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Pouyan Boukany

Dr. Pouyan Boukany Associate Professor +31 (0)15 27 89981 P.E.Boukany@tudelft.nl Building 58, F2.450 Van der Maasweg 9 2629 HZ Delft The Netherlands Management Assistant Leslie van Leeuwen +31 (0)15 27 86678 L.vanLeeuwen@tudelft.nl linkedin twitter Dr. Boukany’s research at TU Delft is focused on fundamental and applied topics at the interface of microfluidics, soft matter, and biology, with a major emphasis on controlling and understanding the dynamics and transport of biological systems at micro/nanoscale. A central theme is the use of biophysical tools to control and investigate the non-equilibrium dynamics of DNA and cytoskeletal elements, tumor microenvironment and cell membranes for biomedical applications, from physical gene delivery to cancer cell migration, with a special focus on using cutting-edge microfluidics for cell manipulation and biological characterization. We will employ both experimental and theoretical approaches to understand fundamental issues in a wide variety of applications ranging from bio-microfluidics, (bio)polymer physics, tumor-microenvironment, molecular rheology to cancer treatment. Research group Academic background Dr. Boukany is an Associate Professor in the Chemical Engineering Department of the TU Delft, where he heads an independent group called “living soft matter group”. In the past years, Dr. Boukany has been internationally recognized by his unique multidisciplinary approach to biomedical problem in the area of biomicrofluidcs, cell isolation and manipulation on a chip. He completed his master degree at Isfahan University of Technology and his Ph.D. in Polymer Science from the University of Akron (Ohio, USA). His doctoral work explored nonlinear flow response of entangled DNA solutions. He joined as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices at the Ohio State University (USA) in 2009. In December 2011, he established his research group in the Chemical Engineering Department. Dr. Boukany has been recognized by several prestigious fellowships and personal grants, including a Marie Curie fellowship (2012), an ERC Starting Grant (2013), a van Gogh grant (2014), and an ERC Consolidator Grant (2018) to start and consolidate his research group in Europe. +31 (0)15 27 89981 P.E.Boukany@tudelft.nl Building 58, F2.450 Van der Maasweg 9 2629 HZ Delft The Netherlands Management Assistant Leslie van Leeuwen +31 (0)15 27 86678 L.vanLeeuwen@tudelft.nl linkedin twitter Keywords Living Soft-Matter Biomicrofluidics Tumour-on-a-Chip Research Google Scholar Orcid Research Awards and Grants Delft Health Technology Grant (TUD/LUMC; June 2021-2025) ERC Consolidator Grant (April 2020-2025) Delft Global Project, Getting HOT (collaboration with E. Mendes, and U. Staufer), (2017-2021) Van Gogh Scholarship to visit French Scientist, (March 2015-2017) ERC starting Grant (Oct 2013-2018) Marie Curie Fellowship for Carrier Integration, (Oct 2012) American Institute of Chemists Outstanding Postdoctoral Award, (Spring 2011) Best paper award for postdoctoral research competition in Society of Rheology, (Fall 2009) Postdoctoral Fellowship, National Science Foundation (NSF) Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices, The Ohio State University (2009-2011) Finalist for the Frank J. Padden Award for Excellence in Polymer Physics Research, (APS, 2008) Travel Award for Society of Rheology, (Fall 2007) Graduate Scholarship, The University of Akron, Polymer Science Department (2004-2008) Educational Activities Molecular Transport Phenomena (MSc CE, CH3162) Soft Matter for Chemical Products (MSc CE CH3372A) Thermodynamics and Transport (BSc NB NB2011)

Research

Structured catalysts and reactors Regular arrangement of catalysts in reactors decouples the scale dependent and independent phenomena, such as intrinsic kinetics, thermodynamics, mass and heat transport and hydrodynamics. This allows their independent optimization so that all rate processes in a reactor are in balance and the catalyst is used in the way it was designed for. Structuring ranges from the molecular to the reactor scale in a hierarchical way. Microscopically zeolites, MOFs and well defined clusters are used. Macroscopically one should think of monoliths, foams, corrugated packing etc. Combined with multifunctional operation this approach can give a large boost to process intensification. Radial heat transport in reactor packings is a big challenge and subject of study. Multifunctional catalysis and reactors Catalytic conversions are frequently performed in isolation. Often tedious and/or energy intensive separations are needed to purify products before further processing. Smart combination of catalytic reactions or reaction and separation may eliminate this need, allowing higher single pass conversions, reducing separation effort and energy consumption and increasing process efficiency. Examples of single reactor operations and reactive separations: Coupling endo- and exothermal reactions (dehydrogenation and oxidation) Selective removal of a product through a membrane in equilibrium limited reactions (water gas shift, dehydrogenation, esterification) Selective feeding of reactants Membrane reactors where combinations of the above occurs Dynamic kinetic resolution This can be done on different scales, on the active site level, on the catalyst particle level and on a reactor level. Major challenge is to synthesize those combinations that result in overlapping of the operational regimes of the catalytic reactions and/or the separation processes. New membranes or catalysts are often needed. Zeolite and metal-organic framework based membranes Porous crystalline materials like zeolites and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) posses uniform pores or windows of molecular size. Thin continuous layers on a support material offer a unique separation potential, namely based on molecular size or shape. We were among the first to develop silicalite-1 membranes. Their permeation and separation properties have been studied and modeled extensively. Challenges are to synthesize membranes of other zeotypes and MOFs to be used in process intensification for energy reduction and multifunctional reactors, combining catalysis and separation. Clear examples are hydrogen and CO2 separation from various sources and the separation of propane from propene. In a EU funded project (M4CO2) MOFs embedded in a polymeric matrix are developed as membranes for the separation of CO2 from stack gases and for the production of hydrogen. These MOF based Mixed Matrix Membranes are promising alternatives for the pure MOF or zeolite membranes. Rate and transport processes The overall performance of catalysts or sorbents in a process is the result of all contributing phenomena. With thermodynamics determining the driving forces for chemical conversion and transport phenomena, the kinetics of these processes determine the productivity and yields. Transient and steady state techniques are applied to determine catalytic reaction kinetics. Parallel reactors (‘six-flow’) were already applied long before commercial activities in this field developed. Sorption of single components and mixtures are essential for correct description of diffusion in zeolites and membranes and to determine the correct reactant concentrations at the active site of catalysts. Advanced techniques are used for the determination of the transport parameters, like TAP, TEOM, ZLC and breakthrough analysis.

