This CDP project aims to answer fundamental questions in the field of materials, processes, biology/health or the environment. For each of these fields, we are confronted with scientific challenges/bottelencks which foresee research on multi-scale modeling associated with most often 3D and real-time imaging of phenomena.

This CDP project aims to (i) develop new imaging methods by simultaneous multi-scale X-ray microtomography, (ii) extend them to real-time imaging, phase contrast and unconventional geometries, (iii) validate the method by exploiting it to remove scientific obstacles in the fields previously mentioned.

Challenges

We are interested in the following issues in the areas of:

• The design of new materials: we favor lighter and/or more ecological materials to promote the transition to a green/sustainable economy. This will concern the development of materials (composite or metallic) as well as the field of energy (battery)
• Public Health: we will focus on understanding the fundamental mechanisms of development of healthy bone structure and pathology (such as Osteoarthritis) to meet the growing demand (particularly due to the aging of the population)
• Environmental engineering: we want to advance fundamental knowledge on, for example, flows in porous media or suspension mechanics to improve the management and treatment of fluids such as solutes and effluents, or improving the management of natural and environmental risks.

Interdisciplinarity

The CDP MuSiToX project brings together around fifty researchers from 9 laboratories (3SR, SIMAP, INRAE, STROBE, LEGI, IGE, TIMC, Neel, CEN) and 2 platforms (CMTC and GRICAD), belonging to 3 different research centers ( PEM, PAGE, CBS) and sharing common methodological issues. This interdisciplinarity will be implemented in the supervision of doctoral students and post-docs. Even if the thesis and post-doc projects focus on a scientific question, the supervision of these researchers in training will be provided by researchers in different fields from 2 or 3 laboratories.

A transformative project

The project is transforming both on the tools and on the methodologies developed: (i) on the tools because it will allow the University of Grenoble Alpes to acquire a versatile tomograph, scalable with capacities not existing on the site, complementary synchrotron sources and other existing laboratory sources. (ii) the methodologies developed, in particular for the acquisition, reconstruction and processing of images based on AI, will enable dialogue between the different communities on the site.

National and international reach

MuSiToX is complementary to the developments of the PEPR DIADEM[ – in which we are involved – aimed at accelerating the development of materials using artificial intelligence from synchrotron data. The development of a new generation of laboratory tomographs will encourage all laboratories to respond to the AAP of the PEPR DIADEM, on the basis of the work carried out on this CDP. The instrument developed will be complementary to those already present or being acquired on the Grenoble site. The site will thus benefit from a complete range of 3D characterization with a spatial resolution of the atom to ten microns, unique in France and not very widespread in Europe or in the world.

For a better visibility of Grenoble

It will strengthen international collaborations in the scientific fields mentioned above. The opening of instrumental developments to the national, European and international community will consolidate the Grenoble site as a leader in X-ray tomography.