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R E S U LT S M A G A Z I N E N58
DECEMBER 2016 JANUARY 2017
SPECIAL FEATURE
For all issues of the research*eu results Even though they have been studied for almost seven decades, ice cores still have much to tell
magazine you can: us. Not only about our planets past, but also indirectly about its future. In the face of rising
download the PDF or e-book version concerns over the consequences of unbridled CO2 emissions and the resulting climate change,
order single paper copies scientists indeed hope that ice core-related revelations will allow for the design of better climate
subscribe to have every issue posted to you models.
at http://cordis.europa.eu/research-eu
The EU is no stranger to ice core science. The European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica
(EPICA), which was partly supported by the European Commission, notably helped to obtain
Disclaimer full documentation of the climatic and atmospheric record archived in Antarctic ice and
Online project information and links published compared it with that of Greenland thereby
in the current issue of the research*eu results revealing precious information about natural
magazine are correct when the publication Even though they climate variability and mechanisms of rapid
climatic changes during the last ice age.
goes to press. The Publications Office cannot
be held responsible for information which is have been studied for
These efforts have been pursued under FP7
out of date or websites that are no longer live.
almost seven decades, and now under Horizon 2020, with a total of
As usual, this special feature is followed by eight other sections focusing respectively on biology
and medicine, social sciences and humanities, energy and transport, the environment, IT and
telecommunications, industrial technologies, food and agriculture, and physics and mathematics.
The magazine closes with a list of upcoming events hosted by or involving EU-funded research
projects.
ISSN 1831-9947(printed version) We look forward to receiving your feedback. You can send questions or suggestions to:
ISSN 1977-4028(PDF, EPUB) editorial@cordis.europa.eu
European Union, 2016
N58
DECEMBER 2016 JANUARY 2017
SPECIAL FEATURE
ISSN 1831-9947
SPECIAL FEATURE
DRILLING IN THICK ICE: 7 Abrupt climate change events from the past could help predict
LESSONS FROM the ones ahead
THE PAST 8 Reconstructing Greenlands climate
BIOLOGY & MEDICINE
NOVEL REGENERATION THERAPY
FOOD & AGRICULTURE
NEW SENSORY TOOL
9 Salt concentrations in ice cores could unveil DO events recipe
PROMISES TO SIGNIFICANTLY GIVES INDUSTRY
13
inthe fight against Alzheimers
14 Microbial dynamics of antibiotic resistance 33 IT AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
15 Clinical breakthroughs offer young cancer 33 Why human brains hold the key to smarter
patients hope
33
artificial intelligence
16 Bacteria shape neonatal immune system 34 Connecting the jungle and other remote
17 Exploiting HIVs weaknesses to develop partsof the world
effective vaccines 35 Wearable robots usher in next generation
of mobility therapies
18 SOCIAL SCIENCES
AND HUMANITIES 36 INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES
18 Understanding how finance can better 36 Applying shop floor knowledge to achieve
serve theeconomy,society andthe better run factories
18
environment 37 EU researchers offer sustainable solutions
36
19 Study shows better cooperation amongs for European manufacturing
Israeli teenagers after learning people 38 Groundbreaking 3D printing technology
can change for metal
20 One small step for robots, onegiantleap 39 New technology for oil-free
for robot-kind? compressed air
21 Recommendations for secure
andsustainableEuropean cultural
landscapes 40 FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
40 New sensory tool givesindustry food
forthought
23 ENERGY AND TRANSPORT 41 Chicken korma curry helps researchers explore
40
23 Graphitic carbon and renewable hydrogen genetic variants in food choices
production from food waste 42 Making rice safe from arsenic
24 A sweet solution to the thermal energy 43 Fresh air for cheese
23
storage problem
25 Advanced technologies and novel solutions
for a competitive and sustainable European
biogas sector
44 PHYSICS AND MATHEMATICS
44 Spin nano-systems resultin new type
26 Banking on innovative IT tools tohelpdata ofquantum bits
centres save energy
45 New materials from atomic physics
27
44
Futuristic freight simulations
45 Shedding light on the secrets of nano-sized
processors
29 ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY
29
46 New tools to solve partial differential
29 Magnetic attraction helps explain the equations
motion under the ocean
30 First evidence that deep-sea animals
areingestingmicroplastics 47 EVENTS
4 research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017
SPECIAL FEATURE
SPECIAL FEATURE
DRILLING IN THICK ICE:
LESSONS FROM
THE PAST
INTERVIEW
HOW ANTHROPOGENIC
FOREST FIRES MAY HAVE
IMPACTED EARTHS CLIMATE
EARLYHUMANIMPACT
OVER 10000 YEARS AGO
Recently paleoclimatologist William Ruddiman suggested that
humans may have had a significant impact on the Earths climate
already thousands of years ago through carbon and methane
emissions originating from biomass burning and deforestation
associated with early agriculture. The EARLYHUMANIMPACT project
set out to verify this hypothesis.
W
hilst global warming means more forest fires, the Why did you choose to focus your research on
opposite is also true. Forests store about 30% of fire reconstruction?
the carbon found on the planets surface, and each Prof Barbante: The role of aerosols in the climate sys-
forest fire not only releases this carbon into the atmos- tem is still poorly understood and even less is known about
phere but also other climate-impacting substances such as the relative role of biomass burning.
aerosols. The impact of these aerosols on climate change, Fire affects the climate system by releasing carbon,
however, is not yet well understood. which would otherwise be stored in woody vegetation. It
contributes to the levels of several aerosols and atmos-
The EARLYHUMANIMPACT project builds upon the idea that
pheric gases in the air and is an important cause of their
the answer might lie in Earths history books. Over 10000
variability over the years. It also influences regional and
years ago, human agriculture started to thrive at global climate through the emission of greenhouse gases,
the expense of forests, and the project team believes mainly carbon dioxide and methane.
