another window of forecast opportunity for weather regimes on sub-seasonal time scales. Interestingly, we find again that WCB activity related to synoptic-scale weather systems modulate the MJO teleconnections towards North America and Europe. We conclude that knowledge about physical and dynamical processes on synoptic scales is key for exploiting the potential windows of forecast opportunity for weather regimes on sub-seasonal time scales.

In recent years, covalently bound dimers of chromophores have attracted significant interest as singlet fission (SF) material because of better control of coupling of different electronic states to the gateway 1(TT) by means of intramolecular vibrational modes.1 It has been shown that charge transfer (CT) plays a crucial role in mediating the S1-1(TT) interaction and their influence can be conveniently tuned by solvent polarity. Motivated by the experimental and theoretical work of Alvertis et al.,1 we have investigated the electronic states relevant to the SF for the covalently bound tetracene dimer with the goal to provide a broader picture of the occurring photodynamical processes.2 For that purpose, the second-order algebraic diagrammatic construction (ADC(2)) method in combination with the conductor-like screening model (COSMO) has been used. Vertical excitations and potential energy curves for excitonic and CT states along low-frequency symmetric and antisymmetric normal modes have been computed. These results have been combined with those obtained by density functional theory/multireference configuration interaction (DFT/MRCI) calculations for the 1(TT) state since its doubly-excited wavefunction is not accessible to the ADC(2) method. In the second part of the talk, DFT/MRCI calculations on dimer and trimer TIPS-Pn will be presented with the goal of a first theoretical understanding of the photodynamics of the 1(TT) state monitored by time-resolved mid-IR absorption spectroscopy.3

Organic/printed electronics is a technology enabling the fabrication of mechanically flexible/stretchable electronic circuits and devices using low-temperature, possibly by additive, solution processing methodologies. In this presentation we report the development of novel materials, as well as thin-film processing and morphology engineering, for flexible and stretchable organic and inorganic thin film transistors, electrolyte gated transistors and circuits. On material development, we present that “soft” small-molecules and polymers can be synthesized by co-polymerizing naphthalenediimide (NDI) or diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) units with proper co-monomer building blocks or properly designed additives. Furthermore, we also report the fabrication of stretchable inorganic metal oxide fiber network by spry coating metal salts+thermally labile polymer formulations. New transistor architectures using semiconductor film porosity as the key element for enhancing mechanical flexibility and tune charge transport are also demonstrated. These films, combined with elastomeric pre-stretching, enables unprecedentedly stable current-output characteristic upon mechanical deformation, which are used for sensing analytes, strain, light, temperature and physiological parameters. Finally, we report our recent work on molecular n-doping of organic semiconductors using a novel strategy involving catalysts.

Tsunami events in antiquity had a profound influence on coastal societies. Six thousand years of historical records and geological data show that tsunamis are a common phenomenon affecting the eastern Mediterranean coastline. However, the possible impact of older tsunamis on prehistoric societies has not been investigated. Here we report, based on optically stimulated luminescence chronology, the earliest documented Holocene tsunami event, between 9.91 to 9.29 ka (kilo-annum), from the eastern Mediterranean at Dor, Israel. Tsunami debris from the early Neolithic is composed of marine sand embedded within fresh-brackish wetland deposits. Global and local sea-level curves for the period, 9.91–9.29 ka, as well as surface elevation reconstructions, show that the tsunami had a run-up of at least ~16 m and traveled between 3.5 to 1.5 km inland from the palaeo-coastline. Submerged slump scars on the continental slope, 16 km west of Dor, point to the nearby “Dor complex” as a likely cause. The near absence of Pre-Pottery Neolithic A-B archaeological sites (11.70–9.80 cal. ka) suggests these sites were removed by the tsunami, whereas younger, late Pre-Pottery Neolithic B-C (9.25–8.35 cal. ka) and later Pottery-Neolithic sites (8.25–7.80 cal. ka) indicate resettlement following the event. The significant run-up of this event highlights the disruptive impact of tsunamis on past societies along the Levantine coast.

Even though highly selective ion pumps can be found in every living cell membrane, artificial, membrane-based ion selective separation is a longstanding unmet challenge in science and engineering. The development of a membrane-based ion separation technology can drive a dramatic progress in a wide range of applications such as: water treatment, bio-medical devices, extraction of precious metals from sea water, chemical sensors, solar fuels and more. In this seminar I will discuss our theoretical and experimental demonstration of ion pumps based on an electronic flashing ratchet mechanism. Electronic flashing ratchets are devices that utilize modulation in a spatially varying electric field to drive steady state current. Like peristaltic pumps, where the pump mechanism is not in direct contact with the pumped fluid, electronic ratchets induce net current with no direct charge transport between the power source and the pumped charge carriers. Thus, electronic ratchets can be used to pump ions in steady state with no electrochemical reactions between the power source and the pumped ions resulting in an “all electric” ion pump. Ratchet-based ion pumps (RBIPs) were fabricated by coating the two surfaces of nano-porous alumina wafers with gold forming nano-porous capacitor-like devices. The electric field within the nano-pores is modulated by oscillating the capacitors voltage. Thus, when immersed in solution, ions within the pores experience a modulating electric field resulting in ratchet-based ion pumping. The RBIPs performance was studied for various input signals, geometries, and solutions. RBIPs were shown to drive ionic current densities of several μA/cm2 even when opposed by an electrostatic force. A significant ratchet action was observed with input signal amplitudes as low as 0.1V thus demonstrating that RBIPs can drive an ionic current with no associated redox reactions. Simulations show that frequency dependent flux inversions in ratchet systems may pave the way towards ion selective RBIPs.

ydrogen transfer reactions play a prominent role in nature and many technological applications. Despite appearing to be simple reactions, they constitute complex processes where nuclear quantum effects (NQE) such as zero-point energy and nuclear tunneling play a decisive role even at ambient temperature. In this talk, I will show how state-of-the-art methodologies based on the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics in combination with the density functional approximation provide the unique possibility to theoretically address these effects in complex environments. The first part of the talk will focus on the porphycene molecule in the gas phase and adsorbed on metallic surfaces. The porphycene molecule constitutes a paradigmatic example of a molecular switch and has recently received great attention due to its intriguing hydrogen dynamics. I will demonstrate how a correct treatment of NQE, as well as the inclusion of multidimensional anharmonic couplings, are essential to obtain qualitatively correct results regarding the non-trivial temperature dependence of the hydrogen transfer rates and vibrational spectra [1-3]. Finally, I shall also mention some of our recent results for hydrogen diffusion on metals for which non-adiabatic effects, in addition to NQE, play a significant role and can lead to “quantum localization” [4-6]. [1] Y. Litman, J. O. Richardson, T. Kumagai, and M. Rossi, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 141, 2526 (2019) [2] Y. Litman, J. Behler, and M. Rossi, Faraday Discuss. 221, 526 (2020) [3] Y. Litman and M. Rossi, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 216001 (2020) [4] Y. Litman, E. S. Pos. C. L. Box, R. Martinazzo, R. J. Maurer, and M. Rossi, J. Chem. Phys. 156, 194106 (2022) [5] Y. Litman, E. S. Pos. C. L. Box, R. Martinazzo, R. J. Maurer, and M. Rossi , J. Chem. Phys. 156, 194107 (2022) [6] O. Bridge, R. Martinazzo, S. C. Althorpe, Y. Litman, in preparation (2023)

Fundamental understanding of physiological processes that occur at biological membranes, such as membrane fusion, necessitates addressing not only the biochemical aspects, but also biophysical aspects such as membrane mechanical properties and membrane curvature. In this talk, I will show how we combine membrane model systems, micropipette aspiration, optical tweezers and confocal fluorescence microscopy to study membrane shaping and membrane fusion processes. I will describe a new tool we developed, where we form membrane bilayers supported on polystyrene microspheres which can be trapped and manipulated using optical tweezers. Using this approach, we demonstrate successful measurements of the interaction forces between the Spike protein of SARS CoV-2 and its human receptor, ACE2. We further use bead-supported membranes interacted with aspirated vesicles to reveal the inhibitory effect of membrane tension on hemifusion. I will also describe a particular case of membrane shaping during the formation of the newly discovered organelle termed migrasome. We show that tetraspanin proteins involved in migrasome formation strongly partition into curved membrane tethers, and we reveal a novel, two-step process of migrasome biogenesis.

Femtosecond pump-probe experiments on nanocrystals are interpreted primarily in terms of state filling of the states involved in the intense band edge absorption features, and bi-exciton shifting which changes the resonance energy of the probe pulse due to presence of pump induced excitations. Results have been interpreted to show 1) that “hot” excitons will relax to the lowest available levels in the conduction band in ~1 ps, and 2) that said intense band edge exciton transition will be bleached linearly with excitons until the underlying states are completely filled. In the talk we describe a new approach involving “spectator excitons” to test these accepted views. It consists of comparing pump-probe experiments on pristine samples, with equivalent scans conducted on the same sample after it has been saturated in cold mono-excitons. We show how this method has uncovered previously unrecognized spin blockades in the relaxation of hot multi-exciton states in CdSe NCs, and simply detects stimulated emission signals even in presence of overlapping absorption. We report specific difficulties of applying this approach on perovskite crystals leading to controversial determination that in quantum confined CsPbBr3 bi-exciton interactions are positive (repulsive) and describe recent time resolved emission data which challenges this result.

