Certain sections of society suffer from poorer health than others. An EU-funded project based in Dublin is analysing multiple types of data to determine which factors most influence health and how new policies can help to reduce ‘health inequalities’.
Many ideas for EU-funded projects are born in the quest to further scientific research, particularly in areas where little information exists.
Bacillus subtilis is a bacterium that lives naturally in the soil, but is widely used as a laboratory organism for basic research.
Hip operations are one of the most common medical procedures in Europe. But a significant number of replacements fail prematurely due to poor fitting and wear-and-tear issues. New non-metallic implants developed by European researchers potentially offer a longer lasting, less invasive, more biocompatible alternative which poses a lower risk to patients.
Good crop growth depends mainly on nitrogen. Plants need nitrogen to make proteins, grow and produce good yields. However, not all nitrogen present in the soil is absorbed by the crops, especially when fertiliser or manure are added, resulting in the leaching of nitrates into groundwater, with environmental and health risk.
What does a coal-fired power plant produce? Well, electricity, of course, but it could also supply clean water. And so could many other types of factory. Technology developed by the EU-funded CapWa project extracts water from flue gas – more, in some cases, than was initially brought in. It also saves energy.
A breakthrough European research project has developed a safe and simple approach that avoids surgery and its associated risks in order to help patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The BrainSafe project uses an innovative technology for non-invasive monitoring of intracranial pressure (ICP), the pressure inside the skull and thus the brain tissue and the surrounding fluid.
The EU-funded research helping amputees to feel and manipulate objects with the prosthesis
EU-funded researchers have developed scented mattresses with built-in heating and cooling functions, all meant to improve the quality of sleep. And they are moving these new products to market.
Thanks to the OPEN GARMENTS project, we should all soon be able to go online, specify the precise design we want for that new shirt, dress, accessory, or whatever, and have it delivered to our door in days. All at a cost that is comparable to that of a traditional mass-produced item.
Of all the opportunities offered by the decoding of the human genome, one of the most exciting is the chance to learn how DNA determines health. Thanks to a European research project, this medical breakthrough is getting a little closer to reality. The project, NanoDNAsequencing, discovered a novel method to decode human DNA, paving the way for personalised therapy based on an individual’s genetic profile.
With supporting infrastructure and applications in place, SafeTRIP technology could allow automatic payment of road-user charges (such as road tolls or congestion charges) across Europe or give passengers the ability to look for hotels or restaurants and book them while on the move.
Over recent years, air travelers have become familiar with pre-flight security routines: a tedious but necessary insurance against terrorist attacks. But other forms of mass transport, especially in European cities, may remain more vulnerable – as the bombings in London and Madrid tragically demonstrated a few years ago. An EU-funded project has been exploring new, rapid, mass-screening technology to make life easier and safer for all travelers.
Even 10 seconds can make a difference. When Japan was hit by the earthquake in 2011, early-warning systems were in place, and within seconds even the high-speed "bullet" trains stopped. About half of Europe is also a high-risk earthquake area, especially Mediterranean countries like Greece, Italy, and other regions around the Black Sea.
As our increasingly computer-driven world creates more and more data, the need for enhanced processing power to store, retrieve and analyse that data is significantly growing.
Live organisms such as bacteria and yeast – known as probiotics –have traditionally been added to dairy foods for an extra health boost, but are now making their way to table olives. EU-funded researchers developing this new 'superfood' say it could help Southern Europe’s olive industry become more competitive. Two patents have been registered – in Greece and Spain – for the technology, opening up the way for application on an industrial scale.
The integrated circuits that have been driving the information technology revolution are reaching their physical limit. EU-funded scientists are now looking at light as a replacement for electric signals. In their search for smaller, faster, low-energy alternatives, they are reporting promising work on light particles called ‘polaritons’, paving the way for next-generation circuits for use in devices such as computers and smartphones .
Natural rubber is a unique raw material with a whole range of applications. To reduce the current dependence on the rubber tree which mainly grows in Asia, a European substitute is vital.
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.
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.