that anthropogenic aerosols resulting from this process
The decrease in the spatial extent of forests which
may have altered the global climate system for thousands started around 7000 to 5000 years BP may be related to
of years. early agricultural activity, including forest clearance through
To verify this, Prof Carlo Barbante and other researchers burning which should leave a quantifiable signal in climate
from the University of Venice examined data from ice and proxies. Under this ERC Advanced Grant, we are aiming to
provide essential insight into the interplay between climate
lake core climate records of seven continents and com-
and human activity, especially with the advent of agricul-
pared it with parallel histories of fire regimes. They used a ture, as well as the role of aerosols through time.
new technique for determining a specific molecular marker
of biomass burning known as levoglucosan which can How do you explain that we know so little about
record past fire in ice cores and lake sediments. With the aerosols past influence on climate change?
project soon coming to an end, Prof Barbante discusses the Anthropogenic and natural aerosols may have altered the
process and the main outcomes of his work. global climate system for thousands of years as suggested by
research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017 5
SPECIAL FEATURE
A
lthough scientists have been transport time of fine clastic sediments Better understanding
studying Antarctica for many produced by Antarctic subglacial erosion Earths history
years, most research has focused during the late Quaternary period, which
Although the project is ongoing,
on the conditions of Antarctica as they can be seen in the flux of ice and sedi-
researchers expect results to provide
currently are. Based on this informa- ment discharged into the Southern Ocean,
the first systematic and wide-scale
tion, scientists have been able to make explains Project Lead Adi Torfstein.
study of comminution ages in the
predictions on both what caused these
Determining the Southern Ocean. As such, the study will
conditions and how they are likely
expand the possibilities of dating con-
evolve in the future. But because our comminution age tinental deposits, leading to a better
understanding of the icy continent is
The COMANT project builds on recent understanding of the fundamental
essentially limited to what happened
results coming from the Weddell Sea aspects of sedimentology, glaciology
over the last 100 years, our overall
showing that, depending on glacial- and landscape evolution.
knowledge is surprisingly limited. To
interglacial timescales, sediment trans-
truly understand Antarctica, scientists This is important because the commi-
port times range between tens to
must see the continents geological nution age of a particle is controlled by
hundreds of thousands of years.
and climatic history dating back to the the interplay between climate change,
Building on these preliminary results, I
late Quaternary period a history the tectonic evolution of the continents
studied the comminution ages of a
that is literally frozen from sight. and the efficiency of transport mecha-
large number of glacial-marine depos-
nisms on the continents and in the
Due to the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) that its at sites across the Southern Ocean,
oceans, adds Torfstein. Thus, commi-
covers the continent, land-based says Torfstein. This in turn allowed me
nution ages reflect the cumulative
observations into its geological past to conduct a comprehensive study of
impact of processes that govern the
remain largely unknown. However, sci- natural and analytical biases on the
shaping of the Earths surface over time,
entists from the COMANT (Comminution comminution dating approach.
and by reconstructing these ages, we
dating of glacio-marine sediments in
The project focused their efforts on can better understand its history.
Antarctica and the Southern Ocean)
U-series disequilibrium in detrital mate-
project discovered that this geological
rial, which is a measurement of weather-
information can be retrieved by study-
ing and transport time. Once a rock
ing the origins and transport times of
fragment is ground to a small particle of
eroded materials found in the marine
only a few microns in diameter, which is
sediment cores surrounding Antarctica.
something that happens very quickly in
With this information, researchers can
glacial settings, one of the isotopes of
reconstruct the history of continental
uranium (234U) is continuously lost from
weathering, sediment transport mech- COMANT
the rim of the particle due to radioactive
anisms and timescales. Coordinated by the Hebrew University
decaying. This loss of 234U is measur- of Jerusalem in Israel.
This project uses an innovative approach able and depends, amongst other things,
Funded under FP7-PEOPLE.
called comminution dating to determine on the known decay rate of uranium iso-
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/
spatial and temporal changes in the topes, says Torfstein. rcn/109554
research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017 7
SPECIAL FEATURE
INTERVIEW
T
here is a risk that increasing atmospheric greenhouse
Joel Pedro
gas levels could trigger abrupt changes in the climate
system that is, changes so abrupt that they could
seriously challenge the ability of humans, plants and ani-
mals to adapt. Ice core records can help us better under-
stand this risk: they notably show that, during the last
glacial period (around 100 000 to 20 000 years ago), tem-
perature over the Greenland ice sheet could change by up
to 16C within a few decades.
With his INTERCLIMA (Inter-hemispheric Coupling of Abrupt
Climate Change) project, Dr Joel Pedro of the University of
Copenhagen has been trying to advance understanding of the
governing mechanisms and inter-hemispheric coupling
involved in abrupt climate change. By doing so, he hopes to
help scientists trying to understand the extent and nature of
the anthropogenic climate change we are witnessing to
improve their climate predictions.
INTERCLIMA
drive abrupt climate variability in the southern hemisphere
tropics and that slower ocean heat transport changes and
sea ice feedbacks are more important in communicating
abrupt climate change signals to the southern high
latitudes.
I
t is not easy to reconstruct past Greenlands temperature variability The method takes advantage of the
temperature changes beyond the provides information on North Atlantic changes in air occurring in the snow layer
150 year time frame of recorded temperature and changes in ocean cur- that fell on top of Greenlands ice-sheets,
observations, but EU Marie Curie rent change in the past. explains which are eventually trapped in the bub-
Fellow, Takuro Kobashi at the Kobashi. The last period of glacial bles at the bottom of the snow layer
University of Bern has developed a retreat occurred 6000 years ago and before themselves freezing into ice.
tool that can do just this. In the two- so being able to probe temperature Gravity and the temperature gradient
year GREENTEMP (Investigation of changes at that time could provide that exists within the snow layer causes
Greenland temperature variability a variable distribution of air. The isotope
useful for understanding the impact of
over the 6000 years using trapped air ratio of two types of gasses (nitrogen
current climate changes.
in ice cores )project which ended in and argon) in the bubbles can therefore
April 2016, Kobashi reconstructed the The ice core samples used in his work be used to estimate the past tempera-
precise temperature of Greenland were collected more than 10 years ago ture gradient of the snow layer, and the
over the past millennia using ice cores. during from the North Greenland Ice Core thickness of the layer, allowing Kobashi
In a contrast to conventional methods, Project (NGRIP) which extracted 11 cm to reconstruct the past surface tempera-
he collected data from argon and diameter ice cores stretching back to the ture changes.
nitrogen isotopes trapped in air bub- last ice age. Kobashis new technique We have reconstructed temperature
bles within ice cores. measures nitrogen and argon isotope over the past 4000 years and our pre-
It has been known that Greenland ratios within trapped air bubbles, rather liminary analyses show the variations of
temperature co-varies with North than measuring oxygen isotopes ratios Greenland temperatures significantly
Atlantic temperature so understanding which is the standard method. correlate with solar activity says Kobashi
research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017 9
SPECIAL FEATURE
but adds the interpretation is not what
might be expected. When solar activity
increases, Greenlands temperatures
actually get colder, and vice versa. The
phenomenon seems to be related to
atmospheric and oceanic changes, and is
also reproduced in some climate models.
