Ερευνητικά Αποτελέσματα Ξένων Ερευνητών - Europedirect

A project to establish a distributed world-class lab network will help Europe become a leading light in CCS research, opening up new commercial opportunities and providing a coordinated effort to tackling climate change.

While global demand for carbon capture storage (CCS) continues to grow, further development is urgently needed if this technology is to become viable and cost-effective.

Scientists from Germany, France and Austria have successfully programmed cellular networks and community behaviour of bacteria using newly engineered ‘RNA based devices’ (RNAdevs) — small molecular modules that regulate gene expression and function mainly based on ribonucleic acid sequences. The resulting toolbox opens the door to various applications in white biotechnology and medicine.

Retrofitting a combination of carbon capture technology to existing coal fired power plants could help facilities reduce their emissions and meet stringent environmental targets, say EU researchers.

EU-funded researchers succeeded in substantially increasing the current that thin, high-temperature superconductor films can conduct without loss in lengths suitable for commercial use. Results can change the way energy is produced and transmitted, enabling for example lossless power grids or motors and generators, and can produce extremely powerful magnets.

New materials used in nanoantennas that detect specific molecules using infrared light promises to bring us even closer to one-chip diagnostics.

Nanoantennas integrated onto silicon chips can be used to identify the presence of specific molecules in medical diagnostics, in the detection of explosives or to identify polluting substances in the environment.

The EU-funded CAPRI project successfully used ultrafast laser pulses to shed light on mechanisms of chemical reactions in liquids in unprecedented detail, with potential for leaner and greener industrial chemistry.

An EU-funded project has led to a better understanding of why certain proteins can cause strong allergic reactions, while at the same time providing a bright female researcher with the opportunity to resume her career.

Exploiting Europe’s fish supplies in a sustainable way needs cooperation from multiple agencies and sectors. The EU-funded COFASP project has brought stakeholders together to develop a research strategy for managing these vital marine resources.

The EU-funded IMPACT project has accelerated the development and adoption of Future Internet technologies in Europe, advancing the European market for smart infrastructure and increasing the effectiveness of internet mobile-based business processes.

EU-funded researchers within the EXAMPLE project have built a more efficient and reliable aircraft engine using the two-way isogeometric analysis process.

Maintaining the EU’s competitive edge in the wine sector, in the face of climate change and increased competition, requires better and more diversified products. INNOVINE provides producers with much-needed knowledge, tools and genetic resources that will help them make the right choices.

In developed countries, one individual in every 1 000 of the general population is a childhood cancer survivor. Determining the impact of cancer treatment later in life is paramount for providing optimum care.

The prevalence of fungal infections has increased globally and poses significant health a threat. This is further exacerbated by the increasing incidence of resistance to the limited number of commercially available antifungal drugs.

Genome dynamics in fungi alongside DNA organisation and genomic transmission to other cells is fundamentally different from that observed in bacteria. In addition, most drugs that inhibit fungal growth have undesirable effects on humans, rendering the design of novel anti-fungal agents an important challenge.

New non-abelian statistical models have emerged to give scientists and physicists a deeper understanding of Majorana fermions and topological superconductors. This will help support the quest to advance quantum computing.

The European production industry, in facing challenges resulting from the increasingly complex and dynamic environment in which they operate, often neglect humans at the centre of it all. An EU initiative helped to align business goals and human needs.

Worker satisfaction, motivation and empowerment have been recognised as critical to healthy and robust organisations. However, these human factors are seen as clashing with more important financial goals like reducing costs and boosting productivity.

Climate change and the intensification and severity of floods, fires, disease and other events in recent decades are having detrimental effects on forest ecosystems. An EU initiative introduced a simulation framework to respond to such forest disruptions.

Knowledge about disturbance regimes that cause pronounced changes in forest ecosystems over a period of time remains limited. This lack of knowledge is evident in existing adaptation strategies and forest models that simulate climate change impacts.

The advent of genomics technology necessitates methods for handling large chunks of information. This is of particular importance in human genetics, where an association is required with the disease phenotype.

Recent research has fuelled the discovery of over 500 validated single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) phenotype associations. However, SNPs do not explain the heritability of many common genetic diseases and their effect at the cell level remains unknown.

The cost of maintaining older bridges can be exorbitant. An EU initiative introduced solutions to more reliably determine the true safety of bridges, thus enabling public authorities to make informed decisions about maintenance, repair or rebuild.

To prolong the safe working lives of bridges, the EU-funded LONG LIFE BRIDGES (Long life bridges) project focused on railway bridge dynamics and life-cycle and fatigue evaluation. To achieve its aims, it carried out secondments between two leading European engineering SMEs and two academic institutes from Denmark and Sweden.

EU-funded scientists successfully developed reliable and efficient spectrum sensing techniques that will be needed to meet the growing demand for more bandwidth for improved communications.

Innovation forms the backbone of economic advancement in the EU, contributing as well to the well-being of society. New strategies based on smart specialisation could further regional innovation significantly.

In recent years, the European Commission has encouraged innovation on a regional scale, supported by EU policies for smart specialisation, homing in on specific sectors or technologies. The Commission actually requires Member States to have a national or regional smart specialisation strategy to qualify for EU funding.