The NWO Domain Board Science has awarded twenty-one grant applications in the Open Competition Domain Science-M programme. M-grants are intended for innovative, high-quality, fundamental research and/or studies involving matters of scientific urgency. One of these projects was awarded to Dr. Edgar Steenstra (TU Delft) to invest in lab facilities study the origin of the largest lava river flows on Venus.
The topics vary from exploring the concept of imaginary time, studying the correlation between activity and thermostability in ancestral enzymes, investigating the role of dendritic and synaptic properties of human neurons, and developing a model for multiple myeloma to optimise timing and dosing of treatments.
Experimental insights into the origin of the largest lava river flows on Venus
Dr Edgar Steenstra (TU Delft)
The volcanic plains of our sister planet Venus are characterized by the presence of the largest known erosion channels (canali) in our solar system. With a maximal length that exceeds the Amazon River, canali constitute one of the most enigmatic landforms on planetary surfaces. The formation mechanism of the canali is nevertheless poorly constrained. I will conduct the first experimental studies on the physical and chemical properties of the canali-forming lava and combine it with orbital observations and novel erosion models. This will provide key insights into the evolution of Venus and an essential framework for future exploration of Venus.