Temperature changes can also be
explained by changes in volcanic activity,
orbital changes and greenhouse gas lev-
PetrJanJuracka, Shutterstock
els in the atmosphere.
Whilst natural variability may mask
anthropogenic influence on Greenland
temperature, eventually Greenland tem-
perature will start rising by anthropo-
genic influence, Kobashi says. Greenland
generally follows global temperature
rises, but Kobashis work shows the link
between solar activity and temperature
could help predict future temperature provides seasonally unbiased and more climate changes over the past millennia,
changes. Solar activity will be decreasing precise temperatures in a multidecadal concludes Kobashi.
over the next decades and that means
time scale, as long as the ice core are
Greenlands temperature may increase GREENTEMP
faster than projected by climate models from high snow fall areas such as
Coordinated by the University
that use only greenhouse gas increases Greenland, Antarctica, and possibly of Bern in Switzerland.
in their projections. In turn, that could alpine glaciers. As the method is now
Funded under FP7-PEOPLE.
result in faster melting of the polar ice- established, we will likely be able to have
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/
sheet, and increasing global sea-levels. rcn/186017
highly precise temperature records from
Project website:
Kobashis new method is an improve- these areas in coming decades, which https://sites.google.com/site/
ment on previous methods because it could revolutionise our understanding of greenlandtemperature
INTERVIEW
A
common assumption with past DO events is that their
Rachael Rhodes
How come we dont know more about these How can these results help predict the future
events yet? evolution of Arctic sea ice?
We know quite a lot about them. For example, from This work will help us understand if/how sea salt concen-
Greenland ice cores, we can decipher that temperatures tration records in Greenland ice cores can be used as a proxy
changes of 5-16.5C occurred within centuries over for Arctic sea ice extent. A positive result would disentangle
Greenland. However, we still dont understand what ulti- the effects of sea ice-related and meteorology-related sea
mately caused these events. Several theories involve major salt change, allowing sea salt concentrations to be employed
changes to Arctic sea ice extent but there is little evidence as a sea ice proxy with confidence. Reconstruction of Arctic
from the paleoclimate archives to constrain this. sea ice changes across the abrupt DO events is important
because we ultimately need to understand how Arctic sea ice
How did you proceed to gather the desired reacts to rapid climate change, like the one we are witness-
information from ice cores? ing occurring right now.
I am using sea salt (NaCl) concentrations measured on What do you still need to achieve before the end
Greenland ice cores. Sea salt concentrations are relatively easy of the project next year?
to measure but difficult to interpret in terms of climatic or envi-
ronmental changes because many other factors can influence Now that the processes leading to ice core sea salt sig-
the signal that is eventually preserved in ice cores. In particular, nals are well-understood for present-day Arctic conditions,
variations in meteorology, such as the weather systems that I am adapting the model to run tests using meteorology
transport the sea salt aerosol through the atmosphere to the and sea ice typical of the Last Glacial Period when DO
ice core site, are known to impact the signal. events occurred. It will be interesting to test how the simu-
lated sea salt signals respond to the huge changes in cli-
I am using an atmospheric chemical transport model mate and sea ice thought to happen during DO events.
called p-TOMCAT to investigate to what extent ice core sea
salt signals are influenced by sea ice area and by meteor-
ology. This will help answer the question of whether or not
the abrupt sea salt concentration changes across DO
events can be linked to Arctic sea ice conditions.
SEADOG
What can you tell us about your main findings so Coordinated by the University of Cambridge
far? in the United Kingdom.
My initial work has focused on understanding the pro-
Funded under H2020-MSCA-IF.
cesses controlling Greenland ice core sea salt signal in the
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/195554
O
ur solar system is a dust-filled
andrmoel, Shutterstock
place. As comets travel around
their orbits and near the sun
they begin to evaporate, leaving a trail
of cosmic dust in their wake. These
dust particles then enter the Earths
atmosphere at a very high speed
anywhere in the range of 40000 to
260000 kph where they collide
with air molecules. This collision then
causes flash heating and a subse-
quent melting and evaporation of the
particles.
Sometimes this dust is visible as
meteors, which is the case of dust
particles greater than 2 mm, says
CODITA (Cosmic Dust in the Terrestrial
Atmosphere) project coordinator John
Plane. But most of the dust mass
entering the atmosphere is so small
that it can only be observed using spe-
cialised meteor radars. More so, Plane
says that even though we know the
dust is there, there is little indication
of how much cosmic dust enters the
Earths atmosphere the range of esti- A dust bin affects polar stratospheric clouds that
mates being between 3 and 300 tons cause depletion of the ozone layer,
These experiments combined with and the deposition of cosmic iron in
a day and what impact it has.
an astronomical model of dust evolu- the Southern Ocean provides a critical
Clearing the air tion in the solar system and high per-
nutrient for plankton, which draw
formance radar measurements
The CODITA project is working to clear down carbon dioxide from the
show that around 40 tons of cos-
the air on this question. To accomplish atmosphere.