Research

Dr. Makkee’s research can be characterised as giving solutions to some of the challenges in current society. Depending on the challenge, attention will be paid to either catalyst development (new or improved ) or reactor development. The activities can be best described as “Industrial Catalysis for Society”. Examples are: Hydrogenation in the sugar/carbohydrate chemistry. Enzymatic conversions in the sugar/carbohydrate chemistry Depolymerisation of starch - cellulose. Conversion of CFC (chlorofluorocarbons) into useful and valuable products Diesel soot abatement technologies for which diesel engine will have mandatory closed filters in 2009 (euro 5) were partially developed in Delft with leading parties and appliers in the field of automotive catalysts and car manufactures (fuel additives and catalytic oxidation filters). Optimal performances of FCC-operations for gasoline and or olefines production in the oil refinery Optimal performances of Hydrotreating units in the oil refinery Introduction of new NOx Aftertreatment systems in greenhouses (NSR) Tail gas methane oxidation for (natural) gas engines. NOx abatement for automotive applications (SCR, NSR, Di-Air). New smart processes in biomass conversions Oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrocarbon/aromatics Dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons Development of medium temperature Water Gas Shift Catalyst. Syngas chemistry: Fischer-Tropsch, Methanol, Ethanol, Hydroformylation. Current major research topics Upgrading catalytic pyrolysis oil by hydrogen treatment Syn Gas (CO & H 2 ) chemistry production of ethanol Eco-friendly biorefinery fine chemicals/syngas from CO 2 (photo-) electro-catalysis (EU projects ECO2CO2 and Celbicon) NOx abatement high fast oscillating HC injection in greenhouses (Di-Air) Water gas shift catalysis for CO 2 -capturing for Power plant Catalytic depolymerisation of municipal waste (hydrogen upgrading) (Catalytic) gasification of municipal waste (bottom upgrading)

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TU Delft jointly wins XPRIZE Rainforest drone competition in Brazil

TU Delft jointly wins in the XPRIZE Rainforest competition in the Amazon, Brazil Imagine using rapid and autonomous robot technology for research into the green and humid lungs of our planet; our global rainforests. Drones that autonomously deploy eDNA samplers and canopy rafts uncover the rich biodiversity of these complex ecosystems while revealing the effects of human activity on nature and climate change. On November 15, 2024, after five years of intensive research and competition, the ETHBiodivX team, which included TU Delft Aerospace researchers Salua Hamaza and Georg Strunck, achieved an outstanding milestone: winning the XPRIZE Rainforest Bonus Prize for outstanding effort in co-developing inclusive technology for nature conservation. The goal: create automated technology and methods to gain near real-time insights about biodiversity – providing necessary data that can inform conservation action and policy, support sustainable bioeconomies, and empower Indigenous Peoples and local communities who are the primary protectors and knowledge holders of the planet’s tropical rainforests. The ETHBiodivX team, made of experts in Robotics, eDNA, and Data Insights, is tackling the massive challenge of automating and streamlining the way we monitor ecosystems. Leading the Robotics division, a collaboration between TU Delft’s Prof. Salua Hamaza, ETH Zurich’s Prof. Stefano Mintchev and Aarhus University’s Profs. Claus Melvad and Toke Thomas Høye, is developing cutting-edge robotic solutions to gather ecology and biology data autonomously. “We faced the immense challenge of deploying robots in the wild -- and not just any outdoor environment but one of the most demanding and uncharted: the wet rainforests. This required extraordinary efforts to ensure robustness and reliability, pushing the boundaries of what the hardware could achieve for autonomous data collection of images, sounds, and eDNA, in the Amazon” says prof. Hamaza. “Ultimately, this technology will be available to Indigenous communities as a tool to better understand the forest's ongoing changes in biodiversity, which provide essential resources as food and shelter to the locals.” . . . .

