Max Kerr Winter receives Ammodo Fellowship for fungi research project

On April 3rd, the Ammodo foundation announced that AMOLF/VU researcher Max Kerr Winter is one of the five recipients of the Ammodo Fellowship. The Ammodo Foundation stimulates the development of art, science and architecture. With this new fellowship they want to enable early-career researchers to expand their international networks and to carve out a clear vision for their future academic career. Each fellow receives between 100.000 and 200.000 euros. As an AMOLF/VU postdoctoral researcher, Max will work on getting a better understanding of fungal behavior.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) help regulate the earth’s climate and ecosystems by forming complex underground networks that draw down carbon and provide essential nutrients to over 70% of land plants. The exchange of carbon and soil nutrients occurs via a “market”, where both fungi and plants can discriminate between trade partners and allocate their resources to maximize rewards. However, the mechanisms by which these fungi make such decisions remains a mystery. Such complex behavior is particularly surprising given that the fungus does not have a brain, central nervous system, or even a well-defined body plan!

Max wants to use the Ammodo fellowship to elucidate the ways in which such a decentralized organism can integrate information from its environment to make (close to) optimal trading decisions. At AMOLF he is working in the group of Thomas Shimizu (Physics of Behavior) and is also collaborating with Nachi Stern (Learning Machines). Together they are studying fungi as a type of physical learning system.

When asked for a response to the granted fellowship, Max says:

“I am very lucky to be performing this work in the groups of Tom Shimizu at AMOLF and Toby Kiers at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam), two world experts on fungal research, as well as collaborating with many excellent colleagues across these two institutions and beyond.”

Watch video about Max and the Ammodo Science Fellow 2024

What's happening

Most recent news items

All news items

People and recognition

Four PhD candidates close their AMOLF chapter

Four PhD students defended their thesis and are about to take the next steps in their career. Congratulations to Colin Meulblok (Mechanical Metamaterials), Francesca Scalerandi (Hybrid Nanosystems), Vashist Gangigude Ramesh (Interacting Photons), and Parisa Omidvar (Hypersmart Matter). We wish you all the best in your next steps!

Read news item

People and recognition

Joining forces to study perovskite interfaces

AMOLF group leaders Professor Wiebke Albrecht and Professor Bruno Ehrler have received an NWO ENW-M2 grant for their joint research project, The Dynamic Atomic Interface between Halide Perovskites and Metals. The insights gained will pave the way for sustainable, high-performance solar energy and information technology. Wiebke and Bruno will each hire a PhD student for this project. The grant amounts to €800.000.

Read news item

People and recognition

Wim Noorduin and Arian van Asten presenting their scientific journey

On October 8, Professor Wim Noorduin and his collaborator Professor Arian van Asten (University of Amsterdam) presented their scientific journey in a video to the audience at the ‘Avond van Wetenschap en Maatschappij’. They did so alongside the other nominees for the Huibregtsen Prize.

Read news item

Research highlights

Natural phenomena ‘hyperuniform disorder’ enables highly efficient, thin silicon solar cells

Silicon solar panels are rigid and heavy, and many rooftops cannot support them. This creates a need for thin, flexible solar cells that can be integrated into building materials. However, making silicon solar cells thinner makes it harder to trap light inside the material. Researchers in the 3D Photovoltaics group found a fascinating way to overcome this challenge using a phenomenon called hyperuniform disorder. They publish their findings in the journal ACS Photonics.

The researchers were able to make highly efficient silicon solar cell materials that are 30 times thinner than conventional ones. They managed to do this by integrating a layer of nanometer sized structures on top of the material. Up close, this pattern looks random, but it is remarkably when you step back: no clumps, no gaps, and no repeating pattern. This is called hyperuniform disorder (or HUD).

Read news item