An EU-funded project gains better insight into how brain synapses malfunction, paving the way for better future treatments for neurodegenerative disease sufferers. Neurodegenerative diseases—an umbrella term for a range of conditions affecting the neurons in the human brain—impact millions of people worldwide. The most common of these diseases are Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, with Alzheimer’s and…
We rely on experts all the time. If you need financial advice, you ask an expert. If you are sick, you visit a doctor, and as a juror you may listen to an expert witness. In the future, however, artificial intelligence (AI) might replace many of these people. In forensic science, the expert witness plays…
Spring 2060. In dark glasses, a wide sunhat and with what little exposed skin left caked in sun cream, a child stares at the woodland across from their house. It looks scraggly and stunted, and with far fewer leaves than in the old photos she has seen. Still, no time to dwell on it: there’s…
Grains such as teff, millet, and sorghum are mostly grown and consumed locally in certain African countries. However, there is interest in cultivating them in Europe and elsewhere as new sources of cereal since they are highly nutritious. Teff grains, for example, are rich in calcium and protein as well as iron, containing levels almost…
In 1895, on turning 50, Elie Metchnikoff became increasingly anxious about ageing. As a result, the Russian Nobel prize-winning scientist, and one of the founders of immunology, turned his attention away from immunology and towards gerontology—a term that he coined. He was fascinated by the role that intestinal bacteria play in health and disease and…
The MILE21-LIFEproject team is providing Europe’s consumers with accurate fuel consumption data and offering efficient driving tips. Passenger cars are responsible for around 12 per cent of the EU’s total CO2 emissions. Also, there is a difference between fuel consumption reported by vehicle manufacturers in official tests and how much is used under real driving…
More than 150 years after French author Jules Verne released his Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, the classic tale of deep-sea exploration, we know less about the deep sea than about the surface of the moon. Areas the size of massive continents and located thousands of metres below the water surface remain hidden from…
An EU-backed team used photonics technology to boost the performance of existing fibre optics infrastructure, achieving internet speeds of up to 40 terabytes per second. Photonics—the science of creating, detecting and manipulating light—is driving innovations in technologies ranging from smartphone displays and energy-saving lighting to medical instruments and self-driving cars. Researchers working for the EU-funded…
An EU-funded project’s innovation testbed provides access to consulting services and state-of-the-art pilot lines, helping companies commercialise their printed electronics. Printed electronics play a vital role in the development of the Internet of things (IoT). Our homes, cars, and even our clothes and accessories are fitted with electronic devices such as circuits, sensors, displays and…
An EU-funded project gives good advice to local farmers and food producers on how to make short food supply chains (SFSCs) more competitive and sustainable. Over the last few decades, Europe’s agri-food system has had to deal with feeding a growing population, improving food transparency and shrinking its carbon footprint. These challenges have led to…