mic dust enters Earths atmosphere on
this, the project launched two suc- a daily basis. Now, thanks to the work done by the
cessful experimental systems to study CODITA project, it is possible to model
the chemistry of the metallic mole- But so what? Sure, our atmosphere
may look like it needs a good dusting, the effects of cosmic dust on a con-
cules and ions produced from evapo- sistent basis and from the outer solar
rating meteors. According to Plane, but whats the effect? According to the
CODITA project, quite a lot: The met- system all the way to the Earths sur-
the first system detected the metallic
als being injected into the atmosphere face. But the projects scope isnt lim-
molecules using a flow tube reactor,
from evaporating dust particles are ited to Earth. To further understand
coupled to a time-of-flight mass
the direct or indirect cause of an array the effects of cosmic dust on a plan-
spectrometer. The system uses pulsed
laser radiation to softly ionise the of phenomena, says Plane. ets atmosphere, the project also
metallic molecules. For the first time explores the impacts of meteoric
For example, the metals condense smoke in other solar system bodies,
we were able to successfully study the into very fine dust known as meteoric
reactions of such metallic species as including high temperature chemistry
smoke, which plays a role in the for- on Venus, the formation of noctilucent
metal oxides and hydroxides, which mation of noctilucent clouds. These
have proved undetectable by other clouds on Mars, and production of
ice clouds occur in the polar regions at
methods, says Plane. benzene on Titan.
a height of 82 km during the summer
The second experiment also used a months. The clouds first appeared in
flow tube, this time with a plasma 1886, and their increasing occurrence
source and coupled to a quadrupole appears to be signal of climate change
mass spectrometer. With this system in the middle atmosphere, where CODITA
we can study the dissociative recom- water vapour is increasing and tem- Hosted by the University of Leeds
bination of metal-containing ions with peratures are falling because of in the United Kingdom.
electrons, which is the main route for increased levels of greenhouse gas
Funded under FP7-IDEAS-ERC.
neutralising ions found in the upper the reverse of the lower atmosphere,
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/
atmosphere, adds Plane. says Plane. Meteoric smoke also rcn/102627
12 research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017
SPECIAL FEATURE
BARIUM
sensitivity to climate change makes it a
perfect location for furthering scientific
understanding of ocean chemistry. An
EU-funded project is pursuing this
objective with a focus on barium (Ba),
which can provide a unique insight into
both organic and inorganic carbon storage.
I
ce core records indicate that atmospheric carbon dioxide
varies naturally over time a process to which the
Southern Ocean strongly contributes by influencing natural
carbon storage capacity. First, its deep waters take up and provide us with information on changes in inputs of Ba and other
lock away carbon and heat from the atmosphere. Then, it aspects of ocean chemistry in the past. We have found signifi-
exerts an important control on the distribution of nutrients cant differences between the Ba concentration of the Southern
to a large portion of the Earths oceans, which in turn regu- Ocean today and 125000 years ago, during the last warm period
late algal population structure and thereby carbon uptake. (interglacial) before the last ice age, Dr Hendry says.
With the BARIUM (Barium cycling in Antarctic waters: Ice core records show that this period was warmer than the pre-
Understanding present and past ocean processes) project, Dr industrial era and had a higher atmospheric carbon dioxide con-
Kate Hendry of the University of Bristol hopes to use Ba cycling centration, which makes it a potential point of comparison with
to examine how oceanic carbon storage has varied over time. the global warming expected over the next few decades. Our
results have implications for how the circulation of the Southern
I worked together with my graduate students Stephanie Bates
Ocean may respond to a warmer world, and for our predictions
and Kimberley Pyle on making some of the most precise and
of future change, she adds.
accurate high-resolution measurements of seawater and marine
carbonate Ba, using cutting-edge methods and instruments, Dr Another key result from the project lies in the first barium isotope
Hendry explains. Our unique dataset allows us to test theories measurements for foraminifera and for seawater in the Equatorial
about how Southern Ocean circulation is linked to global climate Atlantic, which have tremendous value for furthering scientific
over a range of timescales, and how nutrient cycling will respond understanding of the processes controlling Ba distributions in sea-
to future climatic change. These findings could prove to be of water and helping interpret Ba archives in marine sediments.
great interest to both policy-makers and industry.
Lessons learned and plans ahead
The most climate-sensitive areas
Overall, BARIUM results provide valuable information about how
The teams work was mostly focused on the WAP, which not only Ba is cycled in the ocean and how it relates to biology who is
responds to more global temperature changes than other parts growing in the ocean and where as well as nutrient and car-
of the region, but is also strongly influenced by complex, inter- bon uptake. This means that we can better understand how to
connected, local and regional processes from sea-ice and gla- use Ba archives locked away in marine sediments to interpret
cier dynamics to ocean and atmospheric circulation. This, along past changes in the ocean during periods of climatic change. In
with the low levels of background man-made contamination, understanding how the ocean responds or indeed drives
makes the WAP a key location for understanding ocean chemis- climate change in the past, we are in a better position to predict
try, Dr Hendry points out. This didnt prevent the team, however, what will happen in the future, Dr Hendry says.
from expanding their work to the Drake Passage and samples
from even further afield. For Dr Hendry and her team, the future promises more research
and discoveries. As with most scientific research, our results have
We have produced a fantastic dataset of dissolved Ba from the opened up more questions, she explains. One such question is the
WAP and Drake Passage regions of the Southern Ocean, she role of sea-ice in Ba cycling, and how this links to carbon uptake.
explains. From the WAP shelf, our results reveal insight into the We have already been able to extend our project to the Arctic, via
processes that control sources and sinks of Ba in seawater (sedi- a new collaboration with colleagues at the Norwegian Polar
ment dissolution, sea-ice processes, ocean circulation and biol- Institute that has included a field campaign in 2015 to investigate
ogy, etc.), as well as showing that there is significant variability winter sea-ice north of Svalbard. We already have some fascinat-
between years as a result of changes in these processes. Our ing results from this new project, so watch this space!
open ocean results show how the physical structure of the fronts
within the Southern Ocean influences the behaviour of Ba in sea-
water. These results help us understand the link between Ba, BARIUM
nutrients and carbon drawdown in the Southern Ocean.
Coordinated by the University of Bristol in the United
Kingdom.
In addition to this, the team produced climate records extending
Funded under FP7-PEOPLE.
back through time by using sedimentary records of Ba content
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/105350
trapped within carbonate shells of single-celled organisms
Project website:
called foraminifera from the Southern Ocean. These archives https://oceanbarium.wordpress.com/
research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017 13
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
NOVEL REGENERATION
THERAPYPROMISES TO
Rido, Shutterstock
SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE
BONE REPAIR
EU-funded researchers have pioneered a new bone regeneration therapy
that promises to significantly improve bone repair and provide a realistic
solution for patients who require partial bone replacement.