  Energy materials are crystalline, solid-state substances with technological applications in energy-conversion or storage devices that include solar cells and batteries. In our work, we are particularly interested in scenarios where these systems show unusual structural dynamical effects. These effects trigger many puzzling questions in regard to updated structure-property relations and improved theoretical understandings of these solids. In my talk, I will present our recent findings regarding theoretical treatments of structural dynamics in energy materials and how we may use them to improve our understanding of their finite-temperature properties. The results will focus on halide perovskite as well as nitride semiconductors and solid-state ion conductors, which we typically investigate in tandem with experiment.

Our society faces a critical challenge in shifting from a reliance on carbon-based energy to sustainable renewable sources. A key step towards achieving clean energy lies in developing efficient catalysts that can convert chemical energy into electricity or use electrons to generate chemical energy. In our research group, we tackle these challenges by creating customized materials that draw inspiration from nature (biomimicry) and combine principles from interfacial chemistry and surface physics. For this presentation, I focus on the process of photosynthesis as inspiration for the design, characterization, and dynamic nature of functional interfaces that drive energy conversion processes such as CO2 electroreduction and water splitting. I will also discuss the application of cutting-edge scanning probe microscopy, which allows us to visualize dynamic electrochemical processes at the nanoscale (operando imaging). Additionally, I will highlight our use of unconventional strategies that leverage chiral molecules and abundant two-dimensional materials to enhance electrocatalytic conversion processes. (References : Nanoletters, 2021, 21, 2059; Nature Comm., 2022, 13, 3356, IJC 62, 11, 2022).

The development of sustainable methods for the closed-loop production and recycling of plastics is an important challenge of current times. Reactions based on catalytic (de)hydrogenation are atom-economic, and sustainable routes for organic transformations.1 Using the following examples, this lecture will discuss the application of homogeneous (de)hydrogenative catalysis for the synthesis and degradation of polymers to enable a circular economy: (a) synthesis of polyamides/nylons from the ruthenium catalysed dehydrogenative coupling of diamines and diols and its reverse reaction i.e. hydrogenative depolymerisation of nylons,2 (b) synthesis of polyureas from the ruthenium/manganese catalysed dehydrogenative coupling of diamines3,4 and methanol, and its reverse reaction, i.e. hydrogenative depolymerisation of polyureas (Figure 1B)5, (c) Synthesis of polyethyleneimines from manganese catalysed coupling of ethylene glycol and ethylenediamine or the self-coupling of ethanolamine,6 and (d) Synthesis of polyureas and polyurethanes from the dehydrogenative coupling of diformamides and diamines/diols and its reverse reaction i.e. hydrogenative depolymerisation of polyureas and polyurethanes to diformamides and diamines/diols.7 Some applications of some of the polymers made using dehydrogenative processes in the field of batteries will also be discussed.8

Mantle fluids are the primary carriers of key volatile elements that make the Earth’s long-term planetary habitability possible. The interaction of such volatile-rich fluids with the mantle rocks, especially the sub-cratonic lithospheric mantle leads to alteration of the mantle as well as its melting. High-density fluids encased inside diamonds are the best natural representation of mantle fluid compositions, suggesting their compositions are saline, silicic or carbonatitic. However, the origin and role in the mantle as well as their role in altering the mantle are still unclear. In my research, we approach these questions by experimentally simulating the interaction of volatile-rich fluids with mantle rocks at known pressure and temperature relevant to the mantle. Examining different mixtures of volatiles (H2O and CO2) and mantle rocks (peridotite and eclogite), we attempt to understand the origin of each type of fluid found in diamonds as well as study the effect of such interaction on the mantle chemistry and mineralogy. Compiling many experimental studies reveals that fluids ranging from silicic to low-Mg carbonatitic are formed in systems of eclogite+H2O+CO2, the more CO2 in the system, the more carbonatitic the fluid is. Fluids ranging from low-Mg carbonatitic to high-Mg carbonatitic in nature are the results of the formation of fluids in the peridotite-H2O-CO2 system. The more CO2 in the system, the more high-Mg carbonatitic the fluid composition is. These results suggest that the various fluids found in the mantle result from changes in the bulk composition of the mantle rocks. The mantle rocks are significantly affected during percolation of such fluids through them. For example, experimentally interacting silicic fluid with peridotite demonstrated the formation of various metasomatic peridotites as a function of pressure and temperature, composing of amphibole and mica. The mineral assemblages, chemistry, and P-T conditions in the experiments are similar to those found in metasomatic xenoliths from Kimberly, South Africa, and surrounding localities.

In recent decades, various temperature proxies have been developed and further established in the scientific community, at both low and high accuracy, however, not every method can be applied without restriction to all minerals or rocks. Evaporitic rocks, for example, are abundant chemical sediments at the Earth's surface that are deposited from supersaturated brines in marine, terrestrial, and lacustrine environments. Halite is the most abundant rock-forming mineral in this group, which during crystal formation entraps tiny water droplets (fluid inclusions, FIs) that store the chemical composition of the parent brine at a specific pressure-temperature dependent density. Such FIs are therefore excellent records of the original physicochemical conditions of the source brine. Brillouin spectroscopy (BS) is a novel laser-based technique that uses density fluctuations in FIs to directly measure entrapment temperatures and thus the initial brine temperature during crystal growth. In this seminar, the BS method will be introduced and two application cases will be presented using salt layers from the Dead Sea which were deposited during two interglacial periods. In addition to the basic principles, both the recommended sampling strategy and pitfalls along with associated limitations will be presented. The conclusion will be that the salt layers commonly deposited in the Dead Sea basin consist of two types that formed preferentially in summer (coarse-grained crystals) and winter (fine-grained crystals), which is mainly controlled by the degree of salt saturation of the lake water. Furthermore, it will be shown how (1) lake bottom temperatures have fluctuated seasonally (summer/winter), and that (2) paleo temperature trends can be reconstructed for an entire halite layer that was deposited during holomictic periods in the Dead Sea basin. This method is particularly promising for evaporites that formed near the surface if the material has not been affected by external processes such as tectonic burial/uplift, erosion, or mineral replacement.

Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is one of the most popular materials science methods to characterize the structure and chemistry of nanoscale samples, owing to its high resolution and many flexible operating modes. In a conventional STEM experiment, we focus the electron beam down to a probe from nanometer to sub-angstrom scale, and scan it over the sample surface while recording diffracted signals which are transmitted through the specimen. STEM can also record analytic signals such as x-rays generated by the electron beam to measure composition, or energy loss of the transmitted electrons to probe the electronic structure of samples. Conventional STEM imaging detectors experiments produce only a few intensity values at each probe position, but modern high-speed detectors allow us to measure a full 2D diffraction pattern, over a grid of 2D probe positions, forming a four dimensional (4D)-STEM dataset. These 4D-STEM datasets record information about the local phase, orientation, deformation, and other parameters, for both crystalline and amorphous materials. 4D-STEM datasets can contain millions of images and therefore require highly automated and robust software codes to extract the target properties. In this talk, I will introduce our open source py4DSTEM analysis toolkit, and show how we use these codes to perform data-intensive studies of material properties over functional length scales. I will also demonstrate some applications of modern machine learning tools, to perform measurements on electron diffraction patterns where property signals have been scrambled by multiple scattering of the electron beam.

Finding new materials for the conversion of CO2 into useful products is a complex task. Simulations can provide mechanistic and stability insights trying to accelerate the process. In my talk I will present the different degrees of complexity that we try to address in the simulations and which are the major challenges in the field.

Liquid-Liquid phase separation (LLPS) has been of fundamental importance in the assembly of thermally driven materials and has recently emerged as an organizational principle for living systems. Biological phase separation is driven out of equilibrium through complex enzyme composition, chemical reactions, and mechanical activity, which reveals a gap in our understanding of this fundamental phenomenon. Here we study the impact of mechanical activity on LLPS. We design a DNA-based LLPS system coupled to flows through molecular motors and a cytoskeleton network. Active stress at an interface of a liquid droplet suppressed phase separation and stabilized a single-phase regime well beyond the equilibrium binodal curve. The phase diagram out of equilibrium revealed a 3-dimensional phase space that depends on temperature and local molecular activity. Similar dynamics and structures are observed in simulations, suggesting that suppression of liquid phase separation by active stress is a generic feature of liquid phase separation.

