#Improved tsunami alert system through international partnerships Tsunamis are not very frequent events, but they can have a terrible impact on human life and on the economy of a country.
They occur as a result of earthquakes, usually at the bottom of the sea. But at present such earthquakes cannot be foreseen.
Quick responses are therefore vital. sunamis travel very quickly and occur relatively near the shore.
It may be only a matter of 15-20 minutes after the earthquake that the wave hits the shore,
says José Fernando Esteban of Atos Origin Spain. Early detection can greatly reduce loss of life. nalysis must take no longer than 10 minutes
which detects tsunamis as early as possible and allows emergency agencies to improve their responses.
The system positions sensors at sea and on the coast to pick up earthquakes and to determine the size of the tsunami waves that they are likely to produce
and where they will strike on the coastline. DEWS processes this data and provides authorities with all the relevant information needed for making a decision on the type of public warning messages that are required.
Outside the European union EU), the project team partners were universities and governmental emergency agencies in New zealand, Thailand, Indonesia and Sri lanka,
as well as a leading Japanese agency focusing on geo-science and disaster prevention. The Badan Meteorologi Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG), the meteorological, climatological and geophysical agency of Indonesia, for example, supported the project in the development of guidelines and protocols as well as in the evaluation of test beds.
as well as the National Earthquake Information Centre in Jakarta. With the support of local staff DEWS was installed successfully at BMKG for evaluation
and testing purposes in a closed and secure test environment. The system not only provides faster warning,
but it also gives authorities more information than has been available to date. t is up to the authorities
the system can send immediate and personalised messages via SMS, email, voice messages over digital radio and Facebook alerts.
Unfortunately, when it comes to disease, complex diseases are also the most common ones. Over-forested and degraded land is threatening the country's wealth of biodiversity.
Agricultural lands for olive orchards and other crops are being damaged. Unregulated quarrying has deteriorated coastal mountain ecosystems and soil quality.
And, only a small portion of solid waste is being recycled or composted. These trends are having effects across society and the economy
impacting health, energy agriculture, production, transportation and tourism. In 2011, an EU-funded project began an in depth analysis of these challenges with an eye toward developing long-term solutions.
Whether speaking of the lush Yammouneh Valley, the threatened bottlenose dolphin, pristine forestlands or Lake Qaraoun, Lebanon has a long list of treasures in need of preservation.
The project"Improving National Assessment and Monitoring Capacities for Integrated Environmental and Coastal Ecosystem Management,
"or INCAM is being led by the prestigious National Council for Scientific research (CNRS) in Beirut. The two-year project,
which is supported by#500, 000 in European commission funding, includes as partners the Institute of Research for Development in France and the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari in Italy.
The initiative not only reflects the EU's growing cooperation with its neighbours in Mediterranean-wide research efforts,
but also an evolving environmental consciousness in Lebanon.""If you would talk to people on the street,
many would say that they lack confidence in our ability to manage natural resources and protect the environment,
"said CNRS researcher Elise Noujeim.""But recently, sensitivity toward the environment has been growing. A new generation is becoming aware about issues such as energy and recycling.
And as a country, we are trying to do as much as possible.""The main objective of the INCAM project is strengthening CNRS'capacities
and expanding staff training and education all directed toward transforming the institute into a centre of excellence.
The ultimate goals are to find solutions for Lebanon's environmental challenges, broaden the role of government decision-makers,
The inventory itself is built upon an extensive database being supported by CNRS'French partner, the Institute of Research for Development.
INCAM's research will assess the current condition of natural resources, support sustainable development, and improve integrated resource management with special attention on coastal and marine ecosystems.
The environment will not be the only beneficiary of INCAM. CNRS staff members will attend training sessions at EU research institutes
and the project is expected to stimulate interest among students to pursue advanced degrees in environmental disciplines.
Euro-Mediterranean research and training collaboration will be enhanced, and INCAM's findings will assist the European commission in developing future policies r
#Sweetening the bitter pill of cancer treatment Despite a massive research effort, cancer is still a major killer in Europe.
With the help of EU funding the Cyclon project is developing biocompatible sugar-based drug-delivery systems that could lead to a breakthrough in the fight against various cancers.
The research teams are working on anticancer drug-delivery systems based on yclodextrinsa type of sugar that can be produced from potatoes, wheat,
This helps the drug hone in on tumour sites, control the release of therapeutic compounds and enhance the efficiency of the treatment. he decorating of nanoparticles very tiny particles with cyclodextrins allows us to play with the functionality,
drug load and the structure of delivery systems, says project coordinator Dr Konstantina Yannakopoulou. e can use the cyclodextrins to mask the drug-carrying particles
or deliver them in a different way so that we can reach specifically targeted areas and fool the resistance mechanism of the tumours.
