Electronic skin (e-skin) is a fast-emerging soft system to provide tactile sensations like our own skin. However, most of the prototypes today focus on the integration of various sensors on flexible substrates, which can hardly be integrated neurologically onto biological systems nor used over a large area as sensing components for robots: this is mainly because of their mismatch in various aspects including mechanical softness, computing/encoding capability, power consumption. This proposal aims to bring a step-change by developing an e-skin truly rooted in biological systems: the proposed e-Skin will respond to external stimuli (e.g., force) and encode the sensory information in the form of action potentials, just as the biological systems (i.e., sensory neurons) do. This will be achieved by innovative fabrication of neuron circuit arrays over a large area using nanomaterials, and further interfaced with tactile sensors, all on the soft substrate. Such “bio-like” localised processing, offered by the soft system, greatly decreases the latency of the sensory data, necessary for the upscaling of the sensing pixels to achieve human-level tactile sensation. Furthermore, this paves the way for the interfacing between soft electronics and biology, triggering transformations in the next generation of neurorobotics, neuroprosthesis and interactive systems.

NanoEnHanCeMent (Nanoparticle Enhanced Hadron-therapy: a comprehensive Mechanistic description) is an action aimed to apply basic Physics and Chemistry methods to uncover the microscopic mechanisms behind nanoparticle enhancement of hadron-therapy for cancer treatment (or ion beam cancer therapy). Hadron-therapy (radiotherapy using accelerated ion beams) is one of the most advanced radiotherapies available, with superior dose delivery and biological effectiveness as compared to conventional radiotherapy. The increased effectiveness of hadron-therapy relies on physico-chemical phenomena occurring on the nanoscale. There is experimental evidence pointing out to nanoparticles enhancing the biological effects of ion beams. Since nanoparticles can be tuned to target cancer cells, they might be used to further improve hadron-therapy. However, it is still unknown how nanoparticles produce this effect. A proper exploitation of the nanoparticle radioenhancement in hadron-therapy depends on improving the understanding of the physico-chemical mechanisms responsible for it. In this project, a theory and modelling approach is proposed, in which a series of semiempirical and ab initio methods will be extended and interfaced with Monte Carlo track-structure simulation tools, in order to advance the basic understanding of the nanoparticle enhanced hadron-therapy physical and chemical mechanisms. The action also encompasses an integral training program for the Experienced Researcher, with a deepening in already mastered methods and learning of new methodologies, together with the acquisition of complementary and transferable skills, all this in an environment where theory, experiment and clinical applications meet. A complete communication and outreach program is also envisaged, to disseminate the results to the scientific community and also to show to the citizenship how the investment in basic science and European cooperation pave the way for addressing societal challenges.

MicroColGaSe (Monolithic MicroColumn Gas Sensor System: a system for portable low power high selectivity gas analysis) is an action aimed at the development and characterization of a novel microfabrication platform allowing the monolithic integration of a microfluidic separation microcolumn with a gas sensor fabricated with Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology. A range of new MEMS microfluidic enhanced sensors can emerge from this platform. The primary result of this action is an ultra compact, low power consumption, high selectivity gas sensing system-on-chip. This novel integrated system is meant to enable high selectivity in mobile gas sensing devices which are forecast to become part of the consumer market in lead applications such as IoT, healthcare, environmental monitoring. Although MEMS gas sensors have been researched during the last 20 years and marketed in the last decade, their selectivity remains an intrinsic limit due to the nature of the detection principle. This action aims at providing high selectivity MEMS gas sensors using a microcolumn to pretreat the gas sample and obtain flow separation of its components. This is already achieved in complex systems which require multiple separate components to be connected, obtaining bulky and power consuming devices. Main objective of this action is to enable monolithic integration of the main components of the above described system: gas sensor, microcolumn, concentrator and filter - all in a single silicon chip. The dramatic advantages of this integration are in the cost, footprint, and energy efficiency. In particular, the extremely reduced footprint will make it possible to embed these sensors in consumer mobile devices such as smartphones and wearables. A network of partners will allow a complete development and characterization of this novel device, leading to a demonstration unit that will be used to disseminate the action results and prove the potential of this novel technology platform.