EU-funded researchers have applied engineering know-how to understand what controls the mechanical strength of living cells. Their findings offer new insights into the spread of cancers as well as into diseases of the heart and nervous system.
EU-funded researchers are developing low-polluting techniques for recovering valuable metals from communications and green technology waste. This 'urban mining' could help to reduce pollution and ensure a secure supply of metals critical to a low-carbon, connected economy.
An EU, industry, national and regional-funded research project has developed the next generation of energy-efficient power semiconductors, using gallium nitride devices on innovative substrates. They can switch more quickly at high voltages and current densities and will power the smaller and cheaper energy-efficient applications of tomorrow.
An advanced biofuel plant under construction in Romania is at the centre of an EU-funded project to prove the environmental and economic benefits of producing cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residues.
The ocean plays a vital role in our lives, both environmentally and economically. In order to protect this precious resource, EU-funded research is helping to deepen our understanding of the interlinking factors impacting Europe's coastal waters.
EU-funded researchers behind a breakthrough solar-energy technology have also laid the material foundations for a new generation of digital displays that could surpass latest-generation OLED screens in brightness, colour range and energy efficiency.
EU-funded researchers are using innovative genomic and microfluidic technologies to identify useful enzymes in nature which could reduce the need for toxic chemicals, save energy, and boost the overall sustainability of a range of industries, from agriculture to pharmaceuticals.
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.
Amid an urgent need to cut carbon emissions to combat climate change, EU-funded researchers have developed a new generation of highly efficient power plants for generating heat and electricity from biomass.
Getting people to wear bicycle helmets can be tricky. Many cyclists complain that helmets are just too hot. But EU-funded researchers are now making the headgear a lot cooler, creating an extra incentive to wear it while boosting safety.