Students Amos Yusuf, Mick Dam & Bas Brouwer winners of Mekel Prize 2024

Master students Amos Yusuf, from the ME faculty (Mick Dam, from the EEMCS faculty and graduate Bas Brouwer have won the Mekel Prize 2024 for the best extra scientific activity at TU Delft: the development of an initiative that brings master students into the classroom teaching sciences to the younger generations. The prize was ceremonially awarded by prof Tim van den Hagen on 13 November after the Van Hasselt Lecture at the Prinsenhof, Delft. They received a statue of Professor Jan Mekel and 1.500,- to spend on their project. Insights into climate change are being openly doubted. Funding for important educational efforts and research are being withdrawn. Short clips – so called “reels” – on Youtube and TikTok threaten to simplify complex political and social problems. AI fakes befuddle what is true and what is not. The voices of science that contribute to those discussion with modesty, careful argument and scepticism, are drowned in noise. This poses a threat for universities like TU Delft, who strive to increase student numbers, who benefit from diverse student populations and aim to pass on their knowledge and scientific virtues to the next generation. It is, therefore, alarming that student enrolments to Bachelor and Master Programs at TU Delft have declined in the past year. Students in front of the class The project is aimed to make the sciences more appealing to the next generation. They have identified the problem that students tend miss out on the opportunity of entering a higher education trajectory in the Beta sciences – because they have a wrong picture of such education. In their mind, they depict it as boring and dry. In his pilot lecture at the Stanislas VMBO in Delft, Amos Yusuf has successfully challenged this image. He shared his enthusiasm for the field of robotics and presented himself as a positive role model to the pupils. And in return the excitement of the high school students is palpable in the videos and pictures from the day. The spark of science fills their eyes. Bas Brouwer Mick Dam are the founders of NUVO – the platform that facilitates the engagement of Master Students in high school education in Delft Their efforts offer TU Delft Master Students a valuable learning moment: By sharing insights from their fields with pupils at high school in an educational setting, our students can find identify their own misunderstandings of their subject, learn to speak in front of non-scientific audiences and peak into education as a work field they themselves might not have considered. An extraordinary commitment According to the Mekel jury, the project scored well on all the criteria (risk mitigation, inclusiveness, transparency and societal relevance). However, it was the extraordinary commitment of Amos who was fully immersed during his Master Project and the efforts of Brouwer and Dam that brought together teaching and research which is integral to academic culture that made the project stand out. About the Mekel Prize The Mekel Prize will be awarded to the most socially responsible research project or extra-scientific activity (e.g. founding of an NGO or organization, an initiative or realization of an event or other impactful project) by an employee or group of employees of TU Delft – projects that showcase in an outstanding fashion that they have been committed from the beginning to relevant moral and societal values and have been aware of and tried to mitigate as much as possible in innovative ways the risks involved in their research. The award recognizes such efforts and wants to encourage the responsible development of science and technology at TU Delft in the future. For furthermore information About the project: https://www.de-nuvo.nl/video-robotica-pilot/ About the Mekel Prize: https://www.tudelft.nl/en/tpm/our-faculty/departments/values-technology-and-innovation/sections/ethics-philosophy-of-technology/mekel-prize

New catheter technology promises safer and more efficient treatment of blood vessels

Each year, more than 200 million catheters are used worldwide to treat vascular diseases, including heart disease and artery stenosis. When navigating into blood vessels, friction between the catheter and the vessel wall can cause major complications. With a new innovative catheter technology, Mostafa Atalla and colleagues can change the friction from having grip to completely slippery with the flick of a switch. Their design improves the safety and efficiency of endovascular procedures. The findings have been published in IEEE. Catheter with variable friction The prototype of the new catheter features advanced friction control modules to precisely control the friction between the catheter and the vessel wall. The friction is modulated via ultrasonic vibrations, which overpressure the thin fluid layer. This innovative variable friction technology makes it possible to switch between low friction for smooth navigation through the vessel and high friction for optimal stability during the procedure. In a proof-of-concept, Atalla and his team show that the prototype significantly reduces friction, averaging 60% on rigid surfaces and 11% on soft surfaces. Experiments on animal aortic tissue confirm the promising results of this technology and its potential for medical applications. Fully assembled catheters The researchers tested the prototype during friction experiments on different tissue types. They are also investigating how the technology can be applied to other procedures, such as bowel interventions. More information Publicatie DOI : 10.1109/TMRB.2024.3464672 Toward Variable-Friction Catheters Using Ultrasonic Lubrication | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore Mostafa Atalla: m.a.a.atalla@tudelft.nl Aimee Sakes: a.sakes@tudelft.nl Michaël Wiertlewski: m.wiertlewski@tudelft.nl Would you like to know more and/or attend a demonstration of the prototype please contact me: Fien Bosman, press officer Health TU Delft: f.j.bosman@tudelft.nl/ 0624953733