A decorated approach Dr Yannakopoulou says that progress in delivery efficiency has already been made through decorating nanoparticles with cyclodextrins combined with nhanced Permeability and Retention EPR) the property by
and thus tend to accumulate in tumour tissue much more than they do in normal tissues. e have been able to play with the sizes of nanoparticles to make them big enough to get into the tumour cells,
she explains. hey can even incorporate molecules with a capability for photo-stimulated killing for combined chemo-and photo-therapy as well as imaging.
The project is also providing nine early-stage researchers at Phd level and four post-doctorate experienced researchers with the opportunity to work alongside the Cyclon team in this challenging field of research into anticancer treatment. he young researchers are being involved in the whole process
and are gaining valuable knowledge in many aspects of drug delivery for cancer treatment development,
and will be valuable, multi-expertise researchers in the field by the end of their training.
#Nanotechnology to fight hospital superbugs 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.
by using a revolutionary nanotechnology to treat bed linen and other textiles. The European Nanobond consortium consisted of six companies and two scientific partners.
But, even in the journey from laundry to the hospital, there are all sorts of opportunities for new infections.
6. 6%of all patients catch a hospital acquired infection (HAI; France now reports 750,000 HAI cases a year,
Yet Nanobond has shown the superbugs can be beaten. e proved that even in bacteria rich environments,
and not spread the infections, says Nanobond project coordinator Patrice Vandendaele, from Belgium-based Devan Chemicals,
and an antimicrobial part to pierce the membrane of any bacteria cell that it touches. t works like a spike bursting a balloon,
it does not leach out into the environment. Nor does it attack good microorganisms on the skin that help protect people.
However, urbanisation, extensive irrigation and variations in rainfall patterns due to global climate change have led to serious water scarcity in many areas of the world.
Areas under increasing pressure from water scarcity, particularly in the summer months, include small cities and islands along the coasts of Spain, Greece and Italy
and island communities around the Mediterranean are affected by water-stress problems. According to the European environment agency (EEA), 16 to 44 million additional people will suffer water scarcity in Southern Europe by 2070.
The EU has taken a leading role in tackling water scarcity both on a European and global scale.
The Mediterranean region is a major concern. Coastal and island communities are facing serious water shortages,
The Refresh water-bag is a composite of modules which can combine to form a 20m-long,
Each water-bag is equipped with integrated sensors, powered by a solar cell located on the flat top of the container.
A fibre-optic grid monitors any deformations in the bag (signs of tearing or folding) during its sea voyage.
A water quality sensor to assess water purity has been tested in a laboratory with the intention of being fitted to water-bags in the future to ensure safe and clean delivery after transit.
The primary application of the Refresh water-bag and delivery system will be to supply fresh water to Mediterranean coastal cities and islands with less than 300 000 inhabitants covering about 45 million European citizens.
With the initial investment focused mainly on constructing the water-bag and renting or purchasing a tugboat,
the Refresh approach is more cost effective than using tanker ships where fresh water is priced around EUR 14/m3 or huge infrastructures, such as pipelines or desalination plants.
The final price for the water will depend on the distance it is shipped and on the payload.
Preliminary calculations indicate water costs of around two to five euros per cubic metre for intra-Mediterranean voyages,
and between five and ten euros per cubic metre for oceanic voyages. The dimensions of the oceanic modules have yet to be defined.
while CO2 EMISSIONS will be lower thanks to efficient transport options. e have received considerable interest from stakeholders in the Mediterranean and Persian gulf area,
The Refresh team has applied also for funding for a follow-up demonstration project within the EU Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7) the Union's main instrument for funding research and innovation to foster growth and jobs.
and cancer detection A multidisciplinary EU-funded research team has tested successfully a pioneering HIV-detection technique that is ten times more sensitive than any identification method used to date.
has achieved also positive results in similar early detection tests for different types of cancer. The EU-funded MIMIC project is currently working towards a breakthrough in cancer diagnostics
which is based on an ultra-sensitive detection system that is able to pick up minute concentrations of disease-related molecules in body fluids.
The method it uses draws on the body's natural processes of biomineralisation the production of minerals.
A similar diagnostic approach to that being used in MIMIC's cancer research has already proven effective in detecting HIV/AIDS.
Dr Roberto de la Rica Quesada, the MIMIC project coordinator, and Professor Molly Stevens, a European Research Council grantee at Imperial College London, have tested successfully a pioneering HIV-detection technique that is ten times more sensitive than any identification method used to date.
