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Light-sensitive molecules for new disease therapies

Peptidomimetics are small molecules that mimic short natural proteins - peptides - and produce the same effects as their natural counterparts. An EU-funded project is developing peptidomimetics that can alternate between biologically active and inactive forms when exposed to light. The technique could lead to new light-controlled drugs which can be turned off and on when needed to treat cancers and other diseases.

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Designer proteins for new bio-tech applications

An EU-funded project has developed a technique to design and synthesise highly stable proteins. The approach enables proteins to be made from scratch, tailored to carry out specific tasks for advances in fields such as biomedicine and biotech - boosting Europe's competitiveness.

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Engineering vaccines to protect farm animals from infection

An EU-funded project is using synthetic biology techniques to design broad-spectra vaccines against mycoplasmas and viral infections in farm animals. By designing a growth medium without animal components and developing a platform to engineer new vaccines, the project will give the EU livestock industry a much-needed boost.

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New building blocks to support tissue engineering

Tissue engineering is used to grow alternatives to donor tissue, but getting this tissue to integrate in patients has previously proved complicated. An EU-funded project addressed this problem by developing an innovative modular approach to engineering complex tissues with different cell types.

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Rebuilding young lives with cell-free heart valves

Various options exist for the replacement of failing heart valves. However, none of the conventional ones are particularly well suited to persons in their teens or twenties, say EU-funded researchers who have developed an innovative solution to boost such patients' chances of leading normal lives.

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An integrated response to food-borne disease

Human welfare is closely linked to the health of animals and the environment. An EU-funded joint research programme has been created to align developments in medicine, veterinary science and consumer health protection to tackle food-borne health threats in a more integrated way across Europe.

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Faster, cheaper chemical reactions in miniature

Microfluidic bioreactors allow chemical reactions to take place on a very small scale, saving time, money and materials. An EU-funded project has developed microfluidic bioreactor technologies that could lead to a wide range of applications, including innovative medicines.

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