The MP0604 COST Action will strengthen the rapid growth of achievements Optical micro-manipulation by Nonlinear nanophotonics by establishing wide scale international relations in Europe, stimulating and promoting collaborative research in a multi-disciplinary area. The proposed cooperation, being the fuel necessary to start-up specific research projects among partners of the Action, will favour the development of advanced apparatus for: cell manipulation; micro-patterning and templating; optical imaging for bio-medical applications; control of micro-mechanical light-driven motors.

The COST Program offers the best framework for co-ordination of the presented activities. In fact, even if well focused on the development of optical manipulation technology, the activities include several topics requiring very different expertise. Therefore the best way to put together different specific projects is a network and, among the possible network structures, the COST Action is the most suitable one, since:

  • (i) it is wider in scope than a thematic network implemented through the Framework Programme,including participation of a large number of countries and different groups for each country and additional partners can join the Action during its life;
  • (ii) it does not require a huge amount of money that is needed to support a limited number of national delegates participating in the meetings and to support a program of short scientific missions;
  • (iii) the specific research activities of the participating groups are supported in each country by other agencies.
 
OBJECTIVES
 

The main objective of the present Action is to establish active links between European laboratories working in the field of optical manipulation and related applications and to foster and accelerate long-term development of this field in Europe. The goal is to increase knowledge about the basic mechanisms of optical trapping and to develop novel methods of manipulation, micro-patterning and imaging, to be exploited in the future bio-medical technology and in micro-mechanics. The specific objectives of networking are:
  • to establish international relations in Europe within the field of optical manipulation
  • to stimulate and promote collaborative research
  • to implement an effective and sustained programme of short term scientific missions
  • to strengthen linkage with companies interested in technological transfer of the scientific results
 
From a quantitative point of view the achievement of these specific objectives can be evaluated by the following parameters:
  1. number of transnational collaborative research proposals prepared including groups participating in the Action;
  2. number of publications and conference presentations coming out of collaborative researches;
  3. number of short scientific missions supported by the Action;
  4. number of participants from industries in the COST meetings;
  5. number of training schools (open to company members) organised in the dissemination plan