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Research at the Solid State Physics Laboratory (LPS) focuses on the theoretical and experimental study of the electronic, optical and structural properties of nano-structured materials, surfaces and interfaces, based on experiments and numerical simulations.

The Lasers and Spectroscopies Research Unit (LLS) unites the efforts of physicists, but also chemists and engineers, to carry out experimental and theoretical research, both fundamental and applied.

Management Frédéric SYLVESTRE Director, Biology Department +32 (0)81 72 42 85 direction.bio@unamur.be Célia DEFOIN Secretary +32 (0)81 72 44 18 secretariat.bio@unamur.be Find out more about the department SVG .cls-1 { fill: #323232; stroke-width: 0px; } Studies See content SVG .cls-1 { fill: #323232; stroke-width: 0px; } Research See content SVG .cls-1 { fill: #323232; stroke-width: 0px; } International See content SVG .cls-1 { fill: #323232; stroke-width: 0px; } Organization chart See content

Management Johan Wouters Department Manager +32 (0)81 72 45 32 johan.wouters@unamur.be Evelyne Boca Secretary +32 (0)81 72 54 44 enseignement.chimie@unamur.be Annick Bonmariage Secretary +32 (0)81 72 45 32 direction.chimie@unamur.be Find out more about the department SVG .cls-1 { fill: #323232; stroke-width: 0px; } Studies See content SVG .cls-1 { fill: #323232; stroke-width: 0px; } Research See content SVG .cls-1 { fill: #323232; stroke-width: 0px; } Service to society See content SVG .cls-1 { fill: #323232; stroke-width: 0px; } Members See content

Management Catherine LINARD Director, Geography Department +32 (0)81 72 44 89 direction.geographie@unamur.be Valérie HANART Secretary +32 (0)81 72 44 87 secretariat.geographie@unamur.be Find out more about the department SVG .cls-1 { fill: #323232; stroke-width: 0px; } Studies See content SVG .cls-1 { fill: #323232; stroke-width: 0px; } Research See content SVG .cls-1 { fill: #323232; stroke-width: 0px; } International See content SVG .cls-1 { fill: #323232; stroke-width: 0px; } Organization chart See content

Management Johan YANS Director, Geology Department +32 (0)81 72 44 66 johan.yans@unamur.be Valérie HANART Secretary +32 (0)81 72 44 87 secretariat.geologie@unamur.be Find out more about the department SVG .cls-1 { fill: #323232; stroke-width: 0px; } Studies See content SVG .cls-1 { fill: #323232; stroke-width: 0px; } Research See content SVG .cls-1 { fill: #323232; stroke-width: 0px; } Service to society See content SVG .cls-1 { fill: #323232; stroke-width: 0px; } Members See content

DrawProfile is a powerful graphical interface for visualizing and analyzing the energy profile along an optimization, along a reaction coordinate, or along a distance, angle or dihedral angle PES scan.

Lately, and thanks to LUMI, one of Europe's largest supercomputers, the limits of our knowledge of cell lipid membranes have been pushed back. A team of Namur researchers, including Professor Benoît Champagne and Drs. Pierre Beaujean and Charlotte Bouquiaux, has just published in the Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling. The results of this study pave the way for new approaches in the field of membrane lipid therapy.

A drink will be organized following the lecture.This lecture is proposed by "Kàp to UNIVERSEH", the kot-free space popularization project of the University of Namur, and Local Student Club of UNIVERSEH.When: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 at 7pmWhere: Faculty of Sciences - Auditorium S01Free I want to register

