Controlling the interactions between individual molecules has long been a sought-after goal in fundamental research, and is a prerequisite for coherent control of molecular processes and the design of molecular quantum devices. The experimental methods that have been developed in recent years to cool molecules to low temperatures have brought this goal within reach. At temperatures below 50 K, quantum effects dominate the interactions and scattering resonances can occur. In this regime, the interactions become susceptible to externally applied fields that can be used to tune the dynamics and the collective properties of the interacting particles. Yet, the forces that are at play between individual molecules at these low temperatures are largely unknown. Theoretical calculations do not reach sufficient levels of accuracy to predict the scattering behavior in the required detail. Experiments at low temperatures are scarce, and scattering resonances have so far been elusive to experimental observation. The goal of the proposed project is to develop novel instrumentation to study molecular interactions at low temperatures and with unprecedented precision. Building on my experience as group leader at the Fritz-Haber-Institute in Berlin (with prof. G. Meijer), I will construct an apparatus in which precise control over molecules prior to the collision is obtained using the Stark deceleration technique. The scattering products will be probed with the required resolution using a high resolution velocity map imaging detector, a technique that has been invented at the Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen (prof. D. Parker). The scattering data that can be obtained in this apparatus will comprise a major breakthrough in the upcoming research field of cold molecules, and will provide a critical and unique test for astrophysical models of chemical processes in interstellar space.

The Netherlands suffers from high nitrogen emission and one of the major industrial pollutants is NO2. Unfortunately, it proves difficult to locally measure NO2 levels on the ground, but even more so in the earth atmosphere. In GELSONDE, we propose a novel, low-cost and portable NO2 sensor that we will build with a team of materials chemists and sensor specialists. The new sensor is able to accurately measure NO2 levels anywhere on the ground, as well as on high altitudes.

Resistance to antibiotics is a global threat to public health. It is estimated that by 2050, 10 million people will die annually of resistant infections. To combat this looming prospect we need to restock our arsenal of effective antibiotics. Unfortunately, all conventional approaches for antibiotic discovery have failed. Here, we propose a radically-different approach. We will exploit antibiotic targets that have been historically underexplored. By designing an innovative fluorescent assay that reports on target engagement, we will screen a large library for antibiotic activity against these unexplored targets. We expect to discover potent antibiotics with a completely new mechanism-of-action.

The 13th International Conference on Research in High Magnetic Fields (RHMF2024) will be held in Nijmegen, the Netherlands from 7 to 11 July 2024. From all over the world scientists will come to the Netherlands to discuss fundamental and applied physics research in which high magnetic fields play a crucial role. High magnetic fields are used to study new materials so that their fundamental properties can explored and optimized for future application in areas, such as, but not limited to, energy-efficient data storage, transport of electricity, solar cells and novel sensors.