The global oceanic overturning circulation and the transport of heat and dissolved gases are strongly controlled by upper ocean turbulent mixing that is driven by the breaking of internal gravity waves (IWs). Understanding the life cycle of oceanic IWs, from generation to dissipation, is therefore crucial for improving the representation of ocean mixing in climate models, which do not resolve the IW field.  Oceanic IWs are observed to have a continuous energy distribution across spatial and temporal scales – an internal wave continuum – despite being forced primarily at near-inertial and tidal frequencies at large scales. The formation of the IW continuum and the associated energy transfer to dissipative scales have been traditionally attributed to wave-wave interactions and to Doppler shifting of wave frequencies by currents. Here, we provide evidence from realistic numerical simulations that oceanic eddies rapidly diffuse storm-forced wave energy across spatiotemporal scales, thereby playing a dominant role in the formation of the IW continuum and the corresponding spatiotemporal distribution of energy dissipation. We further demonstrate that winds can play an important role in damping oceanic IWs through current feedback.  This results in a substantial reduction in wind power input at near inertial frequencies and a net energy sink for internal tides.

Thermal Pressurization (TP) is expected to be a dominant frictional weakening mechanism during earthquakes. However, due to experimental limitations there is a lack of direct evidence for the activation of TP in controlled laboratory conditions and most of our knowledge is derived from field studies and theoretical predictions. We present experiments performed by a rotary-shear apparatus where TP is activated in localized faults in Frederick diabase under constant normal stress of 50 MPa, confining pressure of 45 MPa and initial pore water pressure of 25 MPa. We show that by changing the permeability of the host rock we can control the shear stress drop during a TP event in the experimental fault. The TP events are short-lived in bare-surface faults as the opening of existing fractures around the fault plane drains the excess pore fluid. Wider, gouge-filled faults show more persistent frictional weakening, but at a slower rate, which is attributed to the compressibility of the gouge. In addition, we test the effects of transient fault dilation on the duration of a TP event through an expansion of the prevailing TP model, using a one-dimensional numerical simulation. We conclude that dynamic changes to the hydraulic diffusivity around the fault plane and persistent fault dilation, due to geometrical irregularities, are the most likely mechanisms to arrest TP during an earthquake.

Machine learning (ML) became a premier tool for modeling chemical processes and materials properties. For instance, ML interatomic potentials have become an efficient alternative to computationally expensive quantum chemistry simulations. In the case of reactive chemistry designing high-quality training data sets is crucial to overall model accuracy. To address this challenge, we develop a general reactive ML interatomic potential through unbiased active learning with an atomic configuration sampler inspired by nanoreactor molecular dynamics. The resulting model is then applied to study five distinct condensed-phase reactive chemistry systems: carbon solid-phase nucleation, graphene ring formation from acetylene, biofuel additives, combustion of methane and the spontaneous formation of glycine from early-earth small molecules. In all cases, the results closely match experiment and/or previous studies using traditional model chemistry methods. Altogether, explosive growth of user-friendly ML frameworks, designed for chemistry, demonstrates that the field is evolving towards physics-based models augmented by data science. I will also overview some applications of Non-adiabatic EXcited-state Molecular Dynamics (NEXMD) framework developed at several institutions. The NEXMD code is able to simulate tens of picoseconds photoinduced dynamics in large molecular systems. As an application, I will exemplify ultrafast coherent excitonic dynamics guided by intermolecular conical intersections. Here X-ray Raman signals are able to sensitively monitor the coherence evolution. The observed coherences have vibronic nature that survives multiple conical intersection passages for several hundred femtoseconds at room temperature. These spectroscopic signals are possible to measure at XFEL facilities and our modeling results allow us to understand and potentially manipulate excited state dynamics and energy transfer pathways toward optoelectronic applications. References: 1. N. Fedik, R. Zubatyuk, N. Lubbers, J. S. Smith, B. Nebgen, R. Messerly, Y. W. Li, M. Kulichenko, A. I. Boldyrev, K. Barros, O. Isayev, and S. Tretiak “Extending machine learning beyond interatomic potentials for predicting molecular properties” Nature Rev. Chem. 6, 653 (2022). 2. G. Zhou, N. Lubbers, K. Barros, S. Tretiak, B. Nebgen, “Deep Learning of Dynamically Responsive Chemical Hamiltonians with Semi-Empirical Quantum Mechanics,” Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA, 119 e2120333119 (2022) 3. S. Zhang, M. Z. Makos, R. B. Jadrich, E. Kraka, B. T. Nebgen, S. Tretiak, O. Isayev, N. Lubbers, R. A. Messerly, and J. S. Smith “Exploring the frontiers of chemistry with a general reactive machine learning potential,” (2023) https://chemrxiv.org/engage/chemrxiv/article-details/6362d132ca86b84c77ce166c 4. A. De Sio, E. Sommer, X. T. Nguyen, L. Gross, D. Popović, B. Nebgen, S. Fernandez-Alberti, S. Pittalis, C. A. Rozzi, E. Molinari, E. Mena-Osteritz, P. Bäuerle, T. Frauenheim, S. Tretiak, C. Lienau, “Intermolecular conical intersections in molecular aggregates” Nature Nanotech. 16, 63 – 68 (2021). 5. V. M. Freixas, D. Keefer, S. Tretiak, S. Fernandez-Alberti, and S. Mukamel, “Ultrafast coherent photoexcited dynamics in a trimeric dendrimer probed by X-ray stimulated-Raman signals,” Chem. Sci., 13, 6373 – 6384 (2022).

Proteins are the fundamental building blocks of life. They form high performance materials and carry out cellular functions. They are able to fulfil these roles by assembling together to form sophisticated structures and architectures, which in many cases extend to mesoscopic liquid or solid phases. This talk focuses on understanding the transitions between these phases, their fundamental material properties and the way that the modulate biological function and malfunction. I will then discuss two areas opened up by the control of protein assembly. I will first focus on the understanding of the mechanism of protein aggregation and the discovery of molecules that can ameliorate malfunctioning protein self-assembly in a range of age-associated disease states. I will then outline some of our efforts to control protein self-assembly to form silk-inspired sustainable materials

In this talk, I will present theoretical and computational chemistry approaches to describe excited-states in quantum matter, and predicting emergent states created by external drives. Understanding the role of such light-matter interactions in the regime of correlated electronic systems is of paramount importance to fields of study across chemical and condensed matter physics, and ultrafast dynamics1. The simultaneous contribution of processes that occur on many time and length-scales have remained elusive for state-of-the-art calculations and model Hamiltonian approaches alike, necessitating the development of new methods in computational chemistry. I will discuss our work at the intersection of ab initio cavity quantum-electrodynamics and electronic structure methods to treat electrons, photons and phonons on the same quantized footing, accessing new observables in strong light-matter coupling. Current approximations in the field almost exclusively focus on electronic excitations, neglecting electron-photon effects, for example, thereby limiting the applicability of conventional methods in the study of polaritonic systems, which requires understanding the coupled dynamics of electronic spins, nuclei, phonons and photons. With our approach we can access correlated electron-photon and photon-phonon dynamics2–7, essential to our latest work on driving quantum materials far out-of-equilibrium to control the coupled electronic and vibrational degrees-of-freedom 8–19. In the second part of my talk, I will demonstrate how the same approach can be generalized in the context of control of molecular quantum matter and quantum transduction. As a first example, I will discuss a cavity-mediated approach to break the inversion symmetry allowing for highly tunable even-order harmonic generation (e.g. second- and fourth-harmonic generation) naturally forbidden in such systems. This relies on a quantized treatment of the coupled light-matter system, similar to the driven case, where the molecular matter is confined within an electromagnetic environment and the incident (pump) field is treated as a quantized field in a coherent state. When the light-molecule system is strongly coupled, it leads to two important features: (i) a controllable strong-coupling-induced symmetry breaking, and (ii) a tunable and highly efficient nonlinear conversion efficiency of the harmonic generation processes 20–22. Both of these have implications for molecular quantum architectures. Being able to control molecules at a quantum level gives us access to degrees of freedom such as the vibrational or rotational degrees to the internal state structure. Finally, I will give an outlook on connecting ideas in cavity control of molecules with quantum information science.

Carbon efflux from soils is the largest terrestrial carbon source to the atmosphere, yet it remains one of the most uncertain fluxes in the Earth’s carbon budget. A dominant component of this flux is heterotrophic respiration, influenced by several environmental factors, most notably soil temperature and moisture. We developed a mechanistic model from micro to global scale to explore how changes in soil water content and temperature affect soil heterotrophic respiration. Simulations, laboratory measurements, and field observations validate the new approach. Estimates from the model show that heterotrophic respiration has been increasing since the 1980s at a rate of about 2% per decade globally. Using future projections of surface temperature and soil moisture, the model predicts a global increase of about 40% in heterotrophic respiration by the end of the century under the worst-case emission scenario, where the Arctic region is expected to experience a more than two-fold increase, driven primarily by declining soil moisture rather than temperature increase.  

