Seals that prevent leaks between moving machine parts could soon last longer and be more energy-efficient. An EU-funded project's techniques mould rubber and plastic dynamic seals with surface texture, making the SMEs manufacturing them more competitive.
The weakened immune system in people with HIV/AIDS makes them particularly vulnerable to fungal infections such as cryptococcal meningitis, which can be deadly. The medicine used to treat the condition is flucytosine, and EU-funded researchers have developed a new and more efficient way of producing it. This will cut production costs, making it more affordable for people in low-income countries.
Malaria is one of the world's deadliest diseases, but cutting-edge research into the genetics of malaria-carrying mosquitoes could lead to new methods to prevent transmission that could save hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide.
The EU-funded COURAGE project is compiling and analysing collections of cultural opposition in former socialist countries, making the collections more accessible for educational and research purposes and highlighting their importance as a testimony to anti-communist opposition in Europe.
An intelligent system developed by EU-funded researchers can provide buses and coaches with firefighting capabilities. This integrated solution is designed to detect, locate and suppress fires quickly. It can address some of them before they even start.
The production of cement and lime involves fossil fuels and produces harmful greenhouse gases. Industry could change this, if scientists can develop a technology that can use solar power for high temperature industrial processes. The EU-funded SOLPART project has built lab-scale reactors that use a solar powered process to meet this need.
Like a string of pearls, 36 mini satellites are currently in orbit collecting data about the largely unexplored layer of the Earth’s atmosphere - a remarkable achievement of science, technology, and international cooperation.
The damage done by chronic kidney disease is irreversible: once the illness has taken hold, the organ can't be healed. Patients' prospects and quality of life would be much improved if the condition could be spotted sooner. An EU-funded project has developed a biomarker test to pick up very early signs of diabetic kidney disease, and identified possible improvements in the approach to therapy.
High-performance biocomposites derived from wheat straw and recycled paper? EU-funded researchers have developed new materials and components based on substances isolated from these renewable residues. They have also found a way to extract silica from the straw, offering a greener alternative to current production methods for this compound.
What would it be like to live on Mars? Much like Earth, maybe, in due course - but the pioneers who will one day head out there will face a deeply hostile environment upon arrival. EU-funded researchers have developed a habitat for simulated space missions in suitably challenging locations down here on Earth. It can also support research in extreme conditions.
