FOCUS SINGLE MOLECULE ACTIVATON AND COMPUTING

Bek A. (Yürütücü)

7. Çerçeve Programı Projesi, 2011 - 2014

The present project, FOCUS, will build a novel generation of biologically inspired molecular devices (MDs) based

on the developments of new photonic tools. These photonic tools will use Plasmon Polariton and two-photon

technology, enabling focused light spots with a diameter around 10 nm. FOCUS will also develop new light

sensitive molecules that will be selectively activated by our new photonic tools. These new technological

innovations will provide a way to control activation of single light sensitive molecules and will allow the

investigation of molecular computation in a biological environment and with an unprecedented resolution. On

the basis of these investigations and by using the developed new tools, FOCUS will design and test new MDs

for amplification and information processing. FOCUS will: i - provide new photonic devices to control single

molecules; ii – lay out the basis for understanding molecular computation in biological systems; iii - provide

proofs of concept and suggestions for designing new molecular artificial computing systems; iv- build prototypes

of these new MDs. FOCUS has formed a highly interdisciplinary consortium composed of nanotechnologists

able to fabricate the new photonic devices - i.e. Enzo Di Fabrizio (IIT), Alpan Bek (METU) and Marco Lazzarino

(CBM), chemists able to develop the photoswitches and assemble the MDs – i.e. Pau Gorostiza (IBEC) and

Ljiljana Fruk (KIT) and biologists able to understand molecular mechanisms – i.e. Vincent Torre (SISSA) and

Fabio Benfenati (IIT). The two companies RappOptoElectronic and NT-MDT Europe BV will transform the new

tools and devices into marketable products.