Magnetism is one of the largest, most fundamental, and technologically most relevant fields of condensed-matter physics. Traditionally, two elementary magnetic phases have been distinguished - ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism. The spin polarization in the electronic band structure reflecting the magnetization in ferromagnetic crystals underpins the broad range of time-reversal symmetry-breaking responses in this extensively explored and exploited type of magnets. By comparison, antiferromagnets have vanishing net magnetization. Recently, there have been observations of materials in which strong time-reversal symmetry-breaking responses and spin-polarization phenomena, typical of ferromagnets, are accompanied by antiparallel magnetic crystal order with vanishing net magnetization, typical of antiferromagnets [1]. A classification and description based on spin-symmetry principles offers a resolution of this apparent contradiction by establishing a third distinct elementary magnetic phase, dubbed altermagnetism [2]. We will start the talk with an overview of the still emerging unique phenomenology of this unconventional d-wave (or higher even-parity wave) magnetic phase, and of the wide array of altermagnetic materials. We will then show how altermagnetism can facilitate a development of ultra-fast and low-dissipation spintronic information technologies, and can have impact on a range of other modern areas of condensed matter physics and nanoelectronics. References [1] L. Šmejkal, A. H. MacDonald, J. Sinova, S. Nakatsuji, T. Jungwirth, Nature Reviews Mater. 7, 482 (2022). [2] L. Šmejkal, J. Sinova & T. Jungwirth, Phys. Rev. X (Perspective) 12, 040501 (2022).

Magnetism is one of the largest, most fundamental, and technologically most relevant fields of condensed-matter physics. Traditionally, two elementary magnetic phases have been distinguished - ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism. The spin polarization in the electronic band structure reflecting the magnetization in ferromagnetic crystals underpins the broad range of time-reversal symmetry-breaking responses in this extensively explored and exploited type of magnets. By comparison, antiferromagnets have vanishing net magnetization. Recently, there have been observations of materials in which strong time-reversal symmetry-breaking responses and spin-polarization phenomena, typical of ferromagnets, are accompanied by antiparallel magnetic crystal order with vanishing net magnetization, typical of antiferromagnets [1]. A classification and description based on spin-symmetry principles offers a resolution of this apparent contradiction by establishing a third distinct elementary magnetic phase, dubbed altermagnetism [2]. We will start the talk with an overview of the still emerging unique phenomenology of this unconventional d-wave (or higher even-parity wave) magnetic phase, and of the wide array of altermagnetic materials. We will then show how altermagnetism can facilitate a development of ultra-fast and low-dissipation spintronic information technologies, and can have impact on a range of other modern areas of condensed matter physics and nanoelectronics. References [1] L. Šmejkal, A. H. MacDonald, J. Sinova, S. Nakatsuji, T. Jungwirth, Nature Reviews Mater. 7, 482 (2022). [2] L. Šmejkal, J. Sinova & T. Jungwirth, Phys. Rev. X (Perspective) 12, 040501 (2022).

Molecular plasmonics has been a hot topic for the past several years. At the heart of the primary interest in plasmonics is the strong electromagnetic field localization at resonant frequencies corresponding to surface plasmon-polariton modes. Thanks to riveting advancements in nanofabrication technologies, we have achieved nearly 1 nm spatial resolution (and in some cases even below that!) and are able to fabricate a wide variety of nanosystems ranging from nanoparticles of various shapes to metasurfaces comprised of periodic arrays of nanoparticles and/or nanoholes of any imaginable geometry. Such systems have recently emerged as new platforms for strong light-matter interactions. Combined with molecular ensembles, these constructs exhibit a remarkable set of optical phenomena ranging from the exciton-plasmon strong coupling to the second harmonic generation altered by molecular resonances. In this talk I will discuss both linear and nonlinear optical properties of plasmonic materials coupled to quantum emitters of various complexity. I will also introduce a newly developed computational approach that can be used to efficiently simulate a large number of complex molecules driven by electromagnetic radiation crafted at plasmonic interfaces.

I will discuss the synthesis and properties of a range of aromatic-, anti-aromatic- and helical aromatic molecules.1 The talk will feature molecules with 'weird' magnetic properties, helical chirality and abnormal reactivity due to close proximity. I will discuss some of the unusual properties (and some of the very trivial and unsurprising properties) of these large well-defined conjugated molecules. I will describe the journey from fundamental studies of the acid-mediated oligomerization of simple 1,4-benzoquinones to the controlled synthesis of heterocyclic [8] circulenes (featuring an antiaromatic planar cyclooctatetraene) and even a larger planar [9] helicene. In the simplest picture two units of benzoquinone gives a dihydroxy-dibenzofuran + water, thus forming a new furan ring. This sets up a 1+1=3 ‘logic’ for elongation of the -system. The synthetic methodology has allowed us to prepare a range of fully conjugated helicenes, including the longest known optically resolved chiral [13] helicenes. The helicenes and circulenes have been explored in a range of properties including as the blue fluorescent component in OLEDs, as G-quadruplex binding ligands and in fundamental studies of antiaromaticity and chirality.

The so-called CISS phenomenon refers to the observation, that when electrons are transported through a chiral molecule, as e.g. a helix, then they will emerge spin polarized even though when entering they are not spin polarized. Often this effect is observed using magnetized leads. Remarkably, it seems that many experiments break the Onsager reciprocity principle. Onsager’s principle is very deep and depends on very few assumptions about the system - mainly about behavior under time reversal. I will present a possible solution to this conundrum

Multiple proteins function as nanomachines, and carry out multiple specific tasks in the cell by alternating chemical steps with conformational transitions. Single-molecule FRET spectroscopy is a powerful tool for studying the internal motions of proteins. In recent years, we have been using this technique to study a range of protein machines, surprisingly finding in each case microsecond-time-scale internal dynamics. What is the role of these fast motions in the much-slower functional cycles of these machines?

Click chemistry has revolutionized many facets of the molecular sciences, with the realization of reactions that are ‘‘modular, wide in scope, give very high yields, generate only inoffensive byproducts that can be removed by nonchromatographic methods and are stereospecific”. Yet surprisingly little attention has been given to the development of intrinsically chiral click reactions (potentially enantiospecific, rather than ‘only’ enantioselective due to chiral auxiliary groups), while the modularity of many click reactions is best compared to one-dimensional LEGO. Of course, much could be done within the constraints – hence forementioned revolution – but it drove attention towards an extension of available click chemistries. Kolb, H. C.; Finn, M.; Sharpless, K. B., Click chemistry: diverse chemical function from a few good reactions. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2001, 40, 2004-2021. The talk will focus on the resulting investigations in the field of S(VI) exchange chemistry, with specific emphasis on two fields: a) the development of the intrinsically enantiospecific click reactions and their use to e.g. make synthetic polymers with 100% backbone chirality that combine stability & degradabbility, and b) the development of multimodular click chemistry and single-polymer studies by a combination of AFM, TEM, scanning Auger microscopy

The remarkable properties of excitons in transition-metal-dichalcogenides (TMDs), together with the ability to readily control their charge carriers, have attracted a significant amount of interest in recent years. Despite the atomic dimensions of the hosting 2D semiconductors, TMD excitons exhibit strong interaction with light, both in absorption and photoemission processes, and practically dominate the optical response of these 2D materials. In this talk, I will introduce several approaches for achieving extremely strong light-exciton interactions. First, by optical and electrical manipulation of TMD excitons inside a van der Waals heterostructure cavity [1], second, via the formation of highly-confined, in-plane exciton polaritons [2], and third, through the realization of valley-polarized hyperbolic exciton polaritons [3]. These enhanced light–exciton interactions may provide a platform for studying excitonic phase-transitions, quantum nonlinearities and the enablement of new possibilities for 2D semiconductor-based optoelectronic devices. [1] I. Epstein et al, "Near-unity Light Absorption in a Monolayer WS2 Van der Waals Heterostructure Cavity", Nano letters 20 (5), 3545-3552 (2020). [2] I. Epstein et al, "Highly Confined In-plane Propagating Exciton-Polaritons on Monolayer Semiconductors", 2D Materials 7, 035031 (2020). [3] T. Eini, T. Asherov, Y. Mazor, and I. Epstein, "Valley-polarized Hyperbolic Exciton Polaritons in Multilayer 2D Semiconductors at Visible Frequencies", Phys. Rev. B 106, L201405 (2022).

