Prof. Katherine Villa, group leader at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), has been awarded a prestigious ERC Proof of Concept Grant for her project PhotoSERS. The project aims to develop light-powered microswimmers capable of selectively capturing and detecting harmful PFAS – also known as “forever chemicals” – from water, offering a sensitive, real-time monitoring solution for these persistent environmental pollutants.
The ERC Proof of Concept Grants support frontier researchers in exploring the commercial or societal potential of their research. Each €150,000 grant helps bridge the gap between ground-breaking science and real-world application. In the first round of the 2025 competition, 150 projects across Europe have been selected for funding, out of 480 proposals received, with over 31% success rate. Spain stands out with 20 awarded projects, placing it among the top countries, alongside Germany (27) and the UK (17).
“With PhotoSERS, we aim to move beyond the lab and bring practical solutions for the detection of emerging pollutants,” said Prof. Villa. “This Proof of Concept Grant will help us take a critical step towards making our technology accessible and impactful in real-world environmental monitoring.”
Prof. Villa obtained her PhD in Chemistry from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and has developed a multidisciplinary career in top research centres across Europe. With over a decade of experience in photocatalysis, she has received several distinctions, including an ERC Starting Grant, a Consolidación Investigadora Grant, a BBVA Foundation Leonardo Grant, theRSEQ Young Investigator and the EuChemS Lecture Awards, among others. Her research focuses on nanomaterials, environmental remediation, and light-driven micro/nanomotors.
La entrada ERC Proof of Concept Grant awarded to Prof. Katherine Villa for pioneering PFAS detection technology se publicó primero en ICIQ.