The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research granted EUR 19 million to six large science programmes. Delft researchers are playing an important role in five of these.
'Cognitive Robots for Flexible Agro Food Technology' was one of the projects that received funding. (Photo: WUR)
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New robotics for food production, advanced imaging techniques to detect vascular diseases, smarter optical measuring techniques. Major societal needs lie at the heart of the six research projects that will receive the grants. The research programmes are being funded through NWO’s funding instrument entitled Perspectives for the top sectors.
Each year, NWO awards Perspectief funding to five or six new research programmes in areas in which Dutch industry and research centres are strengthening their position. The six research programmes that can now start have a joint budget of EUR 28 million. Nineteen million euros is from NWO’s Perspectief funding while the remaining EUR 9 million is being invested by companies and other stakeholder organisations. Delft researchers have the lead in two of the projects – Electrons to Chemical Bonds, and Synoptic Optics – and are involved in three others.
- Building molecules using sustainable electricity
Electrons to Chemical Bonds (E2CB)
By 2050, the Dutch chemical industry wants to emit ninety percent less carbon dioxide than it does today. Electrochemistry, producing molecules using electricity, can kill two birds with one stone. It will not only reduce CO2 emissions but also make it possible to store excess supplies of electricity from sustainable sources, such as the wind and sun, in chemical bonds. At present, however, few electrochemical processes are known that can be used on an industrial scale.
The EC2B programme seeks to change this. The consortium will focus on the entire chain: from materials research at the nanoscale through to different types of reactors at the macro scale. The researchers want to develop new scalable electrochemical processes to produce methane, liquid hydrocarbons, and ammonia, among others, and to convert biomass into useful chemical building blocks.
Programme leader: Prof. Bernard Dam of the TU Delft materials for energy conversion and storage department (Faculty of Applied Sciences).
- More insight from light
Synoptic Optics
Optical techniques can be used to obtain information about the size, structure, and composition of an illuminated object. However, most optical techniques only observe changes in a few specific properties of the light, such as intensity or degree of polarisation. Within the programme Synoptic Optics, researchers will develop methods to analyse all properties of light simultaneously. Smart algorithms and signal-processing techniques will ensure that more extensive measurements can be realised just as quickly as conventional methods. The researchers will also develop a new optical source to rapidly measure all properties of light with thousands of wavelengths at the same time.
The programme is aimed at several specific applications that vary from measuring food quality and air pollution to detecting minuscule changes in materials for the semiconductor industry. Programme leader is Prof. Paul Urbach of the optics department (Faculty of Applied Sciences)
- A better understanding of bubbles in maritime technology
AQUA – Water Quality in Maritime Hydrodynamics
Air bubbles in water attenuate underwater sound and reduce the friction under a ship, as a result of which less fuel is needed. Although the behaviour of air bubbles in freshwater is known reasonably well, bubbles in saline seawater behave very differently. In this programme, the researchers will compare air bubbles in freshwater and seawater, to gain a better understanding of how bubbles can be used to manage friction, sound propagation, and cavitation. The ultimate aim is to be able to predict how the composition of water influences the air bubbles. The research is being led by Prof. Detlef Lohse of the University of Twente.
- Flexible robotics for food production
Cognitive Robots for Flexible Agro Food Technology (FlexCRAFT)
Food production must be as hygienic, efficient and sustainable as possible. Furthermore, fewer people are willing to do tedious and heavy work in warm greenhouses or in refrigerated rooms where chicken products are processed, for example. Robots can provide a solution to this problem if they can deal with the considerable variations in shape, size, and hardness of different food products. This is still challenging. The programme FlexCRAFT will develop new robot technology for such purposes as the automatic harvesting of tomatoes, for example. The robotics developed must also help with the processing of foodstuffs. Examples of this include the processing and packaging of chicken products, but also neatly packaging bags of crisps and packets of biscuits in boxes of varying sizes.
The Netherlands is the second biggest exporter of agro-food products worldwide and the third biggest supplier of technology for the agro-food sector. This programme will contribute to strengthening the competitive position of the Netherlands in these sectors. Programme leader is Prof. Eldert van Henten of Wageningen University & Research.
- Knowledge strengthens lettuce
LettuceKnow: Science-Based Improvement of Salad
How can you ensure that lettuce and other healthy leaf vegetables also grow well during dry, hot conditions such as those of last summer? And how can you enable them to thrive in silted soil, under the pressure of pathogens or in multilayer cultivation under LED lighting? The programme LettuceKnow uses lettuce as a model crop for scientific research into the optimal genetic composition of the leafy vegetables and other so-called composites, such as sunflower and chicory.
In this programme, six large vegetable breeding companies are working together with twelve research groups and the Centre for Genetic Resources. The researchers will combine knowledge of genetic variants and their activity in more than 500 mostly wild lettuce lines using advanced phenotyping, bioinformatics, and machine-learning techniques. That will enable them to determine how genetic differences determine growth and resilience. The researchers will subsequently use this knowledge to develop healthy, strong lettuce varieties that can cope with changing climate conditions, plant diseases and new cultivation conditions. Programme leader is Prof. Guido van den Ackerveken o f Utrecht University.
- New 3D ultrasound technique improves the diagnosis of vascular diseases
Ultrafast Ultrasound Imaging for Extended Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Disease (ULTRA-X-TREME)
Vascular problems can be life-threatening. Examples are strokes (CVAs) caused by atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries, or lethal ruptures of the aorta if the vessel wall becomes weakened. At present, doctors generally only measure the diameter of the vessels affected to determine the risk of this happening. However, the predictive value of such measurements turns out to be limited. Many people therefore unnecessarily undergo risky treatments. Furthermore, dangerous cases are missed.
This programme will develop new highly accurate ultrasound techniques to produce 3D images of the vessel walls and blood flow. The researchers will develop new imaging sensors, contrast fluids and analysis techniques to more accurately determine whether treatment is necessary.
The consortium behind ULTRA-X-TREME includes hospitals, industrial partners and the best Dutch research groups in the area of ultrasound techniques and the biomechanics of blood vessels. Programme leader: Prof. Chris de Korte (Radboudumc and University of Twente)
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