http://ec.europa.eu//research/index.cfm?pg=whatsnew en Fri, 24 May 2013 14:47:12 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=rss For more RSS news feeds click the link above. Fri, 24 May 2013 14:47:12 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=rss http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_24_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30113 Nanotechnology offers human society a vast range of benefits, making possible startling advances in everything from medicines and cosmetics to energy generation, electronics and even 'hi-tech' clothing. What is more, this nanotechnology 'revolution' is still only in its infancy. Research into ever more applications is in full swing.]]> Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-24:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_24_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30113 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-wheylayer&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30114 Plastic films are used for packaging a wide range of products, offering protection against humidity and potential contaminants. Over time, however, these films let in air, diminishing the properties of the packed products. And while multilayer films combining several plastics are often used to improve protection, most of this packaging cannot be recycled. The researchers behind the EU-funded WHEYLAYER project found a cheese-based biodegradable alternative to conventional multilayer films. ]]> Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-24:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-wheylayer&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30114 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-qualiti&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30095 The research team behind the European Union (EU)-funded "QualiTi" project has developed a new testing system for titanium-made airplane parts that improves by 20 percent manufacturing-related defects' detection, even if the probability of such flaws causing any potential incidents is very low. ]]> Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-23:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-qualiti&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30095 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-hydro-coat&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30034 Bulldozers, diggers, tractors: these heavy machines all apply the same basic hydraulic powers for their trays and claws. Around 85% of all hydraulic fluids leave their system through slow leaks, line breaks or system failures. Exhausted lubricants could be a severe fire risk, with a cumulative impact on plants, fish, and wildlife. When the fluids need to be disposed of at the end of their life, the cost, at €1 per kg, is around the same as the lubricant itself. As the costs associated with disposal rise, there is a growing demand for alternative options. ]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-17:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-hydro-coat&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30034 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-fantom&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29974 To make modern aircraft ever lighter, faster and more fuel efficient, manufacturers are continually introducing new advanced materials, composites and super lightweight structures. Before using them on a plane, the integrity and performance of these materials have to be tested in a non-destructive way, to see how they would perform in the real-life pressure and temperature conditions of flight. Among the techniques aero-space testing facilities currently rely on are two important tests: one using laser beams and one using thermal imaging to see inside the material under stress and detect problems in structures caused by hidden defects. European researchers have found a way to replace these two with a single test. ]]> Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-14:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-fantom&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29974 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_13_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29953 Cancer causes some 13% of deaths worldwide. Of these deaths, some 90% are caused not by the original cancer, but by its spread to other parts of the body. These secondary cancers, known as metastases, are most often caused by 'circulating tumour cells' (CTCs) which escape from the primary tumour and travel around the body in the bloodstream. In the process, CTCs often undergo modifications that make them more resistant to treatment than the primary tumours. ]]> Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-13:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_13_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29953 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-nozzleinspect&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29956 Nuclear power accounts for one sixth of the European Union (EU)'s energy consumption, and there are power plants in 14 of the 27 member states. Safety is a priority and there are regular maintenance checks on every aspect of the plants. But what happens if cracks appear in the machinery that are so small and deep that they escape the human eye? And how can one check every corner of a nuclear reactor when some areas are, by necessity, shrouded in radiation? ]]> Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-13:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-nozzleinspect&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29956 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-one-p&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29936 A radio made completely of plastic? We might see them in the near future, claim scientists. In 1977 researchers discovered that certain types of plastic can conduct electricity, just like metals. Initially these plastics remained a curiosity, but by improving their electrical properties researchers have now opened the way for their use in a large number of electric and electronic devices. ]]> Fri, 10 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-10:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-one-p&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29936 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-autospar&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29935 As a food, asparagus can trace an illustrious lineage back 20,000 years to Egypt; it features in the world's oldest surviving cook book, Apicius's third century 'De re coquinaria'; it is packed with vitamins, and a very good source of dietary fibre. No wonder the asparagus is such a prized food. But its reputation as the ultimate gourmet vegetable is also reflected in its delicate cultivation, with white asparagus in particular requiring labour intensive hilling. And in Europe, this dedicated nurturing is threatening the crop as farmers struggle to find the manpower needed to harvest asparagus. ]]> Fri, 10 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-10:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-autospar&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29935 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_09_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29933 Nanotechnology is opening the way to a new industrial revolution. From 'individualised' medical treatments tailored for each patient to new, environmentally-friendly energy storage and generation systems, nanotechnology is bringing significant advances. Exciting new futures await those businesses able to get ahead in the race to turn this wealth of promise into commercial success. But in a field which requires a high degree of coordinated effort involving many different stakeholder groups, including researchers, policymakers and commercial players across a wide variety of industrial sectors, it has perhaps been inevitable that fragmentation, disconnectedness and duplication have stood in the way.]]> Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-09:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_09_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29933 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-sesame&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29927 Wel-known accelerators, like the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics near Geneva, smash subatomic particles together to study their properties. But there is another group of accelerators where electrons don´t collide, instead they are kept circulating through a ring-shaped vacuum tube, called a storage ring. While they are racing around this ring they produce intense radiation. ]]> Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-08:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-sesame&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29927 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_04_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29893 Every time a firefighter braves an inferno, a scientist wonders if a new material or special flame-resistant coating could be created to protect him. Today, armed with nanocomposite techniques and insights into bio-based materials, new classes of smart, adaptable super-surface coatings are possible, according to European researchers.]]