An EU-funded project has demonstrated that it is economically and technically challenging for rail operators to replace or retrofit older diesel locomotives to meet tighter emission limits on pollutants. Market incentives should be provided to speed-up the switch to new, cleaner technologies, the project recommends.
Income from e-sales in the EU in 2013 accounted for 15% of total turnover, and if estimates are correct, e-commerce will grow. However, this growth brings with it an increase in freight transport, especially in urban areas, which in turn contributes to air and noise pollution as well as traffic congestion.
Marine fungi such as those growing on algae and corals generate powerful substances that could be used to target tumours. An EU-funded project has identified three particularly promising compounds and developed ways to produce them on an industrial scale — without damage to the fungi’s natural habitat.
Conservators use heat transfer for restoration – from paintings, works on paper and textiles to murals, 3-D objects and more. But conventional methods leave much to be desired. IMAT project has developed a revolutionary heating system based on carbon nanotubes and silver nanoparticles.
Pollen season is a difficult time for many. In Europe, Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., a.k.a. common ragweed, could soon be adding to the plight of allergy sufferers, and many more people could develop symptoms. Climate change will enable this highly allergenic alien species to advance across the continent, say EU-funded researchers, who are calling for urgent action to keep the invader at bay.
The technology behind the design of electric vehicles is ever improving and the EU predicts that these vehicles could be in mass production by 2020. By developing a completely new way of using information from GPS and location data shown by GSM, the EU DATA SIM project simulated the consequences of a massive switch to electric vehicles, and studied the impact on mobility and electricity distribution networks.
You probably already heard about graphene, but do you know its "cousin" silicene? Learn more about silicene in this blog post from Athanasios Dimoulas, coordinator of the FET Open 2D-NANOLATTICES project, the first European project aimed to study silicene, a 2D semiconductor.
If you are at risk of developing diabetes, it will come as no surprise if your doctor suggests you keep an eye on your weight and step up your physical activity. A number of lifestyle aspects are known to play a role. Other insights are only just emerging: new EU-funded research highlights the importance of living in sync with your body clock.
An EU-funded project has developed innovative components, chemical technologies and manufacturing processes for cheaper, more-dependable and greener Lithium-ion batteries. These breakthroughs promise to boost competitiveness among European battery and electric vehicle manufacturers.
Luckily, sarcomas are rare – but this also means that very few clinical trials have investigated better ways to tackle these malignant tumours. The fact that there are many types of sarcoma, which respond to treatment in very different ways, adds to the difficulty of organising such studies. An EU-funded cancer research project has taken up the challenge in a bid to develop targeted treatments.
Roughly 3 000 pharmaceutical products are used in human healthcare. Since a patient’s body does not fully metabolise some of them, they are excreted and can end up in the environment, where they can impact aquatic life, and potentially human beings. EU-funded researchers investigated how much concern is warranted about anticancer drugs and antibiotics.
The European Union (EU)-funded project PRO-NEST has paved the way towards novel therapies to prevent prostate cancer, which is the third most common cause of cancer for males in Europe. New diagnostic tests and treatments to curb the disease are now in the pipeline, and expected to become available within the next 10 years.
The development of an advanced pan-European raw material database is helping mining companies identify untapped sources, thus reducing our reliance on imports. In addition, new cleaner processing technologies promise to make Europe’s mining industries more competitive, creating jobs.
Thriving settlements on Mars, mining operations on the moon, exploration teams heading out into the universe — humankind may one day be able to establish a presence far beyond its home planet. The EU-funded SR2S project strives to remove one of the main obstacles by developing a magnetic shield to protect astronauts from radiation in deep space.
The decoding of our genetic material has opened up new frontiers in clinical care. Now a landmark EU-funded project has developed cutting edge DNA sequencing that could make cancer diagnosis and treatment significantly more effective and affordable – helping to save lives.
An EU-funded research project has developed highly-sensitive detectors to monitor corrosive atmospheric pollutants in museums and archives. The detectors warn when preventative action is needed to protect Europe’s cultural artefacts – and heritage – before they are damaged by corrosion. Commercial success has followed the project and funded follow-up research on new applications, from vehicle corrosion to the paper industry.
The sea is an important resource for us all. We rely on it for much of our diet. In many cases, our livelihoods depend on it. Robust marine ecosystems are vital both for a healthy planet and also for general human wellbeing.
Across Europe, researchers are trying to reduce the impact of neurodegenerative diseases on sufferers and society alike. An EU-funded project has set out a roadmap to better coordinate this work – helping scientists target the right research areas and access the best resources.
An EU-funded project is attempting to validate a prototype test designed to predict which combination therapy would best suit individual patients with colorectal cancer, the most common form of cancer in Europe. The test is expected to lengthen the life expectancy for those with this aggressive form of cancer by indicating the most effective treatment combination for individual patients.
EU-funded researchers are adapting smart materials to make ships more comfortable, safe and economically and environmentally efficient for shipbuilders, operators and passengers.