C
urrently there is no adequate therapy available that can The research team is also particularly proud of the fact that
accelerate long bone fractures and promote healing. Present OSTEOGROW is the first major international collaborative pro-
solutions in this therapeutic area rely on expensive and side- ject to develop an entirely new medical treatment led and coor-
effects associated bone devices. The EU-funded OSTEOGROW dinated by clinicians in Croatia. For the first time the European
(Novel Bone Morphogenetic Protein-6 Biocompatible Carrier Commission confided the project coordination to a Croatian
Device for Bone Regeneration) project has developed an entirely medical institution, with 11 European partners from six states.
new therapy that promises to be safe and cost-effective and will They all helped, but the innovation and originality come from
decrease the need for secondary interventions. Zagreb, while partners enabled us to do preclinical trials and
The new therapy works by using the patients own blood in move the project to clinical trials, stated project coordinator
order to create a clot when in the operating theatre. The blood Slobodan Vukievi.
is then injected with Bone morphogenetic protein-6 (BMP6)
As the project enters its final months and clinical trials have thus
and placed in the spot where new bone is needed to be cre-
far proved extremely promising, the research team are now con-
ated. The therapy also has the advantage of reducing inflam-
centrating on the commercial prospects of the new treatment.
matory reactions which are common as a result of employing
Acute bone fractures are prevalent in the EU and it is estimated
currently-used bone devices.
that by 2050, due in part to an ageing population, 12 million
Within several months, the new bone piece is created, taking bone fractures will occur on an annual basis. As such, new ther-
only a decilitre of blood to create the needed clots. The bone dis- apies to enhance bone formation, shorten healing times and
eases which will be treated locally with the OSTEOGROW device prevent non-unions will become an increasing medical
are acute radius fractures and recalcitrant non-unions of the requirement.
tibia. These conditions are particularly widespread and highly
debilitating for which this new treatment method promises to It is expected that the new therapy pioneered by OSTEOGROW
significantly alleviate associated pain. The treatment would also will be market-ready within the next two to three years.
be employed to treat another common cause of serious pain,
degenerative changes in the spinal cord.
Phase 2 clinical trials are taking place in Zagreb, Croatia (where
the project is coordinated), Sarajevo and Vienna. This follows
tests on rabbits and sheep, which were highly successful in gen- OSTEOGROW
erating new bone. Ten patients underwent the pioneering new Coordinated by the School of Medicine,
therapy at the Sisters of Charity Hospital in Zagreb, which University of Zagreb in Croatia.
resulted in no complications or toxic effects. In Vienna, surgeons
Funded under FP7-HEALTH.
are using the new therapy to treat patients with debilitating spi-
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/101812
nal fusion. By the end of the trials, 75 patients will have under-
Project website:
gone treatment with the new OSTEOGROW device. http://osteogrow.eu/
14 research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
P
ublished in the journal Proceedings and performed as well in memory tasks lentivirus infects cells to produce a mod-
of the National Academy of as healthy mice after four months. ified version of the virus that delivers
Sciences, the research team based genes into specific cells. It is being used
Dr Magdalena Sastre, senior author of
at Imperial College London have shown in experiments to treat a range of con-
the research, commented that these
that its possible to deliver a gene which ditions from arthritis to cancer. We have
findings could eventually provide a
produces a plaque-busting protein previously successfully used the lentivi-
method of preventing the disease or
directly into the brain. The degeneration rus vector in clinical trials to deliver
halting it in the early stages. Although
of brain cells in Alzheimers disease is genes into the brains of Parkinsons dis-
these findings are very early, they sug-
largely due to amyloid plaques. The ease patients.
gest this gene therapy may have poten-
sticky protein build-up happens when
tial therapeutic use for patients. There Dr Doug Brown, Director of Research and
amyloid proteins fold and divide improp-
are many hurdles to overcome, and at Development of the UKs Alzheimers
erly. The main component of these pro- Society also commented: So far poten-
the moment the only way to deliver the
tein clumps are amyloid-beta peptides. tial treatments that directly target amy-
gene is via an injection directly into the
Preventing these proteins from forming loid build-ups in the brain have mostly
brain, she expanded. However, this proof
may help prevent the death of brain had disappointing results in clinical trials,
of concept study shows this approach
cells which causes the disease and its whereas this study could pave the way
warrants further investigation.
symptoms to escalate. Nearly 9 million for a new plan of attack.
people in Europe suffer from Alzheimers. To administer the gene, the team used a
harmless lentivirus that was modified to The teams results suggest that thera-
The research team studied a gene called pies utilising PGC-1a may be able to
include the gene. The virus then infects
PGC-1a as previous research had sug- prevent Alzheimers disease if the
brain cells and rewrites their genetic code
gested that the gene could prevent the patient is treated early. Human trials are
to produce more of the plaque-fighting
formation of amyloid plaques. They still a long way off but this provides new
PGC-1a. Injections were administered in
injected the gene into mice that were in hope for the development of a treat-
the hippocampus and cortex of the brain,
the early stages of Alzheimers disease. ment for a currently incurable disease.
as these are responsible for memory for-
The mice did not develop any plaques
mation and orientation, and are the first
to be affected by Alzheimers disease.
Professor Nicholas Mazarakis, co-author IRLVGTMND
To administer the gene, the of the study and recipient of the ERCs Hosted by the Imperial College of
Science, Technology and Medicine in
team used a harmless IRLVGTMND (Improved retrograde lenti- the United Kingdom.
viral vectors for gene therapy in motor
lentivirus that was modified neuron diseases) project grant, added:
Funded under FP7-IDEAS-ERC.
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/
to include the gene. Scientists harness the way the rcn/89779
T
he emergence of antibiotic resistance in bacteria has dra-
matically decreased the therapeutic options available for
treating bacterial infections. To address this issue, the
GuidoVrola, Thinkstock
characterise the human reservoir of antibiotic resistance and antibiotic resistance through the network of hosts (i.e.
genes, the resistome. patients, hospitals, farms), and identification of hosts that are
at risk of becoming infected.