> Sat, 04 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-04:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_04_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29893 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_30_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29853 Electrochromic glass – which instantly glazes or shades at the flick of an electrical switch – has proved popular in a range of applications where the control of light and heat is important. But the physical nature of the glass and the costs involved limit the opportunities open to this technology. An EU-funded project has applied these 'smart glass' principles to a flexible film which opens up a whole new world of green, low-cost and commercially viable possibilities.]]> Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-30:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_30_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29853 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_23_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29753 Each year, twice as many people die in Europe from hospital acquired infections than from road accidents. These infectious diseases have developed antibiotic resistance and spread despite the best efforts of staff, mainly through textiles like bed linen. But the technology developed by a European research project helps fight back against the so-called superbugs, by using a revolutionary nanotechnology to treat bed linen and other textiles.]]> Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-23:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_23_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29753 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_03_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29553 Accounting for some 40% of all energy consumption, the building sector is one of Europe's most energy consuming. And as the vast majority of this power comes from fossil fuels, increasing energy efficiency, reducing CO2 emissions and using Renewable Energy Sources (RES) has in recent years become priority. ]]> Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-03:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_03_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29553 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-rapolac&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29519 The production of advanced high-tech components for aircraft and other aerospace applications is an expensive and time-intensive process involving design, prototyping and then machining of parts often using costly high strength-to-weight materials such as titanium. A new production approach developed under the European Union (EU) -funded RAPOLAC project (Rapid Production of Large Aerospace Components) can bypass the prototyping stage and build a new part in a fraction of the time with production costs reduced by as much as 40%. ]]> Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-27:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-rapolac&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29519 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-minoas&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29517 For huge cargo vessels that carry millions of litres of oil, thousands of shipping containers, or tens of thousands of tonnes of coal or steel, safety is paramount. These ships must comply with rising safety standards that require time-consuming inspections by surveyors, who in turn risk their own safety by climbing inside massive cargo areas and on scaffolding constructed around ships. ]]> Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-26:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-minoas&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29517 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_25_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29493 An estimated 170 million people worldwide are infected with hepatitis C, which kills more than 350,000 every year from related illnesses like liver cancer. There is no vaccine for it, and treatments are costly thanks to the complicated chemistry used to make the drugs. However, if a way was found to simplify and speed up the manufacture of hepatitis C drugs, it could slash the costs of treatment and at a stroke promise to wipe out the insidious killer disease.]]> Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-25:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_25_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29493 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_22_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29473 Micro-products have become increasingly important in the medical, biotechnology, consumer and automotive sectors. However, products in these sectors such as innovative display solutions and light emitting panels require the integration of different functionalities and demand new mass manufacturing methods and technologies.]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-22:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_22_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29473 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_20_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29433 Measuring between 1 and 100 billionth of a metre, nanomaterials may be tiny and invisible to the eye but what they lack in size, they make up for in impact. Engineered nanomaterials are already widely used in technologies and consumer products ranging from toothpaste to paints. ]]> Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-20:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_20_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29433 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_19_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29413 Faced with tough competition from low-wage countries and economic strife at home, European shoemakers are interested in clever and efficient solutions to design and customise stylish shoes that meet every customer's needs. But is ‘mass customisation’ like this a contradiction in terms? Not according to EU-funded researchers. ]]> Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-19:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_19_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29413 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-sawhot-s3-ingenious&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29414 The goal of enhanced integration between the European Union and the Russian Federation was significantly advanced by a series of three linked EU-Russian research projects. ]]> Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-18:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-sawhot-s3-ingenious&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29414 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_15_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29373 Over the last ten years, high power fibre lasers have moved quickly from the research laboratory into production. In stark contrast to traditional lasers, fibre lasers now offer near perfect beam quality ensuring optimal focus even in long distances. In addition, high efficiency, low operating costs and virtually no maintenance allow for a simple integration into industrial, automated production processes. ]]> Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-15:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_15_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29373 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_04_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29316 European researchers are waging war on cancer, a major medical and societal challenge today. Thanks to progress in nanotechnology and strong leadership by Trinity College Dublin, teams from diverse scientific fields are developing sensitive portable devices to diagnose cancer much earlier and to better monitor treatment when and where it is needed. ]]> Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-04:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_04_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29316 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-compnanoald&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=28993 Sun-fired pollution-eating nano-fibres, novel night-vision devices, super waterproofing materials... these are just some of the applications that award-winning Hungarian scientist Dr Imre Miklós Szilágyi came up with in his EU-supported nano-science project exploring new materials and techniques at the molecular level. ]]> Wed, 16 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-01-16:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-compnanoald&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=28993