Ancient inscriptions can teach us a lot about past civilisations. The problem is that these inscriptions are often illegible, or their place of origin is unknown. To help, the EU-funded PythiaPlus project developed an AI-based tool that historians can use to restore missing text, and establish an inscription’s original date and place of writing.
By 2050, the global population will soar to 9 billion, with three quarters of this number living in urban areas. Pressure on ecosystems due to population growth, urbanisation and climate change will reach its peak. The EU-funded project ECORISK2050 set out to tackle the daunting task of future environmental risk management of chemicals in the face of global climate change.
There is an acute need for implantable devices that can report prompt and accurate data about the body’s chemistry. The EU-funded ImplantSens project developed long-term implantable biosensors for glucose monitoring, to improve the management of diabetes. The project also helped train the next generation of scientists to carry on this work.
Around half a million people in Europe rely on a cochlear implant. The EU-funded MOSAICS project is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at enhancing the lives of these patients. The collaborative initiative between researchers and a leading MedTech manufacturer has been instrumental in paving the way for improvements in cochlear implant technology and patient care.
The effectiveness of photodynamic therapy is limited by the lack of oxygen in solid cancers. Now, EU-funded researchers have developed drug delivery nano-carriers to bring oxygen to the tumour site. This strategy could improve the effectiveness of this photodynamic therapy and help to save the lives of citizens affected by cancer.
Cancer and neglected tropical diseases impact millions of people every year. By identifying compounds that specifically target affected cells, EU-funded researchers have opened the door to potential new treatments. These medicines could save lives and benefit citizens both in Europe and around the world.
While researchers were busy developing a handheld device to rapidly detect biomarkers to guide the therapy in lung cancer, the pandemic struck. Realising their device could be adapted to test for coronavirus, researchers refocused their work. The result is the market’s smallest portable PCR device.
Science has long held that in the food chain, plants support animals. While this may be true on land, the EU-funded MixITiN project has shown that such a system isn’t applicable to our oceans. The project hopes that its findings will help to improve knowledge and thus broader education efforts on marine ecology, allowing citizens to gain a better understanding of the ocean’s great wonders.
In nature, bacteria take care of breaking down organic matter from plants and animals. This unique capacity is called anaerobic digestion and has the potential to revolutionise the way we produce energy. But it suffers from two major drawbacks, both of which the EU-funded DIET project set out to overcome.
Intrapartum antimicrobial prophylaxis (IAP), is a standard procedure used while delivering babies. According to EU-funded researchers, it may have important implications for infant health, increasing risks of obesity, diabetes, and antibiotics resistance. This finding opens the door to the development of new dietary strategies for minimising the effect of this very common medical procedure.