This HIV breakthrough is a triumph for the diagnostic approach MIMIC first developed for cancer detection,
which went through a number of stages of development and design before successful results were achieved.
in order to fabricate ultra-sensitive sensors via the production of calcium phosphate crystals. By adding antibodies to this process,
these sensors could then clearly identify the disease'biomarkers'the telltale signs of diseased cells.
Once the crystals are formed, their development and recognition actions can be detected by electrodes. The presence of the crystals on the electrodes is detected as the signal of the bioassay which,
for scientists, is a way of studying or picking up the signs of cell change:
the stronger the signal and the better the ability to'sense'it the greater the chances of detecting disease.
That makes it sound simple, but this"bio-recognition and detection"is extremely complex, according to the team carrying out the research.
As MIMIC progressed, the project coordinator, Dr de la Rica made the decision to grow metal nanocrystals rather than the traditional calcium phosphate crystals as a way to generate a signal.
These intensely coloured crystals possess outstanding optical properties and provide signals which are clearly readable or visible with standard lab instruments and even the naked eye.
This was one of several decisions aimed at bringing the complexity of the problem down to manageable steps.
The team also decided that with this new concept it would not be necessary to use a'biopolymer',such as collagen,
to grow the crystals. This meant the sensor design would be simplified further.""There is also no need for the electrodes
or other expensive equipment because the signal can be seen without them. Apart from this, the rest of the concept remains the same,
"Dr de la Rica says. Dr de la Rica explains that while MIMIC's work does not improve cancer treatment per se,
it can improve its diagnosis ."Since it can detect cancer-related molecules at ultra-low concentrations,
it might be possible to detect the tumour at a very early stage before it spreads
and becomes a bigger threat, "he notes. The scientist reveals that the process has shown already potential in detecting cancer reoccurrence in prostate cancer patients."
"Patients who have undergone total prostatectomy may benefit from ultra-sensitive systems that can detect the prostate-specific cancer biomarkers at much lower concentrations
and provide early warning that the tumour is reappearing, "he says. The project's research has attracted already interest from industry."
and would enable much earlier diagnosis of the disease. Writing in Nature Nanotechnology, Dr de la Rica and Professor Stevens also state that affordable methods for detecting disease biomarkers at ultra-low concentrations can potentially improve the standard of living in countries lacking costly
medical resources. Current strategies for ultra-sensitive detection often require sophisticated instruments that may not be available in laboratories with fewer resources
they noted.""We circumvent this problem by introducing a signal-generation mechanism for biosensing that enables the detection of a few molecules of analyte with the naked eye."
"The researchers'work has been reported in major scientific publications but has attracted also the attention of media outlets such as the BBC and Daily mail in the UK.
and ground-breaking nature of their work in both cancer and HIV could provide a valuable boost to the competitiveness of the EU in the fields of health care and nanotechnology e
reducing resource waste Building up instead of cutting out: reducing resource waste The production of advanced high-tech components for aircraft
%While the traditional machining approach cuts out metal from work pieces, the new Shaped Metal Deposition (SMD) process adds material layer by layer in a liquid metal deposition process.
The end product requires minimal finishing, material waste is reduced considerably and the process has low to zero harmful emissions.
Large-scale aerospace parts can thus be built directly from the design model (CAD) with no need for a prototype stage
and the'parts'can be stored as programs and produced to order, thereby reducing inventory costs. The SMD technology was developed initially by the aerospace manufacturer Rolls-royce plc
but was adopted not widely for commercial production due to perceived technical limitations. In 2005 the RAPOLAC project started with the aim to investigate
The project was funded between 2007 and 2010 by the EU's 6th Framework Aeronautics and Space Programme and was coordinated by the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) at the University of Sheffield in collaboration with partners in Belgium,
Italy and Argentina who provided complementary expertise. Under the RAPOLAC project the consortium developed process models, documented material properties and carried out research on the automation of the metal deposition process.
The consortium's work showed that the SMD technology can potentially reduce the cost of manufacturing final products by 40%%through the reduction in raw material usage,
energy costs and the elimination of specialist production tooling. The SMD approach can also help reduce the cost of inventory by 90
RAPOLAC project coordinator Dr Rosemary Gault of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), Sheffield University, commented:"
#An innovative production platform for micro-products Micro-products have become increasingly important in the medical, biotechnology, consumer and automotive sectors.
However, products in these sectors such as innovative display solutions and light emitting panels require the integration of different functionalities and demand new mass manufacturing methods and technologies.