Jury Prof. Yves CAUDANO (UNamur), chairmanProf. André FÜZFA (UNamur), secretaryProf. Dominique LAMBERT (UNamur)Dr. Jérémy REKIER (Observatoire royal de Belgique et UCLouvain)Prof. Dr. Félix FINSTER (Regensburg University) Summary Sounding the Universe with a relativistic solar sailboat or Einstein-Dirac fermionsThe Universe exerts a curiosity on man that is both undeniable and fundamental. To unravel the mysteries of the Cosmos, man is driven to develop two major investigative strategies: direct exploration by sending space probes, and indirect exploration by observing cosmic electromagnetic fields, gravitational waves or particles such as fermions.Following these two strategies, in this thesis we develop, in the first approach (consisting of sending a space probe), a relativistic kinematic and dynamical model of photonic sails (light sails) with arbitrary reflectivity and absorbance, moving in a non-rectilinear manner with the aim of exploring interstellar space. The problem is to determine the sail's trajectory in a Minkowski spacetime, a four-dimensional variety. From detailed calculations, we obtain the sail's universe line in the laser reference frame as a function of the sail's proper time.The second approach applies the Two-State Vector Formalism and weak measurements to a homogeneous, isotropic cosmological framework. By coupling Dirac spinners to classical gravity, we calculate weak values of the energy-impulse tensor, the Z component of spin and pure states. Extending the work of Finster and Hainzl on Einstein-Dirac cosmology, we show that the accelerated expansion of the Universe can be interpreted as a consequence of post-selection. We also demonstrate that weak measurements can amplify signals using simpler equipment, thanks to judicious selection of the initial and final state vectors. In addition, this procedure highlights certain geometric properties of the Cosmos' three-dimensional space, offering a new way of exploring the structure of the Universe.We also examine the mathematical structure on which the Dirac equation rests beyond the usual dimension and signature. This reveals a rich internal symmetry and gives rise to a particularly aesthetic diagrammatic representation. Abstract Probing the Universe with a Relativistic Light Sail or Einstein-Dirac FermionsHumanity's profound curiosity about the cosmos is both undeniable and fundamental. To demystify the Universe, humankind is compelled to develop both direct and indirect probing strategies: direct exploration through physical visits using probes, and indirect exploration by observing cosmic electromagnetic field, gravitational waves and particles such as fermions.Building on these two strategies, this thesis proposes two distinct approaches to probing the Universe. In the first approach, we present a relativistic kinematic and dynamic model of light sails with arbitrary reflectivity and absorptance, undergoing non-rectilinear motion as a method of interstellar exploration. The problem involves solving for the trajectory of the sail in a 4-dimensional Minkowski spacetime manifold. By detailed computation, we derive the worldline of the sail in the laser's frame in the sail's proper time.The second approach applies the Two-State Vector Formalism and weak measurements to a spatially homogeneous and isotropic cosmological framework. Coupling Dirac spinors with classical gravity, we compute weak values of the energy-momentum tensor, the Z-component of spin, and pure states. Extending the work of Finster and Hainzl on Einstein-Dirac cosmology, we demonstrate that the Universe's accelerated expansion can be interpreted as a consequence of post-selection. We also show that weak measurements can amplify signals with simpler equipment by carefully selecting initial and final state vectors. This process also reveals geometric properties of the spacelike three-manifold of the Cosmos, opening new way on probing the structure of the Universe.We explore also the mathematical framework underlying the Dirac equation beyond the standard dimension and signature. This enterprise reveals its symmetrically rich properties and aesthetic diagrammatic representation.

Jury Prof. Benoît MUYLKENS (URVI, Université de Namur), PresidentProf. Carine MICHIELS (URBC, Université de Namur), SecretaryProf. Xavier DE BOLLE (URBC, Université de Namur)Prof. René REZSOHAZY (LIBST, Université catholique de Louvain)Prof. Florian STEINER (Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Université de Genève)Prof. Germano CECERE (Department of developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur) Summary In animals, germ cells are often distinguished from somatic lineages at the earliest stages of embryogenesis. In some organisms, germ blastomeres appear to enter a state of transcriptional quiescence. For example, in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans, transcription is activated in somatic blastomeres as early as the 4-cell stage, whereas it is not initiated in germline blastomeres until the 100-cell stage. This transcriptional repression in germ blastomeres has been attributed to the PIE-1 protein, specifically localized in these cells from the first embryonic division. PIE-1 is thought to inhibit the activity of CDK-9, a cyclin-dependent kinase previously considered essential for the phosphorylation of serine 2 (CTD-Ser2) of the C-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II and for transcription elongation. However, recent studies, showing that embryogenesis proceeds normally in a mutant strain expressing a CTD in which serines 2 is replaced by an alanine (CTD-S2A) and identifying CDK-12 as the main kinase phosphorylating CTD-Ser2, call this model into question.To study the transcriptome of germline blastomeres in the worm C. elegans, an approach combining cell sorting and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was developed. Pilot analyses validated this method on a wild-type strain, enabling its use on a strain in which PIE-1 can be specifically degraded using the Auxin-Inducible Degron (AID) system. This made it possible to examine the effect of PIE-1 depletion on the transcriptome of germline blastomeres revealing that in its absence, germline blastomeres adopt a transcriptional profile close to that of somatic blastomeres, confirming the fundamental role of PIE-1 in preserving germline identity during embryogenesis. In parallel, the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe was used to analyze the consequences of PIE-1 expression in a heterologous organism. The results showed that PIE-1 by localizing near transcription termination sites induces further transcription by RNA polymerase II beyond the termination site, leading to transcription of intergenic regions. These observations led to the hypothesis that in C. elegans,within germinal blastomeres, PIE-1 might regulate alternative polyadenylation in 3' untranslated regions, producing longer RNA isoforms susceptible to degradation. In the absence of PIE-1, shorter isoforms could be generated, allowing accumulation of somatic transcripts and potentially degradation of maternal mRNAs via somatic protein translation. Although further investigations are required in C. elegans to validate this hypothesis, it provides an innovative conceptual framework for understanding the role of PIE-1, independent of CTD-Ser2 phosphorylation.

While women are still in the minority in technical and scientific fields, confidence and passion have enabled some to overcome stereotypes and structural barriers. Women physicists and computer scientists are leading the way for those who cherish the bench and the screen, the numbers, and the machines.