Metagenomic sequencing revealed that long-term (chronic)
exposure to antibiotics decreased the richness of the microbi- The consortium successfully developed an antibiotic resist-
ome and increased the abundance of ARDs. It clearly demon- ance gene-capture platform, which currently consists of
strated that such exposure selects species than can survive in 80 000 targets of resistance genes and genes associated with
the constant presence of antibiotics due to the ARDs they the mobile genetic elements. This could contribute to dissect-
encode. The functional selections found that hospitalisation ing the spread of resistance at an unprecedented level of
and antibiotic treatment have profound effects in some quality and speed.
patients through expansion of their ARDs. Importantly, some A novel intervention approach was taken in EVOTAR and was
of the data indicated that after six months the abundance of aimed at administering a compound that absorbs and inhibits
antibiotic resistance genes returned to the original level. residual antibiotics in the human colon. It was anticipated and
Optimised cultivation methods for the human gut microbiota proven correct that this approach minimizes selective pres-
were developed to capture a representative majority of the sures leading to the emergence of antibiotic resistance in and
cells in a sample. These novel culture technologies in combi- perturbation of the commensal flora, without changing the
nation with whole genome sequencing revealed reservoirs of antibiotics absorption rate and its potential to treat the infec-
antibiotic resistant organisms and antibiotic resistance genes tion for which it has been administered.
in soil and marine environments. Taken together, EVOTAR provided new information on the evo-
EVOTAR also developed the PLACNET tool for the reconstruction lution, transfer and emergence of resistance genes. Novel in
of plasmids carrying resistance genes from whole genome vitro and in vivo models provide a platform for future studies
into the efficacy of novel intervention approaches.
sequence data to track the transmission and study the natural
history of these plasmids. Another new method was developed
to identify ARDs in large complex datasets. This helped them to EVOTAR
significantly expand the list of known resistance genes.
Coordinated by UMC Utrecht in the Netherlands.
Funded under FP7-HEALTH.
Project members introduced new mathematical models for
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/100088
studying the host transmission of antibiotic resistance. These
Project website:
models enabled the study of the spread of different diseases http://evotar.eu/
R
esearchers have developed new
VILevi, Shutterstock
C
ommensal microbiota inhabit the inner and outer body the placenta and, postnatally, via the maternal milk.
surfaces of healthy mammals, such as the skin, air- Interestingly, the maternal antibodies carried bacterial-
ways and intestine. The role of these bacteria in the derived factors in the maternal milk that could reach the
intestine is well-established for the digestion of food, pro- offspring by gestation.
duction of vitamins and immune protection. Changes in gut
microbiota composition are associated with an increased Overall, the increased incidence of allergic diseases in chil-
risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease. dren in developed countries, as well as neonate and child
mortality from infectious diseases in developing countries,
Colonisation with beneficial bacteria starts after birth and emphasise the need for improving neonatal immunity. The
is intricately associated with the immediate environment. findings of the MICROBIOTA-NEONATE study will contribute
This underscores the importance of exposure to the mater- to the prenatal prevention of allergic diseases and new ther-
nal microflora during early childhood in shaping the health apeutic tools that reduce child mortality.
of the infant. Scientists in the EU-funded MICROBIOTA-
NEONATE (Characterization of maternal microbiota-dependent
imprinting of the neonatal immune system) project set out
to investigate the phenotypic and functional effects of
maternal microbiota on neonatal immunity and the mecha- MICROBIOTA-NEONATE
nism behind this phenomenon.
Coordinated by the University of Bern in Switzerland.
Funded under FP7-PEOPLE.
The researchers exposed pregnant germ-free mice to the com-
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/188094
mensal strain of E. coli, HA107, and compared their offspring
to those that had
remained germ-free
MICROBIOTA-NEONATE
Alina R, Shutterstock
throughout pregnancy.
scientists also demonstrated They observed that
offspring exposed to
the significance of commensal E.coli
microbiota exposure during while in the uterus had
gestation. more immune cells
responsible for main-
taining homeostasis
at the host-microbial interface as well as immunity against
invading pathogens.
MICROBIOTA-NEONATE scientists also demonstrated the
significance of microbiota exposure during gestation.
Offspring fed by germ-free mothers exhibited bacterial
translocation to the lymph nodes while those exposed to
maternal microbiota were protected. Furthermore, the lat-
ter expressed higher levels of genes involved in antimicro-
bial defence and intestinal homeostasis.
Mechanistic insight indicated that the majority of the alter-
ations observed in the offspring immune system introduced
by gestational colonisation were dependent on the presence
of maternal antibodies. This takes place in the uterus via
research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017 17
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
A
round 6300 people a day are dense layer of sugars and fast-mutating this protein, opening the door to pos-
infected by HIV, the virus that ulti- parts. This is one reason why the virus sible future vaccines that encourage
mately causes AIDS, whilst over has proven so difficult to neutralise; the immune system to create hole-
25 million people have so far died much of the bodys antibody response targeting antibodies.
overall. Finding a vaccine has been the to infection is directed against fast-
While the SHEV project is due for com-
focal point of HIV research since the mutating parts that render the bodys
pletion at the end of 2016 EU-funded
1980s. Although this remains elusive, response useless.
research in this field will continue. A
the success of a recent study suggests
A major step forward was the discov- key focus will be on evaluating possible
that scientists are on the right path.
ery of random holes in HIVs protective vaccine candidates, and understanding
Part-funded through the ERC-funded outer shell of glycan molecules in the the immune response induced by these
SHEV (Stabilizing the exposure of neu- 1990s. Although scientists were ini- vaccines. Much of this research will be
tralization epitopes on HIV-1 envelope tially unsure if antibodies could target financed by the EUs European AIDS
glycoprotein trimer vaccines) project, these holes, this study has now con- Vaccine Initiative (EAVI2020), which
the study, recently published in the firmed that these holes could indeed brings together leading HIV research-
journal Cell Reports, has identified a be viable targets for antibodies, and ers from public organisations and bio-
key vulnerability in the HIV molecule thus play a crucial role in the design of tech companies from across the world.
