Oxygen (O2) is essential for life on Earth. This proposal deals with the study of the molecular mechanisms underlying acute O2 sensing by cells, a long-standing issue that is yet to be elucidated. In recent years, the discovery of hypoxia inducible transcription factors and their regulation by the O2-dependent hydroxylases has provided a solid framework for understanding genetic responses to sustained (chronic) hypoxia. However the mechanisms of acute O2 sensing, necessary for the activation of rapid, life-saving, compensatory respiratory and cardiovascular reflexes (e.g. hyperventilation and sympathetic activation), are unknown. While the primary goal of the project is to characterize the molecular mechanisms underlying acute O2 sensing by arterial chemoreceptors (carotid body –CB- and adrenal medulla –AM-), we will also extend our study to other organs (e.g. pulmonary and systemic arteries) of the homeostatic acute O2-sensing system. We will investigate the role of mitochondria, in particular complex I (MCI), in acute O2 sensing. Previous data from our group demonstrated that rotenone, a MCI blocker, selectively occludes responsiveness to hypoxia in CB cells. In addition, our unpublished data indicate that sensitivity to hypoxia (but not to other stimuli) is lost in mice with genetic disruption of MCI genes in CB and AM cells. We have shown that the adult CB is a plastic organ that contains a population of multipotent neural stem cells. Hence, another objective of the project is to study the role of these stem cells in CB modulation (over- or infra-activation), which may participate in the pathogenesis of diseases. In the past, our group has made seminal contributions to unveiling the cellular bases of arterial chemoreception. The discovery of stem cells in the CB and the generation of new genetically modified mouse models, put us in a leading position to elucidate the molecular bases of acute O2 sensing and their biomedical implications.

CLEVER-FUEL proposes a revolutionary approach for low-carbon fuels production paving the way for a direct “waste to biofuels” conversion strategy. The project will develop a completely novel route to produce deoxygenated hydrocarbons – highly important chemical compounds in the biofuel and biochemical industries - via designing of advanced catalysts for the H2-free hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) process. This ground-breaking route take the edge over current biomass upgrading approaches which rely on high-pressure hydrogen – an expensive resource whose manipulation, transport and storage imposes serious limitations and represent a bottleneck to the commercial deployment of this technology. CLEVER-FUEL will create new chemistry and reaction engineering concepts to circumvent this handicap by using the cheapest and safest possible hydrogen source: water. The overriding goal is to create a new conversion pathway by using water as hydrogen donor and advanced multifunctional catalysts able to catalyse water reduction and hydrodeoxygenation simultaneously yielding oxygen-free biofuels. Such multifunctionality resolves the problem of oxygen-rich bio-compounds upgrading in a single reactor under mild conditions and avoiding the external supply of high-pressure hydrogen thus opening a completely new research avenue for biomass conversion technologies. CLEVER-FUEL will combine unique multifunctional catalysts with advanced operando characterisation techniques to provide a rational strategy for catalysts design. In addition, novel reactor concepts based on microchannel catalytic systems will be implemented to facilitate process intensification. CLEVER-FUEL represents a forward-thinking concept in catalysis and reaction engineering and it is conceived to open new horizons in bioenergy research unlocking the potential of biofuels and offering catalytic solutions to big society challenges in the pursuit of a low-carbon future.

ORION project (Optimality & Resetting: Investigation On Nonequilibrium) poses three different problems, relevant at both the fundamental and applied level. Apart from their independent relevance, the solution of all three problems will serve to a greater purpose: providing a solid basis for the innovative use of optimal control theory to push the boundaries of knowledge within the general field of Nonequilibrium Statistical Mechanics. This action will involve the integration of the researcher in the very active group of Interdisciplinary and Nonequilibrium Physics (FINE) at University of Seville, with a strong background on the theory of mesoscopic systems—e.g. colloidal particles, for which fluctuations are important and the dynamics is thus stochastic. More specifically, the research objectives of ORION splits into: (i) the generalization of optimal control theory to connecting nonequilibrium steady states; (ii) the optimization of stochastic heat engines; and (iii) the minimization of first passage time in resetting systems with stochastic return. The achievement of these objectives will provide not only specific answers to pertinent questions for the above hot topics in the field, but also shed light on the future of investigation on nonequilibrium systems. Remarkably, the impact of our research transcends the purely theoretical interest, focusing on problems with future technological potential like the optimization of nanodevices—maximizing their power and/or efficiency.

Reducing gender inequality is one of society’s greatest challenges and a top priority of the European Commission as reflected in its Gender Equality Strategy 2020-25. One of the UN Global Goal targets is ensuring women’s effective participation at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public. Yet, only around a third of managers in the EU are women (2022 SDG statistics). Why? The objective of React2Success is to uncover how gender behavioural differences in reaction to success and failure under competitive pressure influence gender gaps in educational and career paths and, ultimately, unpack the mechanisms by which gender inequality persists. Providing causal evidence on gender gaps in reaction to performance shocks in competitive settings —such as job applications for leadership roles or high-stakes exams— remains challenging. In real-life settings, gender differences in preferences for competition result in self-selected samples, while in tournament-like lab experiments incentives often differ from real-world conditions. React2Success aims to fill this gap. I will take an interdisciplinary theoretically-driven Big Data approach by linking detailed population-level administrative records of both low-stakes high school and high-stakes university admission examinations with information on non-cognitive and long-term socio-economic outcomes from experimental survey data to: First, document gender gaps in response to competitive pressure in a real-life setting addressing concerns of sample-selection bias and external validity. Second, examine gender differences in reaction to success and failure in a high-stake competitive setting and shed light on the behavioural mechanisms at work. React2Success will also go beyond its immediate scope to establish the long-term socio-economic impact of these gender gaps and supply scientific evidence for devising cost-effective policies to tackle persistent equality issues in the allocation of talent.