Medicine is taking its first steps toward patient-specific cancer care. Nanoparticles have many potential benefits for treating cancer, including the ability to transport complex molecular cargoes, including siRNA and protein, as well as targeting specific cell populations. The talk will explain the fundamentals of nanotechnology, from ‘barcoded nanoparticles’ that target sites of cancer where they perform a programmed therapeutic task. Specifically, liposomes diagnose the tumor and metastasis for their sensitivity to different medications, providing patient-specific drug activity information that can be used to improve the medication choice. The talk will also describe how liposomes can be used for degrading the pancreatic stroma to allow subsequent drug penetration into pancreatic adenocarcinoma and how nanoparticle’ biodistribution and anti-cancer efficacy are impacted by the patient’s sex and, more specifically, the menstrual cycle. The evolution of drug delivery systems into synthetic cells, programmed nanoparticles that have an autonomous capacity to synthesize diagnostic and therapeutic proteins inside the body, and their promise for treating cancer and immunotherapy, will be discussed. References: 1) Theranostic barcoded nanoparticles for personalized cancer medicine, Yaari et al. Nature Communications, 2016, 7, 13325 2) Collagenase nanoparticles enhance the penetration of drugs into pancreatic tumors, Zinger et al., ACS Nano, 13 (10), 11008-11021, 2019 3) Targeting neurons in the tumor microenvironment with bupivacaine nanoparticles reduces breast cancer progression and metastases, Science Advances, Kaduri et al., 7 (41), eabj5435, 2021 4) Nanoparticles accumulate in the female reproductive system during ovulation affecting cancer treatment and fertility, Poley et al., ACS nano, 2022

Over years’ transition metal-catalyzed C-H activation has propelled the field of organic synthesis for the construction of structurally complex and diverse molecules in resource-economical fashion. In this context, non-directed C-H activation has gained unprecedented attention for attaining region-specific C-H functionalizations in a step-economic mode. Unlike traditional Fujiwara-Moritani reaction, this approach relies on ligand assistance and thus uses arene as the limiting reagent. However, all existing non-directed C-H functionalizations utilize high thermal energy to induce the functional group which eventually put the regioselectivity at stake. In addition, use of super stoichiometric costly silver salts to regenerate the catalyst produces unwanted metal waste. In aid of developing a more sustainable and environmentally benign approach, we have established a photoredox catalytic system by a merger of palladium/organo-photocatalyst(PC) which forges highly regeiospecific C-H olefination of diverse arenes and heteroarenes. Visible light nullifies the requirement of silver salts and thermal energy in executing “region-resolved” Fujiwara-Moritani reaction.

The major concerns about industrially used catalytic systems today are: i) the high cost of catalysts; ii) the toxicity of heavy transition metals; iii) difficulties in removing trace amounts of toxic-metal residues from the desired product; and, finally, iv) rare transition metal depletion, which does not meet the requirement of sustainable development. Developing environmentally friendly catalysts is an excellent option in this regard. Naturally, the most recent catalyst development trend heralded a new era of metal-free catalysis or catalysts based on earth-abundant, nontoxic, and low-cost metals. This talk will go over our recent advances [1-4] in using small molecules to systematically mimic transition metal-based catalysis. We designed electron transfer catalysis using the smallest polycyclic odd alternant hydrocarbon, phenalenyl (PLY)-based molecules, which was inspired by a completely different field of molecular spin materials [5]. This talk will focus on how to avoid transition metals when performing various cross-coupling catalysis.

The traditional approach to weather forecasting on one- to two-week timescales utilizes weather forecasting models, but on timescales longer than two weeks, the value of deterministic (or ensemble-based probabilistic) forecasts weakens. This is due to the presence of chaotic variability in the atmosphere. Yet certain modes of variability in the climate system have timescales longer than this two-week threshold, and the key to longer-scale prediction is to take advantage of these modes when they open up windows of opportunity. By understanding the impacts of these modes of variability on surface weather, the potential for improved forecasts on a monthly timescale can be demonstrated and eventually realized.  Two such classes of modes of variability are stratospheric variability (both in the tropical and polar stratosphere) and tropical tropospheric variability (e.g. the Madden-Julian Oscillation and El Nino). For example, both polar stratospheric sudden warmings and the Madden-Julian Oscillation have been shown to influence European and Mediterranean weather, but it is unclear (1) what mechanism(s) underlie these connections, (2) how far in advance the impacts can be predicted, (3) what governs the magnitude of the surface impact, and (4) how well models capture these connections. This talk will review progress made towards addressing these issues over the past several years in my group.

Over the last 2½ millenia, the world economy depended on prevailing currencies: the Athenian owl (530- 168 BCE), the Roman denarius (211 BCE-250 AD), the Spanish piece-of-eight (16th to 18th C), and today the US dollar. These reference monies were accepted everywhere and all, at least in the beginning, were made of silver. What is so special about this metal? Silver is useless and rare, but still abundant enough to match the wealth of nations and of their long-distance trade. Silver ores are associated with rare and recent tectonic environments, the Mediterranean world, notably the periphery of the Aegean Sea and Southern Iberia, and the American cordillera, Peru and Mexico. In contrast, they were markedly scarce in South and East Asia. After the virtual destruction of soils by the Anatolian farmers at the end of the Bronze Age, the Near and Middle East societies depended almost exclusively on the agriculture of Egypt and Mesopotamia. The Late Bronze Age collapse (ca. 1200 BCE) corresponded to the migration of Greek people and resulted in the annihilation of all the empires outside of the flood plains. Silver by weight was nevertheless used to save populations from famine and trade wheat, barley and copper. Military innovations, hoplites and their phalanx, were, with silver mines, the main resources of the Greeks. Mercenaries received their wages in silver, notably through the tributes exacted in silver by the Achaemenid (Persion) kings. By minting silver, the returning Greek mercenaries emerged as strong middle classes . They soon claimed their share of the power, toppled the tyrants, and installed democracy in many poleis from Greece and Southern Italy. Modern economics teaches us that egalitarian distribution of wealth is unfortunately unstable and this case is well illustrated by Syracuse. At the beginning of the common era, the Roman Empire found itself the owner of centuries of silver extracted from Greece and from Iberia. This bullion was used to buy luxury products, frankincense from Arabia, spices and cotton from India, ivory and precious wood from Africa. Leakage of silver towards the Indian Ocean was so strong that coins were quickly debased by copper and by 250 AD most of the silver had been lost. The progressive replacement of silver by a bimetallic system, gold for the rich and bronze for the working class, progressively fractured the society and ushered the brutal Middle Age regimes. Silver famine had finally destroyed the democratic ideal of the Greeks. This is food for thought as disappearing mining resources may severely affect our current vision of societies.

Layered materials exhibit unique charge and energy transfer characteristics, making them promising candidates for emerging photophysical and photochemical applications, and particularly in energy conversion and quantum information science. In two-dimensional systems, spatial confinement in a certain dimension causes reduced dielectric screening and enhanced Coulomb interaction compared to bulk materials. Upon light excitation, the relaxation processes of the charge and energy carriers, as well as their rearrangement in the lateral plane, allow for unique and structure-specific interaction dynamics of the electrons and holes in these systems and of their bound states - neutral and charged excitons. In particular, these dimensionality effects induce strong exciton-electron and exciton-hole interactions in doped or gated systems, where optical excitations coexist alongside electronic excitations. These interactions dominate the exciton decay and diffusion and introduce bound three-particle states in such systems. A many-particle theoretical picture of the formation and propagation of these states is crucial for proper tracking and understanding of the interaction pathways, crystal momentum effects, the involved particle-particle coupling and their relation to the underlying structure, dimensionality, and symmetry.

The Mediterranean region stands out among other subtropical regions in its projected drying response to the global rise in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. This drying trend has already emerged out of the normal, random climate variability in the sensitive Eastern Mediterranean (EM) region. To better understand the dynamical mechanisms responsible for this regional sensitivity, we turn to past protracted EM drying states during warm geological epochs. A unique view of the historical and pre-historical hydroclimate of the EM-Levant has been gleaned from the continued study of the sedimentary and geochemical record left by the lakes that filled the tectonic basin of the Dead Sea. We revisit the Late Quaternary sediment record retrieved during the 2010-2011 Dead Sea Deep Drilling Project (DSDDP). The sediments clearly indicate that the Levant was drier during past warm interglacials than during the adjacent glacials but nonetheless experienced large variations in the intensity of the regional aridity. During each interglacial, extended thick deposits of salts accumulated at the Lake bottom, during millennia of significant regional aridity and severely reduced Mediterranean rains. These dry states were interrupted by extended wet intervals, fed by rains that were supplied by a blend of tropical and Mediterranean moisture. To understand the underlying causes of the EM-Levant interglacial hydroclimate variations, we put the Dead Sea record in the context of the Northern Hemisphere orbital insolation variations and their impact on the global climate system. We show that the changes in EM hydroclimate portrayed by the DSDDP record during the interglacials, are entirely consistent with the response of the North Atlantic Ocean and the overlying atmosphere and surrounding land areas to the changes in the latitudinal insolation gradient, as determined by climate models and evident by surface temperature proxies. This perspective provides new information regarding the dynamical processes responsible for the ongoing, greenhouse gas forced, EM drying.