that could one day be targeted by an an HIV vaccine.
effective vaccine. Researchers are also The ultimate goal is to develop novel
confident that targeting a viruss pre- The findings build on work pioneered candidate vaccines that can be taken
cise molecular structure in order to at Cornell, The Scripps Research through to human trials within five
prompt the immune system to produce Institute (TSRI) and the Academisch years and provide a platform for dis-
specific antibodies could also be Medisch Centrum in Amsterdam, covering new vaccine candidates. The
applied to efforts to fight other viruses, which coordinated the SHEV project. A development of a protective vaccine
such as influenza and Ebola viruses. stabilised version of an important HIV remains the most attractive option for
protein called the envelope glyco- halting the global spread of HIV;
The key is that every virus has a signa- protein (Env) trimer was designed around 34 million people are currently
ture structure. Understanding the in order to encourage rabbits to pro- living with the virus.
structure of HIV has enabled scientists duce antibodies against the virus.
to gain a better idea of exactly where
SHEV
HIV is vulnerable to infection-blocking The scientists then examined where
Hosted by the Academic Medical
antibodies. This is highly significant, the antibodies bound to the virus, Center in the Netherlands.
because a major problem facing scien- revealing HIVs vulnerabilities. They
Funded under FP7-IDEAS-ERC.
tists has been the fact that HIV gener- found that the antibodies did indeed
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/
ally conceals vulnerable sites under a target holes in the glycan shield of rcn/102000
18 research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017
SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES
isak55, Shutterstock
SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES
UNDERSTANDING HOW
FINANCE CAN BETTER SERVE
THEECONOMY,SOCIETY
ANDTHE ENVIRONMENT
During its final conference in Brussels from 27 to 28 September,
the FESSUD project brought together leading academics, economists
and financial experts to disseminate its key results and discuss how
Europes financial system can be better structured to serve economic,
societal and environmental needs.
The social consequences of they store some of their savings as cash The future of finance
financialisation rather than depositing into a bank. Overall, in Europe
it is clear that new ways must be devel-
FESSUD also examined the social conse- Another survey carried out by the pro-
oped by financial institutions so they can
quences of financialisation, particularly ject, this time focussing on 50 econo-
better engage with individuals and
amongst disadvantaged and economi- mists from across Europe, painted a
respond to their real and actual needs. gloomy picture for the next decade. In
cally poorer sections of society. The pro-
ject partners found, by taking an extensive particular it predicted a revival in
Financing green investment household lending, mainly through
pan-European survey, that due to banks
being the main interface between the Another important topic discussed at mortgages that will pose a moderate to
financial system and society, participants length was how the financial system and significant threat. They also predict
reported experiencing the disproportion- the process of financialisation could best greater inequality in income and wealth
ate power of finance over their lives. power the development of a greener distribution that will do little to restore
economy and fund green investment. trust in the financial system following
Financial institutions demonstrate very lit- the crash and Great Recession.
tle responsiveness to the needs of mar- Alessandro Vercelli, from the University
ginalised groups, encouraging them to The FESSUD project, which has clearly
of Siena, outlined how core banks
take on ever more credit to increase con- highlighted the need for even greater
should be organised into a specific net- and deeper structural reform of world
sumption, even if this is not in their best work to coordinate their actions, allow
interests. Respondents felt that they had finance through its groundbreaking and
for the exchange of best practices and comprehensive research, received nearly
become merely an account number.
favour transnational or particularly EUR 8 million of EU funding.
Consequently, without any viable mecha-
ambitious environmental projects. He
nisms for marginalised groups to express
how financial services can work for them, argued that the scope of a core bank
they have grown to distrust banks and should not be restricted to financing
fear engaging with them. green investment in its own country.
FESSUD
The FESSUD research also highlighted Core banks would be held accountable Coordinated by the University
through apt metrics, both financial and of Leeds in the United Kingdom.
how individuals have undertaken collec-
Funded under FP7-SSH.
tive action to resist finances influence on also metrics based on sustainability tar-
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/
their lives. For example, many individuals gets (such as emissions of GHGs and rcn/101356
in the UK and Germany refuse a credit energy saved, and the number of green
Project website:
card, whilst many Belgians reported that jobs created). http://fessud.eu/
A
s the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has now been running
for decades, mutual distrust between Jewish-Israelis
and Palestinian-Israelis has built to a point where the
two groups often struggle to work cooperatively on resolv-
ing common challenges together. However, a team of psy-
chologists led by Stanford University and Israels
Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, have found that teaching
Jewish-Israeli and Palestinian-Israeli teenagers that groups
are generally capable of change without mentioning a
specific adversary can significantly improve their ability
to cooperate.
The study builds upon earlier research by two members of
the team Professor Carol Dweck, as well as Professor
Eran Halperin who was senior author on this study which
goodluz, Shutterstock
D
igital technology is frequently
David Soanes, Shutterstock
Building a whole new complex and unpredictable locations The work is also of interest
robotic system under exploration. Ease-of-use was an
important project result as the likely end- to those working on autonomous
To achieve the desired robust mapping, users will vary historians, archaeolo- robotics and who are seeking
autonomous behaviour, realistic render- gists, construction engineers and even
ing, etc. the ROVINA team had to create potentially virtual tourists.
to make their innovations
a whole new robotic system. As more robust..
Professor Cyrill Stachniss the project The prototype also demonstrated
coordinator puts it, Our techniques are increased autonomy and reliability,
at the forefront of robotics, computer with an ability to perform more accu-
vision and photogrammetry research. rate traversability analysis, resulting
ROVINA faced a number of challenges. in improved navigation. The process- robotics and who are seeking to make
For example, as well as often arduous ing of the sensory data for navigation their innovations more robust. To sup-
terrain, the scanning technology was also facilitated semantic information, port this, key ROVINA development
faced with scene interpretation barriers, such as the identication of interest- components have been released under
such as low lighting. Additionally, the sit- ing artefacts. a dual licensing model, as open source
uation was further complicated by con- software available over the internet
straints in communication with the Expanded capabilities through the project website, as well as
robot which compromised the human under a commercial license.
