EU-funded scientists are pioneering the development of a coordinated, global mercury observation system. It will help policy makers and researchers from around the world to monitor the presence of mercury in ecosystems and food chains and assess the effectiveness of emission reduction measures.
A drought on the Tibetan Plateau could be a drought for nearly half the world’s population — some 40%, to be precise. Too much water is also a daunting prospect, as floods in this area frequently affect vast communities, claiming lives and destroying livelihoods. An EU-funded project has advanced the forecasting of precipitation on the roof of the world.
The TOPTEN ACT project will help consumers make environmentally conscious purchases by selecting and presenting Europe’s most energy efficient products across a number of categories. Goods will be analysed from the 16 national Topten websites, which showcase the best performing models in each country.
Sub-Saharan Africa is modernising fast, changing the dynamic between town and countryside. What is the best way to manage the impacts on rural and urban communities? An EU-funded project is collecting data that helps policymakers make wise choices for inclusive development.
Over the last 30 years, much of Europe's grassland has been lost to urban development and the intensive production of annual crops like green maize. But environmental and food safety concerns, coupled with doubts about the sustainability of today's intensive farming systems, have seen grassland farming making a comeback. An EU-funded project has presented its findings on the value of grasslands for biodiversity and productivity.
Climate change knows no boundaries. Its impacts are being felt everywhere, including in the Amazon River basin in South America. An EU-funded partnership between European and Brazilian researchers is studying the underlying mechanisms with a view to drawing up environmental and social mitigation policies.
An EU-funded project has shown that the widespread practice of informal healthcare payments in Central and Eastern Europe is inefficient, and means that many patients are unable to pay for the care they need. The positive news is that the project findings are beginning to influence policy in the region.
The carbon dioxide emitted by fossil fuel power stations and many other types of plant could be used to generate methanol, say EU-funded researchers. They are developing a cost-effective method to turn this overabundant pollutant into a welcome resource. This process will draw on surplus energy produced by renewables at peak times.
Healthcare in Africa faces many challenges; HIV and reproductive health are just two examples. The EU-funded AFRICA BUILD project set up an education, training and knowledge-sharing portal for African health researchers that helped build local capacities, facilitate learning and enhance collaboration between Africa and Europe.
Industrial production accounts for 16 % of Europe’s economy. But while Europe was once recognised worldwide as an industrial power house, its leadership is being eroded. EU-funded researchers are seeking to reverse the trend with innovative technologies that increase productivity and create a more appealing and inspiring working environment.
Through close cooperation between European and Brazilian scientists, an EU-funded project is developing and currently testing novel preclinical drug candidates designed to prevent various chronic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
An EU-funded project has developed moulds capable of embedding nanostructures onto the surface of plastic parts. This innovation could help carmakers and other industries using plastics improve their manufacturing processes and products – boosting competitiveness.
We know a lot about the human genome and the role genes play in disease. But environmental factors could play an even more important role than genetics. EU-funded researchers are helping to put together a so-called exposome to characterise the complex environmental exposure mixtures linked to disease.
What is your idea of a perfect meal? How about some local cheese, artisanal bread and a few slices of regional ham? Traditional food producers are getting help to continue producing in the competitive 21st century, with know-how and training from an EU-funded project.
A team of 28 scientists and engineers led by ERC grantee Dr Veerle Huvenne has just returned from a successful 5-week expedition on board the RRS James Cook. They used tailored marine equipment to provide some of the first detailed acoustic maps of the fauna inhabiting the vertical cliffs of the Whittard Submarine Canyon. In this interview, Dr Huvenne shares her impressions on an extraordinary scientific journey.
An international team of researchers, led by ERC grantee Prof Rune Linding, discovered how genetic cancer mutations attack the networks controlling human cells. This knowledge is critical for the future development of personalized precision cancer treatments.
To confront the current challenge of managing a city of 20 million, the Egyptian government has revealed plans earlier this year (2015) to build a new capital city, 45 kilometres east of Cairo. The ambitious project tackles growth over the next 50 years and has been set to adapt to future challenges, including population density and land constraints. Like Cairo, many other metropolises are currently under pressure.
Tired of endlessly looking for a parking spot? Dreaming of having a bird's-eye view to locate free spaces in a congested city? ERC grantee Prof Luc Van Gool is a research leader in the area of computer vision. With his project "VarCity", he works to innovate existing 3D city modelling by using object class recognition methods and crowd generated data.
We know that clouds in the Earth’s atmosphere are made of liquid water droplets, ice particles or a mixture of both. Still, our basic understanding on the nature of these ice particles, how they form and their role in climate continue to be poor. The results of Dr Benjamin Murray's ERC research, published today in Nature, add a new piece to the atmospheric puzzle.
Europe is the world’s third-largest producer of bioethanol – an important renewable fuel and energy source. Most stems from crops. Aiming to enlarge the feedstock basis for ethanol production, an EU-funded project has taken advanced bioethanol production from plant waste a large step closer to cost-efficient implementation.