"Molecules in a Quantum-Optical Flask" When confined to small dimensions, the interaction between light and matter can be enhanced up to the point where it overcomes all the incoherent, dissipative processes. In this "strong coupling" regime the photons and the material start to behave as a single entity, having its own quantum states and energy levels. In this talk I will discuss how such cavity-QED effects can be used in order to control material properties and molecular processes. This includes, for example, modifying photochemical reactions [1], enhancing excitonic transport up to ballistic motion close to the light-speed [2-3] and potentially tailoring the mesoscopic properties of organic crystals, by hybridizing intermolecular vibrations with electromagnetic THz fields [4-5]. 1. J. A. Hutchison, T. Schwartz, C. Genet, E. Devaux, and T. W. Ebbesen, "Modifying Chemical Landscapes by Coupling to Vacuum Fields," Angew. Chemie Int. Ed. 51, 1592 (2012). 2. G. G. Rozenman, K. Akulov, A. Golombek, and T. Schwartz, "Long-Range Transport of Organic Exciton-Polaritons Revealed by Ultrafast Microscopy," ACS Photonics 5, 105 (2018). 3. M. Balasubrahmaniyam, A. Simkovich, A. Golombek, G. Ankonina, and T. Schwartz, "Unveiling the mixed nature of polaritonic transport: From enhanced diffusion to ballistic motion approaching the speed of light," arXiv:2205.06683 (2022). 4. R. Damari, O. Weinberg, D. Krotkov, N. Demina, K. Akulov, A. Golombek, T. Schwartz, and S. Fleischer, "Strong coupling of collective intermolecular vibrations in organic materials at terahertz frequencies," Nat. Commun. 10, 3248 (2019). 5. M. Kaeek, R. Damari, M. Roth, S. Fleischer, and T. Schwartz, "Strong Coupling in a Self-Coupled Terahertz Photonic Crystal," ACS Photonics 8, 1881 (2021).

Ice melts at 0 [˚C], however, water can be super-cooled homogeneously down to ~-40 [˚C] without freezing. The ability to control the temperature of freezing of super-cooled water is highly important in many scientific sub-fields. Freezing can be induced at higher temperatures by the application of electric fields (known as electro-freezing). Despite the importance of the process of electro-freezing, its mechanism at the molecular level is still not fully understood. Recently, icing experiments performed by our group have demonstrated that electro-freezing comprises of the interactions of an electric field with specific ions of trigonal planar configuration, creating arm-chair hexagons that mimic the hexagons of the crystal ice. In my research, I investigated the effect of electro-freezing of super-cooled water on silver and copper electrodes. I found that the mechanism of electro-freezing of super-cooled water as induced by the silver electrodes is very complex and irreproducible. In contrast, the high icing temperature (~-4 [˚C]) on the copper (111) face is induced primarily by a mechanism of epitaxy.

Plastic (irreversible) deformation of crystals requires disrupting the crystalline order, which happens through nucleation and motion of topological line defects called dislocations. Interactions between dislocations lead to the formation of complex networks that, in turn, dictate the mechanical response of the crystal. The severe difficulty in atomic systems to simultaneously resolve the emerging macroscopic deformation and the evolution of these networks impedes our understanding of crystal plasticity. To circumvent this difficulty, we explore crystal plasticity by using colloidal crystals; the micrometer size of the particles allows us to visualize the deformation process in real-time and on the single particle level. In this talk, I will focus on two classical problems: instability of epitaxial growth and strain hardening of single crystals. In direct analogy to epitaxially grown atomic thin films, we show that colloidal crystals grown on mismatched templates to a critical thickness relax the imposed strain by nucleation of dislocations. Our experiments reveal how interactions between dislocations lead to an unexpectedly sharp relaxation process. I will then show that colloidal crystals can be strain-hardened by plastic shear; the yield strength increases with the dislocation density in excellent accord with the classical Taylor equation, originally developed for atomic crystals. Our experiments reveal the underlying mechanism for Taylor hardening and the conditions under which this mechanism fails.

Recent severe summertime weather extremes in the Northern hemisphere extratropics such as the extraordinary 2021 North American Heatwave and the record-breaking floods in central Europe were in part driven by persistent circulation patterns in the tropospheric Jetstream. To what degree such circulation patterns will modulate extreme weather risk in a warming world is still uncertain and remains a highly debated topic in climate science. I will present results from recent studies that investigate physics of extraordinary extremes, future changes in weather persistence diagnosed by a feature tracking algorithm and future risks from concurrent extremes and associated impacts on crop production based on latest GGCMI-runs. A special emphasis will be placed on benchmarking the skill of CMIP5 and CMIP6 models to reproduce atmosphere dynamical mechanisms and associated extreme weather against reanalysis data short bio: Kai Kornhuber is an adjunct Associate Research Scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University in New York and a Senior Fellow on Climate Risks at the German Council on Foreign Relations. His research is concerned with physical drivers of extreme weather and climate events and associated societal impacts and risks under current and future climatic conditions. He is Founding Member of the EarthNetwork on Sustainable and Resilient Living in an Era of Increasing Disasters at Columbia’s Climate School, Co-Chair of the Compound Events Working Group at Risk-Kan, Steering Committee member of the HiWeather Project and a Co- Pi of the Project PERSEVERE within the BMBF Consortium.

Interfaces between systems with different properties are a common feature of Nature. However, the physics of interactions across such interfaces is often neglected. In this talk, I will focus on the case of biological tissue-tissue interfaces and show they can exhibit emergent electrical excitability, a phenomenon that has not been explored before. Using cultured cells and optical tools, I have found that interfaces between tissues with dissimilar electrophysiological properties can behave differently compared to the tissues on either side. In particular, the interface between non-excitable tissues can become excitable. Excitability of cells therefore depends on their position, not just the proteins they express. Moreover, my simulations reveal that interface excitability is extremely robust to parametric variation. I will briefly discuss the roots of this difference in the structures of the underlying dynamical systems, and will show examples of other excitable systems that can exhibit interfacial excitation, such as predator-prey dynamics and oscillating chemical reactions.

Cells carefully regulate the movement of solutes across their membrane using an intricate array of interconnected transport pathways. While beneficial for mediating essential cellular activities, the abundance of complex transport pathways severely limits the elucidation of particular translocation mechanisms in live-cell studies. We alleviate this impediment by taking a reductionist approach to incorporate specific transport pathways (e.g., transport proteins) in simplified artificial cell models, using giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) as a biologically-relevant chassis. To gain maximal control over the bioengineering process, we developed an integrated microfluidic platform capable of high-throughput production and purification of monodispersed GUV-based cell models. Using single-vesicle fluorescence analysis, we quantified the passive permeation rate of two biologically important electrolytes, protons (H+) and potassium ions (K+), and correlated their flux with electrochemical gradient buildup across the GUV lipid bilayer. Applying similar analysis principles, we also determined the H+/K+ selectively of two archetypal ion channels, gramicidin A and outer membrane porin F (OmpF). Altogether, our results provide an insight into the transport mechanism of ions across lipid bilayers and set a framework for elucidating protein-based transport in artificial cell models.

Self-assembly of inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) into ordered structures has led to a wide range of materials with unique optical, electronic, and catalytic properties. Various interactions have been employed to direct the crystallization of NPs, including van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonding, and magnetic dipolar interactions. Among them, Coulombic interactions have remained largely unexplored, owing to the rapid charge exchange between spherical NPs bearing high densities of opposite charges (superionic NPs). In this talk, I will describe a new method to assemble superionic NPs under conditions that preserve their native surface charge density. Our methodology was used to assemble oppositely charged NPs (“spherical polyelectrolytes”) into highly ordered assemblies exhibiting previously unknown morphologies.

The need for affordable large scale energy storage has risen dramatically with the increase in usage of renewable energy sources. In recent years, beyond Li batteries such as Na ion batteries (SIB), gained much interest due to limited Lithium resources. However, SIBs are still far from meeting the demands in terms of electrochemical performance, rendering research on SIBs very important. During battery cycling, chemical and electrochemical processes result in the formation of an interphase between the anode and electrolyte called the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). The effect of the SEI on electrochemical performance cannot be overstated, as its composition and structure dictate interfacial ionic transport in the battery cell. Since the SEI is very thin (10-50 nm) and is composed of disordered, organic, and inorganic phases it is extremely difficult to characterize at the atomic-molecular level. In this seminar I will present methodology developed for probing the native SEI formed in SIBs by using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and signal enhanced NMR by exogenous and endogenous dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP). Employing these techniques enabled us to gain information on the chemical composition of the SEI together with important insights into the SEI’s structural gradient formed with different Na electrolytes. Correlating the compositional and structural information acquired with the SEI’s function can assist in designing SIBs with improved performance and longer lifetime.

