Roughly six million people in Europe suffer from epilepsy. Although treatment is widely available, 30% of patients still experience uncontrolled seizures. Hoping to change their lives for the better, the EU-funded project EpiMiRNA is looking to improve our understanding of the underlying causes of the condition, and to open up new diagnostic and therapeutic pathways focusing on the role of microRNAs.
Imagine printing with inexpensive plastic inks that detect light. Imagine using the same inkjet process to combine these substances with printable electric switches — transistors — that can transmit the collected information. You could print out entire digital imagers this way.
An EU-funded project has developed a forecasting model for biotoxic algal blooms. The project aimed at providing aquaculture farmers early warnings of approaching dangerous ‘phytoplankton’ – allowing them to take effective action to keep fish and shellfish from algae-induced contamination – and protect their livelihoods.
Being able to maintain personal hygiene plays a crucial factor for independent living in old age. Loosing this ability means needing support for these activities, often resulting into a move in a nursing care home. I-SUPPORT is a three-year Horizon 2020 European research project launched in March 2015. Its goal is to develop a robotic shower system in order to enable independent living for a long period and thus, improve the quality of life of frail citizens.
EU-funded researchers are extracting small pieces of protein from rice starch by-products for ‘superfoods’ and new cosmetics. These ‘magic’ molecules could add a healthy twist to baby food, sports protein supplements and products for sufferers of coeliac disease. An engineered human skin eliminating any need for animal testing could also be on the market within two years.
How have reforms to public administration across Europe affected the delivery of services? An EU-funded project led to one of the largest surveys ever of top civil servants in 20 European countries on public sector reforms. The survey indicates that changes have been patchy. The project’s recommendations to policymakers aim to make future reforms more effective and inclusive.
The TeraComp project has developed a state-of-the-art ‘terahertz receiver’ that may help detect traces of life in space. The technology could be used in a ‘sub-millimeter spectrometer’ for measuring wavelengths of light during the first ESA mission to Jupiter’s moons, planned for launch in 2022.
Offshore wind-farms are an attractive source of renewable energy, overcoming a number of concerns linked to on-land wind turbines. An EU-funded project is increasing cost-effectiveness out at sea with new, lightweight, innovative components. One system prototype is being tested, while another is under development.
The nutritional value of staple foods in Africa is being boosted to raise consumption of essential micronutrients. Kenya has made iron fortification mandatory in commercially produced flour, while Nigeria’s farmers are being encouraged to grow high-vitamin-A cassava strains. Both moves result from the EU-funded INSTAPA project, which continues to inform efforts to step up public nutrition through improving foods.
Cleaning and maintaining art can reveal the original beauty of a work. But the chemicals and products used must not cause long-term damage to the artefacts, conservators’ health or the environment. An EU-funded project has developed a new class of nanotech-based products that provides safer, greener conservation than conventional products.
An EU-funded project is helping researchers and policy-makers in Europe and South East Asia form consortia to collaborate on sustainable food, healthcare and water management research. Projects tackle major issues, such as contaminants in food imports or the growing global threat of antimicrobial resistance.
Have you ever stared at packaged meat from your fridge or freezer and wondered if it’s still good to eat? Thrown out food because you just weren’t sure? Smart labels could help to set your mind at rest. An EU-funded project has developed innovative stickers to do just that.
Surveys such as the 2010 Eurobarometer show that people around Europe are worried about what they eat and where it comes from. But what causes this? And does it affect behaviour? An EU-funded project studied consumer choices about shopping, cooking and eating – offering a more accurate picture of what shapes their decisions. The results could lead to better-informed policies on health, sustainability and business.
Pregnant women are more prone to becoming infected with malaria than other adults. In their case, the parasite tends to hide in the placenta, unnoticed but damaging to the host and her unborn child. An EU-funded project has set out to improve the antenatal care as well as the malaria diagnosis and treatment available to expectant mothers in endemic areas.
EU-funded researchers have developed an innovative new cancer treatment. Interest from the pharmaceutical industry has been so great that the research team has set up a company dedicated to bringing their innovations to market.
Ripe, but not too ripe; sweet, but still a bit tart — to make outstanding wine, grapes must be harvested when they are at their best. Choosing the right moment is one of the key decisions of the winemaking process. The WinePen, a low-cost handheld device developed by the EU-funded PREMIVM project, can help. It is based on innovative techniques that can give winegrowers the information they need much faster than conventional tools.
If you had a colony of parasites living in your gut and siphoning off your blood, you might not even know. Many of the hundreds of millions of people suffering from hookworm disease are completely unaware of their wriggly lodgers, which can seriously damage their health. EU-funded researchers are developing a vaccine to keep the tiny trespassers at bay.
Tiny components of products such as smartphones can require manufacturing tolerances of a few nanometres. EU-funded research has led to a new generation of industrial measuring machines and commercial applications that strengthen the dominance of European SMEs in nano-metrology.
Faster, greener and more sustainable: our world is thirsty for innovative processes that meet these demanding criteria. While natural resources can offer part of the solution, the biggest challenge lies in cleaning-up chemical synthesis. Prof. Georgios Vasilikogiannakis and his team have been looking for answers.
Most of our actions can have an impact on the environment, be it minor, long-lasting or simply irreversible. But how can this effect be measured, avoided, predicted? What are the specificities of long-term risks and how can collective decisions be taken effectively to tackle those threats?