With#3. 7 in EU-funding under the Seventh Framework Programme Light-Rolls is integrating highly innovative manufacturing and assembly technologies into a common technology platform.
This platform uses oll-to-roll manufacturingwhich is the process of creating electronic devices on a roll of plastic or foil.
Other innovations associated with the project include new self-assembling methods and interconnection based on ink-jet printing technologies.
the first industrial users are identified already, but ew partners are always welcome These partnerships could see Light-Rolls being involved in a myriad of sectors including automotive and building lighting applications, flexible solar cells and batteries and even consumer products and games.
Project details Project acronym: LIGHT-ROLLS Participants: Spain (Coordinator), Austria, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland and Scotland Project FP7 228686 Total costs:#
#Researchers help develop next-generation bioplastic materials Avantium is a spin-off from the petrochemicals giant Royal dutch shell
The company initiated its own R&d programme focused on biomass conversion. In particular using sugar and starch based products to replace the petrochemical feedstock generated from oil.
The company's Chief Technology Officer is Gert-Jan Gruter former Professor for Polymer Catalysis at Eindhoven University of Technology who explains:
and bio-based polymers to help it produce bio substitutes for oil-based products in bulk production chains.
The objective of this Transfer of Knowledge project was to expand the company's knowledge in these areas by recruiting training
This work also resulted in the filing of two patents. In 2008 Sipos was offered a permanent contract with Avantium as a Scientist (now Senior Scientist) after ending his Marie Curie project.
A critical aspect of Avantium's R&d was the development of bio-based replacement of the building block of the PET bottle.
The introduction of Cesar Munoz de Diego a post-doctorate researcher was very successful in developing the required catalytic oxidation process.
Cesar Munoz de Diego subsequently moved back to his native country in 2010 and now continues to work in research and development in Madrid.
A third recruit under the Marie Curie scheme was a software development specialist Nathan Brown.
After supporting the development of informatics at Avantium he moved to Novartis in Switzerland to expand the company's expertise and now works with the Institute of Cancer Research in London.
#and represents a family of green building blocks for making materials and fuels that can compete on both price and performance with oil based alternatives but
which have a superior environmental footprint. A pilot plant for developing and demonstrating PEF technology with a capacity of 40 tons per year was opened in December 2011.
and Danone to introduce PEF to replace petrochemical based alternatives. The collaboration programmes which continue the development of PEF
and recycling are key to securing a smooth transition into the mass production phase of PEF bottles.
The contribution of Marie Curie supported researchers has been essential in enabling us to undertake the very important initial development of these next generation'green'bioplastic materials.
We believe that the PEF will become the new world standard for polyester bottles. with the possibilities it opens up for future work in vaccine discovery was recognised with the naming of Professor Lomonossoff as Innovator of the Year 2012 by the Biotechnology and Biological sciences Research Council
#Award-winning innovation revolutionises vaccine production A European union (EU)- funded research project has opened up a radical new era in the world of vaccine discovery and production.
Focused on veterinary vaccines, the project's work has made possible a dramatically faster and more effective route to the creation of vaccines to combat some of the most devastating diseases affecting farm livestock.
The same accelerated route can be used to uncover a vast new range of urgently-needed vaccines for humans as well.
Named PLAPROVA (Plant Production of Vaccines), the project was the successful result of an unprecedented co-funding initiative between the EU and Russia
with Russia matching the#2 million of funding provided by the EU under its 7th Framework Programme.
Consisting of six research teams from various EU countries, four from Russia and one from South africa,
the PLAPROVA consortium focused on the use of plants proteins to produce vaccines against diseases such as avian flu, bluetongue, foot and mouth disease,
and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome. Plants have been used to produce pharmaceuticals in the past, but the crucial element at the heart of the three-year PLAPROVA project was a technique for doing this much more quickly than previously possible an advance
which has revolutionary implications for future vaccine production. It also helped win a major innovation award for the lead researcher.
Known as'transient expression'the method developed by the PLAPROVA group involves introducing a modified virus,
This triggers the production of proteins which are of potential pharmaceutical interest as the basis for new vaccines.
Professor George Lomonossoff of the John Innes Centre in the UK, the new technique turns the host plants into'mini-factories,
'but without resorting to permanent genetic modification of the entire plant. The foreign genes that are introduced transiently are inherited not by subsequent generations of the plant.
thus opening up much wider possibilities for genuinely novel vaccines. Previously, the timescale required before results were known for just a single protein meant researchers naturally played safe and tended to produce'biosimilars'
i e. vaccines which replicated already existing ones. It was a situation which discouraged the search for new products.