The two natural allotropes of carbon, diamond and graphite, are extended networks of sp3- and sp2- hybridized carbon atoms, respectively. By mixing different hybridizations and geometries of carbon, one could conceptually construct countless synthetic allotropes. In this talk, I will introduce graphullerene, a new two-dimensional superatomic allotrope of carbon combining three- and four-coordinate carbon atoms. The constituent subunits of graphullerene are C60 fullerenes that are covalently interconnected within a molecular layer, forming graphene-like hexagonal sheets. The most remarkable thing about the synthesis of graphullerene is that the solid-state reaction produces large polyhedral crystals (hundreds of micrometers in lateral dimensions), rather than an amorphous or microcrystalline powder as one would typically expect from polymerization chemistry. Similar to graphite, the crystals can be mechanically exfoliated to produce molecularly thin flakes with clean interfaces—a critical requirement for the creation of heterostructures and optoelectronic devices. We find that polymerizing the fullerenes leads to a large change in the electronic structure of C60 and the vibrational scattering mechanisms affecting thermal transport. Furthermore, imaging few-layer graphullerene flakes using transmission electron microscopy and near-field nano-photoluminescence spectroscopy reveals the existence of moiré-like superlattices. The discovery of a superatomic cousin of graphene demonstrates that there is an entire family of higher and lower dimensional forms of carbon that may be chemically prepared from molecular precursors.

Creation of reconfigurable and multi-functional materials can be achieved by incorporating architecture into material design. In our research, we design and fabricate three-dimensional (3D) nano-architected materials that can exhibit superior and often tunable thermal, photonic, electrochemical, biochemical, and mechanical properties at extremely low mass densities (lighter than aerogels), which renders them useful and enabling in technological applications. Dominant properties of such meta-materials are driven by their multi-scale nature: from characteristic material microstructure (atoms) to individual constituents (nanometers) to structural components (microns) to overall architectures (millimeters and above). Our research is focused on fabrication and synthesis of nano- and micro-architected materials using 3D lithography, nanofabrication, and additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, as well as on investigating their mechanical, biochemical, electrochemical, electromechanical, and thermal properties as a function of architecture, constituent materials, and microstructural detail. Additive manufacturing (AM) represents a set of processes that fabricate complex 3D structures using a layer-by-layer approach, with some advanced methods attaining nanometer resolution and the creation of unique, multifunctional materials and shapes derived from a photoinitiation-based chemical reaction of custom-synthesized resins and thermal post-processing. A type of AM, vat polymerization, has allowed for using hydrogels as precursors, and exploiting novel material properties, especially those that arise at the nano-scale and do not occur in conventional materials. The focus of this talk is on additive manufacturing via vat polymerization and function-containing chemical synthesis to create 3D nano- and micro-architected metals, ceramics, multifunctional metal oxides (nano-photonics, photocatalytic, piezoelectric, etc.), and metal-containing polymer complexes, etc., as well as demonstrate their potential in some real-use biomedical, protective, and sensing applications. I will describe how the choice of architecture, material, and external stimulus can elicit stimulus-responsive, reconfigurable, and multifunctional response

Most electrical activity in vertebrates and invertebrates occurs at extremely low frequencies (ELF), with characteristic maxima below 50 Hz. The origin of these frequency maxima is unknown and remains a mystery. We propose that over billions of years during the evolutionary history of living organisms on Earth, the natural electromagnetic resonant frequencies in the atmosphere, continuously generated by global lightning activity, provided the background electric fields for the development of cellular electrical activity. In some animals, the electrical spectrum is difficult to differentiate from the natural background atmosphericelectric field produced by lightning. In this talk I will present evidence for the link between the natural ELF fields and those found in many living organisms, including humans.  Furthermore, recent experiments show links between the ELF fields and photosynthesis in plants.

Accumulating work points out relevant genes and signaling pathways hampered in human disorders as potential candidates for therapeutics. Developing nucleic acid-based tools to manipulate gene expression, such as siRNAs, mRNA and genome editing strategies, open up opportunities for personalized medicine. Yet, although major progress was achieved in developing RNA targeted delivery carriers, mainly by utilizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for targeting, their clinical translation has not occurred. In part because of massive development and production requirements and high batch-to-batch variability of current technologies, which relies on chemical conjugation. Here we present a self-assembled modular platform that enables to construct theoretically unlimited repertoire of RNA targeted carriers. The platform self-assembly is based on a membrane-anchored lipoprotein, incorporated into RNA-loaded novel, unique lipid nanoparticles that interact with the antibody Fc domain. We show that a simple switch of 8 different mAbs, redirects specific uptake of siRNAs by diverse leukocyte subsets in vivo. The platform therapeutic potential is demonstrated in an inflammatory bowel disease model, by targeting colon macrophages to reduce inflammatory symptoms, and in Mantle Cell Lymphoma xenograft model, by targeting cancer cells to induce cell death and improve survival. In addition, I will discuss novel approach for delivering modified mRNA to specific cell types in vivo utilizing this platform. I will also share some data on mRNA vaccines for COVID19 and Finally, I will share new data showing very high efficiency genome editing in glioma and metastatic ovarian cancer. This modular delivery platform can serve as a milestone in turning precision medicine feasible.

Atoms in the highly excited Rydberg states possess unique properties, including long lifetimes and huge dipole moments, which facilitate their use in various quantum technology applications. I will discuss recent progress in quantum simulations of many-body physics with strongly-interacting Rydberg atoms and coherent interfaces of Rydberg atoms with superconducting microwave resonators and optical photons, and present some of our results in this research.

In this lecture, the theoretical and technical base for atomic imaging of defects in inorganic 2D materials in the low-voltage transmission electron microscope SALVE will be discussed. Atomic defects can significantly change the properties of the material: Using 2D-TMDs and 2D-TMPTs and corresponding heterostructures, this is shown experimentally and verified by corresponding quantum mechanical calculations. We also use the electron beam for the targeted formation of new phases in the inorganic 2D matrix. Since the interaction cross-sections of electron beam and organic 2D materials differ strongly from the inorganic case, we explore highest-resolution imaging conditions for 2D polymers and various 2D MOFs and show that there is a trend towards lower voltage TEM as well. We may conclude that low-voltage TEM and low-dimensional materials are just made for each other.

Electrostatic interactions between polyelectrolyte (PE) charges and dissociated counterions provide PEs with intriguing properties and significantly determine their conformation and dynamics. This research shows how weak PE chains form a global network when they are oppositely charged and how strong electric fields lead to orientational order. The development of controlled drug release and responsive structures is demonstrated by the use of ordered PE with tunable intermolecular interactions.

Neurodegenerative diseases are often clinically, genetically, and pathologically heterogeneous. The clinical impact of understanding heterogeneity is perhaps best observed in cancer, where subtype-specificity within diagnoses, prognoses, and treatments have had a critical impact on clinical decision making and patient outcomes. A better understanding of how mechanisms are related to or drive heterogeneity within diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), will have a direct impact on patient outcomes, with a conscious effort to move towards precision medicine and targeted therapeutics for patients, which are urgently needed. For this reason, neuroscientists and oncologists have long aspired to achieve an understanding of the mechanisms governing pathophysiology. Our interdisciplinary work integrates technologies across a wide range of fields to surpass the current barriers in understanding disease pathophysiology. This talk will highlight a series of optical and photoacoustic imaging tools as well as multi-omics analysis that have been developed and studied in Dr. Smith’s lab to address the urgent need for non-invasive cancer detection and the characterization of neurological disorders. Through this work, we aim to develop translational technologies and methodologies to better characterize, understand, and detect disease pathogenesis, beyond current capabilities.

One of the most surprising discoveries in exoplanet science has been the existence of compact systems of Earth to super-Earth sized planets. These multi-planet systems have nearly circular, coplanar orbits located at distances of only ∼ 0.01 − 0.1 AU, a region devoid of planets in our Solar System. Although compact systems comprise a large fraction of known exoplanetary systems, their origin remains debated. Common to all prior models of compact system origin is the assumption that infall to the stellar disk ends before planets form. However, there is growing observational, theoretical, and meteoritical evidence of the early growth of mm-sized “pebbles” during the infall phase. We propose that accretion of compact systems occurs during stellar infall. As a cloud core collapses, solids are gradually accumulated in the disk, producing favorable conditions for the formation and survival of close-in planets. A key feature of this model is that the reduced gas-to-solids ratio in the planet accretion region can allow for the formation and survival of compact systems, even with Type-I migration. Accretion within infall-supplied disks has been studied in the context of gas planet satellite origin. Formation models predict that the total mass of the satellite system during this evolution maintains a nearly constant mass ratio ∼10^−4 compared to the host planet’s mass. The maximum mass ratio of compact exoplanetary systems compared to the stellar mass are similar to those of the giant satellite system, suggesting that accretion of compact systems may be similar to regular satellite formation.

High-Performance, Rechargeable Li-ion Batteries (LIBs) are key to the global transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. LIBs utilizing lithium metal as the anode are particularly exciting due to their exceptional energy density and redox potential, yet their advancement is hindered by growth of metallic filaments and unstable surface layers. Efficient cationic transport, which is crucial for battery performance, largely depends on the heterogeneous and disordered interphase formed between the anode and the electrolyte during cycling. Directly observing this interphase as well as the dynamic processes involving it is a great challenge. Here we present an approach to elucidate these dynamic processes and correlate them with the corresponding interfacial chemistry, focusing on the first step of cationic transport: surface adsorption. Employing Dark State Exchange Saturation Transfer (DEST) by 7Li NMR, we were able to detect the exchange of Li-ions between the homogenous electrolyte and the heterogeneous surface layer, highlighting the hidden interface between the liquid and solid environments. This enabled determination of the kinetic and energetic binding properties of different surface chemistries, advancing our understanding of cationic transport mechanisms in Li-ion batteries. 

