http://ec.europa.eu//research/index.cfm?pg=whatsnew en Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:07:53 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=rss For more RSS news feeds click the link above. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:07:53 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_31_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30213 Biofuel extracted from algae could provide a much-needed solution to the world’s increasing energy needs. The Marine algae as biomass for biofuels (Mabfuel) project is working on ways to optimise growth processes and oil yield on a commercial scale with future energy demands in mind. Early results show two specific species of algae have higher oil content when produced outdoors and thus could help address these demands.]]> Fri, 31 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-31:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_31_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30213 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_28_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30153 Drought is one of the biggest worries for a farmer, sometimes threatening entire harvests, but a European Union (EU)-funded project is using the latest gene science to see whether the worst effects of water shortages could be averted with drought-tolerant plants.]]> Tue, 28 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-28:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_28_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30153 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-biodiversa&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30173 "Biodiversity is the living tissue of our planet," says Xavier Le Roux, BiodivERsA's project coordinator. "It delivers services – what we call "ecosystem services" – which are very important for human society." Provided by the countless living organisms which make up life on earth, these services include functions such as plant and crop pollination, the maintenance of soil fertility, the regulation of greenhouse gases, and the production of food. ]]> Tue, 28 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-28:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-biodiversa&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30173 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-lignodeco&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29996 If the world is to live within its environmental limits, the need to make the most sustainable use of its raw materials will become ever more vital. Increasingly, this will require us to focus on making maximum use of all the components of those raw materials, right down to the waste products. In today's world, everything has to be used. ]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-15:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-lignodeco&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29996 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-pegaso&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29924 Where better to enjoy a relaxing coastal trip than the Mediterranean? However, with large areas of this and the Black Sea basin under threat from environmental change, collaboration within the local scientific communities is more important than ever. ]]> 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-pegaso&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29924 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=326&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29554 Known as the tiger of the sea, the bluefin tuna or Thunnus thynnus, can grow to more than half a tonne, glide at speeds of up to 70km/hour, and migrate over thousands of kilometres. But for many people, the bluefin’s majesty and grace in the water count for far less than the delicious taste of its rich, creamy red flesh: in January 2012, a 269kg bluefin tuna fetched a record 56.49 million yen (€564,000) at a Tsukiji market auction in Tokyo. Demand for the lucrative fish is driving it to extinction: despite global initiatives to limit the hunting, bluefin tuna populations have fallen an estimated 80% since 1970. ]]> Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-03:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=326&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29554 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-ecochange&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29514 Human well-being is strongly linked to the biodiversity and functioning of the Earth's ecosystems. To maintain biodiversity and enable future generations to derive the same benefits our planet now provides us with, consolidated policy and management efforts are needed. The findings of the EcoChange project could be instrumental in this endeavour. ]]> 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-ecochange&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29514 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_06_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29317 When you think of species conservation, the first thing that probably enters your mind is big projects like animal breeding programmes and nature reserves. But how often do you consider the species in your garden, in your city park, or on your farm? These environments are also crucial places for preserving biodiversity according to a recent €1.8 million EU-funded research project, which examined ways to better coordinate conservation efforts between local and national governments. ]]> Wed, 06 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-06:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_06_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29317 http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=8BC0003D-A1CF-088C-CE2523C64D9B810B Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-01-30:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=8BC0003D-A1CF-088C-CE2523C64D9B810B http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=71D6E048-F12E-4A84-9CE27BF09E269ACF Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-01-25:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=71D6E048-F12E-4A84-9CE27BF09E269ACF http://ec.europa.eu/research/environment/index_en.cfm?pg=publications&tab=10 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-01-15:/environment/index_en.cfm?pg=publications&tab=10 http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=2D334377-DF21-5657-AE9CE3D49BAEE248 Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-11-23:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=2D334377-DF21-5657-AE9CE3D49BAEE248 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_09_25_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27073 Conservation practice, backed with strong data and recommendations, is high on the EU agenda. One of the most important ways to identify changes in the environment and in natural populations is to focus on biodiversity and environmental monitoring. The data generated from monitoring helps decision makers and researchers design and assess biodiversity policies, conservation management, land use decisions and environmental protection. The SCALES ('Securing the conservation of biodiversity across administrative levels and spatial, temporal, and ecological scales') project has performed an evaluation that focused on providing scientific and policy research required to guide scale-dependent management actions. SCALES has received almost EUR 7 million under the Environment Theme of the FP7.]]> Tue, 25 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-09-25:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_09_25_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27073 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-baccara&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=25433&numart=25433 Forests are a key resource for the planet. They play an important role in preserving biodiversity, they are a source of natural, renewable materials, and by absorbing carbon dioxide they play a crucial role in combating the greenhouse effect.]]> Fri, 22 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-06-22:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-baccara&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=25433&numart=25433 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_05_31_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=24994 One of the world’s largest growing threats to endangered animals and plants is coming from a very small source: fungus. The discovery was made by researchers in the United Kingdom and the United States. Presented in the journal Nature, the study was funded in part by the BIODIVERSA2 (Cooperation and shared strategies for biodiversity research programmes in Europe) project, which received EUR 2 million in funding under the Environment Theme of the FP7.]]> Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-05-31:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_05_31_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=24994 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_05_29_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=24953 Leonardo da Vinci, the Italian Renaissance scientist and artist extraordinaire, in the 15th century was the first to record his observation that some plants appeared to follow the Sun, and he was not the last. How this was scientifically achieved and why this occurred, however, remained a mystery to him and everyone that followed. But a European team of researchers may have come one step closer to solving this mystery. The answer, they say, lies with auxin - a class of plant hormone. The findings of their study were published in the journal Nature.]]> Tue, 29 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-05-29:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_05_29_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=24953 http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=1230309D-D206-BEC8-6610166D77F3102B Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-05-03:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=1230309D-D206-BEC8-6610166D77F3102B http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_04_18_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=24613 Researchers in Europe have created a set of new guidelines for the protection of Europe's most threatened butterfly species. Coordinated by the Butterfly Conservation Europe, the report puts the spotlight on 29 threatened species listed in Council Directive 92/43/EEC, more commonly known as the Habitats Directive. The report is part of the SCALES ('Securing the conservation of biodiversity across administrative levels and spatial, temporal, and ecological scales') project, which is backed with EUR 7 million under the Environment Theme of the FP7.]]> Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-04-18:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_04_18_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=24613 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_03_07_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=24134 Researchers from the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom have designed an innovative technique to study the underground world of plants. Presented in the journal Plant Physiology, the results of this study will lead to improved breeding techniques for crop varieties, as well as better yields.]]> Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-03-07:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_03_07_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=24134 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=326&item=Infocentre&artid=23633 Bluefin Tuna is disappearing from the sea. Demand keeps prices high - which means people will keep fishing Bluefin Tuna until there is none left. Obviously this is an unsustainable situation. In Cartagena, in southern Spain, scientists from the EU's Selfdott research project are researching how to farm Bluefin Tuna. So every night in July they take a boat and go out to collect eggs from two cages containing 60 Bluefin Tuna. ]]> Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-01-19:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=326&item=Infocentre&artid=23633