Enzymes could make many chemical conversions more efficient, more sustainable and more affordable - and marine microbes produce an abundant variety of these biological catalysts, say EU-funded researchers who set out to find new ones for use in industry. A vast collection, new knowledge, four patents and a start-up are the result.
The global bioeconomy is growing, but it must overcome hurdles including avoiding competition with land used for food production. An EU- and industry-funded project is exploring using contaminated and waste land for biocrops.
Climate change, pollution, mass tourism, and invasive species are wreaking havoc on large lagoon areas like Venice. To help monitor - and mitigate - the impact these factors have underwater, one EU-funded project is using a swarm of autonomous aquatic robots. As a result, researchers can now take multiple measurements at the same time and from different places, which will be hugely beneficial in the fight against climate change.
By adapting the Andean lupin to grow as a biomass crop in Europe's poorest soils, the goal of the EU-and industry-funded LIBBIO project is to supply a range of products to the food, animal feed and cosmetics industries.
Understanding the roles land management and its uses play in the overall climate system is critical to mitigating the potential effects of climate change. EU-funded research is helping to enhance our knowledge of these interactions.
The maintenance of pipelines is constrained by their inaccessibility. An EU-funded project developed swarms of small autonomous remote-sensing agents that learn through experience to explore and map such networks. The technology could be adapted to a wide range of hard-to-access artificial and natural environments.
Illegal fishing destroys marine habitats and threatens species living at sea. An EU-funded project is helping authorities to crack down on these operations by developing the world's first seabird ocean-surveillance system.
An EU-funded project promoted the exchange, display and transfer of innovative fertigation technologies which combine fertilisation with irrigation. This approach will help farmers to use limited water resources more sustainably while reducing harmful nutrient losses to the environment.
How do you feel after a day at the beach? Energised, centred, relaxed? You are not the only one - it seems that any body of water can potentially boost people's well-being. EU-funded researchers are studying the health benefits of blue infrastructure to help planners make informed decisions.
A team of EU-funded researchers from 10 countries has developed new recommendations, models and tools for the sustainable growth of European aquaculture. The project's results will be used to inform decisions about future regulations and licensing.