We introduce a variant of SELEX in-vitro selection to study the evolution of a population of oligonucleotides starting from a seed of random-sequence DNA 50mers (our evolving individuals) and introducing selectivity by an affinity capture gel formed by beads carrying DNA 20mers of fixed sequence that act as targets (our resources). We PCR amplify the captured strands and proceed to the next generation. Because of the simplicity of the process, we could investigate what plays the role of “fitness" in this synthetic evolution process. We find that, across generations, evolution is first driven by the need of binding to the capture gel, while, on a later stages it appear dominated by the emerging of motifs related to inter-individual interactions.

Our organs and tissues are made of different cell types that communicate with each other in order to achieve joint functions. However, little is known about the universal principles of these interactions. For example, how do cell interactions maintain proper cellular composition, spatial organization and collective division of labor in tissues? And what is the role of these interactions in tissue-level diseases where the healthy balance in the tissue is disrupted such as excess scarring following injury known as fibrosis? In this talk, I will discuss my work in developing theoretical frameworks that explore the collective behavior of cells that emerges from cell-cell communication circuits. I will present work on the cell circuit that controls tissue repair following injury and how it may lead to fibrosis. I will discuss a new approach to explore how cell interactions can be used to provide symmetry breaking and optimal division of labor in tissues, and how this approach can help to interpret complex patterns in real data. I will introduce a new concept in complex networks – network hyper-motifs, where we explore how small recurring patterns (network motifs) are integrated within large networks, and how these larger patterns (hyper-motifs) can give rise to emergent dynamic properties. Finally, I will conclude with future directions that are aimed at revealing principles that unify our understanding of different tissues.

How animals navigate and perform directional decision making while migrating and foraging, is an open puzzle. We have recently proposed a spin-based model for this process, where each optional target that is presented to the animal is represented by a group of Ising spins, that have all-to-all connectivity, with ferromagnetic intra-group interactions. The inter-group interactions are in the form of a vector dot product, depending on the instantaneous relative, and deformed, angle between the targets. The deformation of the angle in these interactions enhances the effective angular differences for small angles, as was found by fitting data from several animal species. We expose here the rich variety of trajectories predicted by the mean-field solutions of the model, for systems of three and four targets. We find that depending on the arrangement of the targets the trajectories may have an infinite series of self-similar bifurcations, or have a space-filling property. The bifurcations along the trajectories occur on "bifurcation curves'', that determine the overall nature of the trajectories. The angular deformation that was found to fit experimental data, is shown to greatly simplify the trajectories. This work demonstrates the rich space of trajectories that emerge from the model.

Neuromorphic computing designs have an important role in the modern ‘big data’ era, as they are suitable for processing large amount of information in short time, eliminating the von Neumann (VN) bottleneck. The neuromorphic hardware, taking its inspiration from the human brain, is designed to be used for artificial intelligence tasks via physical neural networks, such as speech or image recognition, bioinformatics, visual art processing and much more. The memristor (memory + resistor), is one of the promising building blocks for this hardware, as it mimics the behavior of a human synapse, and can be used as an analog non-volatile memory. The memristor has been proven as a viable memory element and has been used for constructing resistive random access memory (RRAM) as a replacement for current VN hardware. However, the mechanism of operation and the conducting bridge formation mechanisms in electrochemical metallization memristors still require further investigation. A planar single-nanowire (NW) based memristor is a good solution for elucidating the mechanism of operation, thanks to the high localization of switching events, allowing in-situ investigation as well as post-process analysis. Our group, which has developed the guided-growth approach to grow guided planar NWs on different substrates, has used this method to integrate guided epitaxial NWs into functional devices such as field-effect transistors (FETs), photodetectors and even address decoders. However, the guided-growth approach has not been used for creating memristors up to date. In this work, I successfully synthesized guided NWs of two metal-oxides on flat and faceted sapphire substrates – ZnO and β-Ga2O3 were successfully grown in the VLS mechanism as surface guided NWs. I successfully grew planar guided β-Ga2O3 NWs on six different sapphire substrates, for the first time as far as we know. We characterized the newly grown β-Ga2O3 NWs with SEM, TEM, EDS and Raman spectroscopy. The monoclinic NWs grew along surprising directions on the flat sapphire surfaces and I demonstrated a new mode of growth – epitaxy favored growth on a faceted surface, when graphoepitaxy is also possible. I created electrochemical metallization memristors with the obtained NWs and successfully demonstrated the effect of resistive switching for β-Ga2O3 guided NW based devices. With the abovementioned achievements, we expanded the guided-growth approach on flat and faceted sapphire surfaces, and opened the opportunity for creating surface guided-NW based neuromorphic hardware.

From a perovskite photovoltaic device standpoint, the Al2O3 ALD can be thought of as a thin film encapsulate to protect the underlined material from the extrinsic entities. However, as per the literature is concerned, the role of Al2O3 ALD in the perovskite photovoltaic devices is much beyond a mare passive component. This raises a severe ambiguity over the choice of surface (or interface) on which ALD needs to be done for optimized device performance, in terms of the device efficiency and stability. In my presentation, I would like to elucidate the characteristic differences between the surface limited and substrate enhanced ALD processes which is important to perovskite devices. The objective here is to discuss a unified correlation between the role of the Al2O3 ALD mechanism with the perovskite device performance by excluding popular overestimated assumption about the conformality on non-ideal surface, like perovskite or organic thin films. In addition, I would like to emphasize on the fact that how the ALD process can be used to passivate the buried interfacial defect and enhancing the VOC, PL and ELQE.

Not a day goes by when we don’t hear about the “climate crisis”; some effects are well documented, like the rise in the average global temperature and the shrinking of the polar ice caps. Undoubtedly, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have been increasing, but what does “science” say about the potential consequences? The combination of the atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere and biosphere is the ultimate non-linear coupled complex system. How well do we understand what might happen? In the first part of my talk, I shall review my exploration of the original literature to try and separate out speculation, hypothesis, results of computational models, and most significantly actual observations. In the second part of my talk, I shall discuss what will actually work to reduce carbon dioxide emissions (complete elimination or Net Zero is an impossibility). Although it has become fashionable for governments to impose mandates enshrined in laws, the only laws that matter are the laws of thermodynamics and Ohm’s law.

Aromatic dichalcogenides exhibits a rich reductive and oxidative redox chemistry and the one and two electron reductions and oxidations of such Ar2Ch2 species appears at rather mild potentials. The successive 1e–-reductions often have very similar potentials as the one electron process results in the formation of an odd-electron bond, which stabilizes the radical anion, for example in hypothetical Ph2S2•− by about 30 kcal/mol. Inspired by the natural dithiol/disulfide 2H+/2e− couple, we investigated a 2,2′-bipyridine that is equipped with a disulfide/dithiolate unit in the backbone for storing multiple electrons and protons.[2] The synchronized transfer of electrons and protons is a critical step in many chemical and biological transformations. In particular, hydride and H atom transfer reactions are important in, for example, catalytic hydrogenation or small molecule activation reactions relevant to renewable energy storage. We examined in depth the fundamental 2e–, 2e–/2H+ and 1e–/H+ reactivity of the switch depending on the metalation. It appears that the Re compound overcomes the drawback of many metal-free hydride donors, which show a large gap between the first and second reduction process, and detrimental side reactions of the radical intermediate. Furthermore, we applied such Ar2Se2 in the anodic amination and esterification of nonactivated alkenes. Amination and esterfication reactions are of considerable importance since C–N and C–O bond motifs can be found in numerous organic compounds associated with biological, pharmaceutical, or material scientific applications. We developed versatile protocols for the electrochemical functionalization and a detailed kinetic and thermodynamic analysis gave valuable insights into the mechanism of the reaction as well as the impact of, e.g. solvent, additives, on the organocatalysis.

Somitogenesis, the segmentation of the antero-posterior axis in vertebrates, is thought to result from the interactions between a genetic oscillator and a posterior-moving determination wavefront. I will introduce the current state of knowledge of that important stage in the development of vertebrate embryos. Surprisingly while the oscillator period is very sensitive to temperature changes, the size of the segments is not. I shall describe our results pertaining to the importance of the decrease in time of the Fgf8 gradient on the propagation of the wavefront and the observation that the somitogenetic period, embryo growth rate, PSM shortening rate and Fgf8 decay rate all slow down as 1/(T-Tc) with Tc=14.4°C, suggesting that critical slowing may affect the embryo metabolism resulting in a natural compensation of thermal effects on somite size.