University College Dublin has announced that the European Research Council (ERC) has selected AquaB’s Niall English as a recipient of its highly prestigious 2023 Advanced Grant for the NIMBLE project.
Professor English, who is an internationally renowned research leader, will investigate how electric-field-generated nanobubbles and nanodroplets can be optimised in their characteristics for use in water treatment, agriculture, aquaculture and carbon capture. The NIMBLE project will build on the low-energy, highly-efficient platform technology of nanobubble generation developed by Professor English’s research group in UCD.
Commenting on NIMBLE, Professor English said:
"This ERC project will enhance our understanding of how electric-field engineering can predict the effectiveness of molecular engineering of nanobubbles, through optimal deployments in a range of settings.
“The use of nanobubbles as delivery agents for smart aquaculture and agriculture is a seminal development, and more efficient carbonation strategies by way of low-energy gasification, reactive species and flotation characteristics, could revolutionise water treatment and carbon capture.
“The development of NIMBLE owes a deal to the persistent work of our group's young and ambitious researchers, as well as international collaborators in academia and industry - whom I now salute today. I must also thank the European Commission, Bord Gáis, Enterprise Ireland, and Science Foundation Ireland (e.g. I-Form and iCRAG) for supporting the nano-phase R&D journey."
UCD Vice-President for Research, Impact and Innovation, Professor Helen Roche said:
"Congratulations to Professor Niall English on this great achievement. The highly competitive ERC Advanced grants recognise research leaders who are contributing valuable new knowledge within their fields, and whose work has real benefits for the global community. We look forward to seeing the far-reaching impact of the NIMBLE project.”
