Sleep is one of biology’s most universal – and perplexing – phenomena. Why do animals need sleep, a state that seemingly leaves them vulnerable and unproductive? The EU-funded SleepSynapses project offered new insights to better understand sleep’s fundamental purpose.
Increasing numbers of divorced parents split childrearing duties, yet little is known about how this living arrangement affects children. The EU-funded MobileKids project sought to explore how children adapt to life in multiple homes. The findings are already informing family policies, but also offer insights into how adults can face a more unpredictable world.
Since 2018, conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia has resulted in more than 300 000 deaths. Social media companies have been criticised for allowing hate speech to propagate online, potentially fuelling this violence. The EU-funded ConflictNET project, launched to explore the role of social media in conflict in Africa, sheds light on the complex ethics of bringing connectivity to remote communities.
Cultural expertise is an emergent concept in the social sciences that describes in-depth social knowledge used in judicial processes. To improve access to cultural expertise, the EU-funded CULTEXP project built an AI-powered database containing case-law and expert reports from a range of countries. The tool will reduce the costs of legal proceedings and improve access to justice.
When the systems that regulate proteins fail, the outcome can be cancer, heart disease or neurodegenerative disorders. Research by the EU-funded Nedd8Activate project offers a window into how the body clears away unwanted proteins. This knowledge could help treat protein dysregulation, and pave the way for drugs that flag disease-causing proteins for elimination.
Metastasis is responsible for over 90 % of cancer-related deaths. Yet little focus has been placed on the elusive cells responsible for spreading the disease, which circulate through the bloodstream, making identification and analysis challenging. The EU-funded SCALPEL project set out to save lives by developing a microchip device to detect and sort metastatic cells from blood samples.
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the EU. Researchers in the EU-funded Survive project examined how cells adapt to acidic conditions – a trait that can allow tumours to grow. Their findings highlight new ways to identify aggressive cancers, and point to potential new treatments to regulate acid resistance.
Hydrogen produced with electricity is one of the most promising approaches for reducing carbon emissions, yet large-scale production has proven difficult. One problem lies in the need for rare metals to act as catalysts. The EU-funded CaBiS project has been exploring the possibility of adapting natural processes, with synthetic enzymes.
Many of the precursor chemicals essential to our everyday products are derived from fossil fuels. A breakthrough in molecular engineering made by the EU-funded CATACOAT project could help industry transition towards renewable sources of carbon, such as plants. This could help to reduce our carbon footprint, and create new green business opportunities.
The sociopolitical role that everyday photography plays is significant but under-investigated. The PHOTODEMOS project conducted ethnographic research across nine countries to investigate similarities and differences in how ordinary people use cameras. Its findings identify how images both inspire and empower citizens to reimagine their circumstances and explore alternative futures.
