GRK 2950: Synthetic Molecular Communication Across Different Scales: From Theory to Experiments

近十年来，分子通信（Molecular Communications， MC）作为通信领域的一个新兴研究领域逐渐兴起。MC背后的主要思想是利用分子作为信息载体，就像在许多自然通信过程中所做的那样，包括细胞间和细胞内通信、突触通信、群体感应和昆虫通信，在不适合传统电磁波通信系统的环境中与物体/生物进行通信。合成MC系统有望实现新的颠覆性医疗，环境和工业应用。“跨不同尺度的合成分子通信：从理论到实验（SyMoCADS）”研究培训小组的目标是建立世界上第一个结构化的MC博士培训计划，并为参与的博士生提供推进这一新兴跨学科研究领域所需的知识和技能。为此，将建立多方面的研究和资格认证计划。为了平衡整体主题的内在异质性和解决生物化学研究问题的密切跨学科合作的需要，博士研究项目被组织在三个集群（C1- c3）： C1：基于生物化学的生物过程设计、监测和控制；C2：基于MC的磁性纳米颗粒转向系统建模、分析和设计；C3：机载MC的模型、设计和系统架构。每个集群研究一个重要且具有挑战性的总体研究问题，其概念、通信理论和实验方面在三个博士项目中协同解决。这促进了每个集群内博士生之间密切的跨学科合作，这是他们培训的重要组成部分。不同的簇反映了MC在长度尺度、粒子输运机制、传播环境、通信任务、实验技术和应用领域等方面的异质性。这为研究这些差异对MC分析、建模和模拟技术的影响以及将信息嵌入分子信号提供了机会。解决这些跨集群研究问题、利用跨集群协同效应和促进跨集群合作所需的概念和方法支持将由博士后项目提供。SyMoCADS由一个跨学科的研究团队领导，他们被精心挑选，以促进对三个集群主题和MC一般领域的基础理论和实验贡献。

Over the past decade, Molecular Communications (MC) has emerged as a new research area in Communications. The main idea behind MC is to exploit molecules as information carriers, as is done in many natural communication processes including inter- and intracellular communication, synaptic communication, quorum sensing, and insect communication, to communicate in environments and with objects/organisms that are not suitable for conventional electromagnetic wave based communication systems. Synthetic MC systems are expected to enable new disruptive medical, environmental, and industrial applications. The objective of the proposed research training group "Synthetic Molecular Communication Across Different Scales: From Theory to Experiments (SyMoCADS)" is to establish the first structured doctoral training program on MC worldwide and to equip the participating doctoral students with the knowledge and skill set needed to advance this emerging interdisciplinary field of research. To this end, a multi-facetted research and qualification program will be established. To balance the inherent heterogeneity of the overall topic and the need for close interdisciplinary collaboration to tackle MC research problems, the doctoral research projects are organized in three clusters (C1-C3): C1: MC based design, monitoring, and control of bioprocesses; C2: MC based modelling, analysis, and design of magnetic nanoparticle steering systems; C3: Models, designs, and system architectures for airborne MC. Each cluster investigates an important and challenging overarching research problem, whose conceptual, communication-theoretical, and experimental aspects are tackled synergistically in three doctoral projects. This promotes close interdisciplinary collaboration between the doctoral students within each cluster, which constitutes a vital part of their training. The different clusters reflect the heterogeneity of MC in terms of length scales, particle transport mechanisms, propagation environments, communication tasks, experimental techniques, and application domains. This provides the opportunity to investigate the implications of these differences for MC analysis, modelling, and simulation techniques as well as for the embedding of information into molecular signals. The conceptual and methodical support needed for addressing these cross-cluster research questions, exploiting cross-cluster synergies, and fostering cross-cluster collaboration will be provided by a postdoctoral project. SyMoCADS is led by an interdisciplinary team of researchers who were carefully selected to foster fundamental theoretical and experimental contributions to each of the three cluster topics and the general field of MC.