The role of Base molecules in AErosol formation (BAE)
The innovating project “The role of Base molecules in AErosol formation (BAE)” submitted by Dr. Tuija Jokinen, Assistant Professor at The Cyprus Institute’s Climate and Atmosphere Research Center (CARE-C), has been selected for funding from the 2022 European Research Council Starting Grant (ERC-StG) call, for a duration of five years and a total budget of 2.24 million euros. The project runs from May 2023 until April 2028.
The project focuses on the role of base molecules in the formation of new particles and their fate in the atmosphere. It will underpin the modelling of ambient atmospheric aerosol processes, which are subject to major changes in Europe and beyond due to emission regulations. An important innovation of this project will be the direct measurement of cations and neutral base molecules and clusters based on mass spectrometry.
The research to be carried out at The Cyprus Institute is led by Dr. Jokinen, an established PI with a demonstrated history in ground breaking nanoaerosol and aerosol precursor studies, and aims to advance our understanding of the atmospheric chemistry and molecular pathways that control the formation and growth of aerosol formation.
The BAE project is of particular significance to global efforts to address the climate crisis, as aerosol formation and growth mechanisms need to be better understood to improve air quality and weather prediction models, and reduce uncertainty of radiative forcing in climate change projections.
Funding: 2.24 million euros