Now, says Professor Lomonossoff, that has changed all:""You don't have to place all your money on one particular construct,
then wait five years and hope you made the right selection, "he says.""The great thing is,
you get your failures quickly. If you are not sure which of 20 options will be best,
when dealing with seasonal outbreaks when a vaccine needs to be created urgently, usually in a matter of months from the time the strain of disease is first indentified.
The success of PLAPROVA has generated already significant commercial interest. Discussions are in progress with vaccine manufacturers in South africa about production of a bluetongue vaccine.
And a Canadian firm, Medicago Inc, has applied successfully the technique to the discovery and production of pandemic flu vaccines for humans, on
which it has completed recently a Phase II clinical trial. The revolutionary impact of the new PLAPROVA technique
with the possibilities it opens up for future work in vaccine discovery, was recognised with the naming of Professor Lomonossoff as Innovator of the Year 2012 by the Biotechnology and Biological sciences Research Council (BBSRC), U s
#Deciphering the'language of sugars'to benefit health and industry It was this challenge which formed the focus of Polymode,
a four-year research project set up in 2009 with the support of 6 million euros of European union (EU) funding.
Also known as polysaccharides, these complex sugars are by far the most abundant biomolecules on the planet. Produced biologically in plants, animals and microorganisms,
Sometimes they store energy. And they carry vital information by which cells ommunicate Human immune systems often recognise pathogens by the sugar structures on their surface.
The sheer diversity of the structures and capabilities displayed by complex sugars, together with the fact that they are natural materials
where they can be used as thickeners or emulsifiers, and the health and pharmaceuticals sectors. Back to that ketchup and blood comparison:
Bringing together biologists, chemists, microbiologists, biochemists, molecular geneticists and biotechnologists from universities, biotech firms and food and pharmaceutical multinationals from around Europe, Polymode has identified now its first eadingand ritingenzymes.
into a form which carries out specific biological activities. This is now being tested for its ability to protect plants from disease
-and it is possible it will also be able to influence wound healing in human tissue.
This is now being evaluated commercially. nzymatically produced designer polysaccharides with defined properties will open up the all but-untapped potential of complex polysaccharides not only for applications in the food and medical sciences
but also in agriculture, cosmetics and beyond, says Polymode project co-ordinator, Professor Bruno Moerschbacher of the University of Münster in Germany.
says Professor Moerschbacher t
#Doing away with bacteria in water systems We set out to develop a sensor which quickly and cheaply measures the content of copper
and silver and other metals in water says Peter van der Linde managing director of Holland Watertechnology (HWT) the SME responsible for developing the sensor during the SILCO project's lifetime and its current supplier.
HWT is a Dutch company which develops and produces innovative solutions in the areas of water chemicals electrolysis and sensor technology.
It is owned a wholly subsidiary of Holland Environment Group which has been developing ground and groundwater solutions since the mid-80s.
Soil contamination was a serious issue in The netherlands during the 1980s and that's when we started developing innovative techniques he explains.
It's the knowledge that we accumulated over the years which eventually led us to the research and development of our BIFIPRO (r) technology that uses copper
and silver ionisation to eradicate biofilm and legionella from water systems. We started this project in 2009 together with our SME partners in The netherlands Greece
and Slovakia and with universities from Italy and Germany to develop the Silco-sensor states Mr van der Linde.
After a period of extensive testing in our labs the first prototype sensor was installed eventually in a Slovakian spa in July 2011.
The BIFIPRO system releases copper and silver ions into the water to eliminate biofilm a breeding ground for harmful bacteria like legionella.
It is equipped with a sensor that accurately monitors the concentration levels of copper and silver ions in water sources and facilities
which is a determining factor in the removal of biofilm and legionella. Mr van der Linde explains that the copper
Before the development of the SILCO (r) sensor water samples needed to be taken and analysed over a number of days thus making the entire process considerably more complex and expensive.
HWT boasts more than 180 customers ranging from the healthcare and elderly care domains to hotels penal institutes swimming pools spas and cooling towers.
and the recent allocation of new manpower will fuel the commercialisation of our product. The ongoing development of the BIFIPRO system has strengthened our market leadership in The netherlands as well as opening up new opportunities emphasises Mr van der Linde.
but HWT is related busy bundling technologies with the SILCO product in an effort to advance the sensor
and validate its performance in harsh working environments. New partnerships are being established and a separate limited company is being set up
This company will be responsible for new developments and the commercial exploitation of the sensor technology claims Mr van der Linde.
Placing the sensor into a handheld device is in NWT's future plans and he sees numerous application possibilities in the process industry.
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