ROVINA offers a powerful tool for cultural
tele-operation and supervision. preservationists such as the International Looking ahead to the future, Professor
To tackle these hurdles ROVINA drew Council of Monuments and Sites. As Stachniss summarises, ROVINAs main
upon the specialties of a diverse team Professor Stachniss explains, With the target was geometric modelling firstly,
with competency in the elds of digital ability of quickly acquiring digital models with semantics only to some degree. We
preservation, autonomous and networked over time using the ROVINA system, com- believe that the semantic aspect offers
robots, 3D reconstruction and mapping, bined with the tools for the analysis of future potential and must be exploited.
temporal change in sites, it is possible to Secondly we need to simplify the robotic
object detection and online learning,
monitor levels of decay. Importantly, as use and to target the automation of geo-
vision and perception, semantic analysis
ROVINA reduces the cost and time to detic high-precision scanning, currently
and user interface design. To integrate
make digital models, so the scope of area labour-intensive and so an expensive task.
the various specialisms, the project pro-
ceeded using a modular software design, under investigation can be enlarged
whereby each module which performed a within a similar budget and time con-
specific task interacted through a middle- straints. With the software able to adjust
ware interface. Periodically, the modules to sensors for scanning larger areas, ROVINA
were integrated and tested at different autonomous (or semi-autonomous) dig- Coordinated by the University
cultural heritage sites. itisation becomes possible for GPS- of Bonn in Germany.
denied environments, such as complex
Funded under FP7-ICT.
The project developed a prototype that
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/
factory floors or indoor environments. rcn/106847
was able to explore the catacombs of
Rome and Naples. The work fine-tuned In addition to the cultural heritage goals
Project website:
intuitive and flexible user interfaces for of the project, the work is also of inter- http://www.rovina-project.eu/
remote robot interaction, despite the est to those working on autonomous http://bit.ly/2fXZray
O
ver millennia, we have created many have changed rapidly through fac- landscapes of significant cultural, histori-
and maintained cultural land- tors such as deforestation and urbanisa- cal and archaeological value at local,
scapes. They provide us with a tion. This has impacted their sustainability national and pan-European scales. But
variety of values and services that are and raised concerns over the need to what exactly is a cultural landscape? The
essential for human societies to func- effectively preserve cultural heritage. HERCULES project utilised the definition
tion and grow. These include cultural of landscape within the Council of
and recreational facilities, tourism The three-year HERCULES (Sustainable Europes European Landscape Convention
opportunities, ecological and environ- futures for Europes HERitage in CULtural (ELC): An area as perceived by people,
mental knowledge, and the ability to landscapES: Tools for understanding, whose character is the result of the action
grow food, use medicinal resources managing, and protecting landscape and interaction of natural and/or human
and extract raw materials. Cultural functions and values) project was formed factors. At the heart of the ELC therefore
landscapes adapt over time, though to empower public and private actors to is the premise that all places be they
with the dawn of the modern age, protect, manage and plan for sustainable natural, rural, urban or marine are
22 research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017
SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES
cultural landscapes, and are inherently sections of society that are too narrowly The Hub also contains a wealth
dynamic. defined. HERCULES also advocates that
the landscape approach should be consid- of further information that will
A landscape approach ered at every stage of the policy and deci- be of great benefit to
to governance sion-making process. This includes the
development of policy areas and tools
policymakers and other
Through their research, the HERCULES
project team found that Europeans tend that have a direct or indirect bearing on stakeholders.
to feel that their landscapes are threat- the natural and/or human factors of the
ened, culturally, economically and envi- landscape.
ronmentally. In Europe there tends to be a With the project due to end in November
natural sense of conservatism with
A HERCULES Knowledge
Hub to inform policymaking 2016, HERCULES has been successful in
regards to the landscape and how it bringing back landscapes to the forefront
changes. Even in cases where landscapes The project team arrived at these recom- of the political agenda, arguing that an
were/are more or less stable, the team mendations by setting up nine study interdisciplinary and inclusive landscape
found that people still tended to believe landscapes that were located across approach is the best means to preserve
that their landscape was threatened. Europe. They were selected to ensure a Europes vast cultural heritage and diverse
This is one of the key reasons as to why balanced representation of environmental environments.
the project recommends a landscape and land use gradients within Europe and
to encompass diverse European cultural Indeed the project has acted as a trail-
approach to environmental governance, blazer, with further calls within the Horizon
an approach which is participative and landscapes. The data collected was also
fed into the HERCULES Knowledge Hub, 2020 programme due in the near future
transdisciplinary. This avoids the pitfalls of for large demonstration projects linking
single-sector or single-discipline an online, two-component system that
heritage and landscape preservation.
approaches and encourages the active allows users to view, explore, extrapolate
participation of local citizens in finding the and interact with the data collected from
best means to not only protect and pre- the nine sites.
serve their environment but also help The Hub also contains a wealth of further
them embrace positive change to their information that will be of great benefit to
landscapes. HERCULES
policymakers and other stakeholders, Coordinated by Humboldt University
Specifically, from a policy perspective, the including examples of best practices for of Berlin in Germany.
project recommends that EU policies cultural landscape management, the les-
Funded under FP7-ENVIRONMENT.
impacting all land (urban, rural and sons learnt from the Cultural Landscape
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/
marine) should be harmonised to avoid Days organised in five of the study land- rcn/110482
the ineffectiveness of policies that con- scapes, and evaluations of the potential
Project website:
centrate too narrowly on single sectors of threats to European cultural landscapes http://www.hercules-landscapes.eu/
economic land use, or that impact on on a European scale. http://bit.ly/2fAaHcw
Galushko Sergey, Shutterstock
research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017 23
ENERGY AND TRANSPORT
L
ets contemplate for a second the future as the EU is trying to within the timescale of the project, Slack explains. The consortium had
shape it: people drive electric or hydrogen fuel cell-powered to take AD biogas via food waste from another source before it was
cars, waste gets reused and recycled to reduce our environ- able to create the required plant and products. Other pitfalls included a
mental footprint, and new materials allow for groundbreaking partner which filed for insolvency, and a review of the renewable hydro-
technologies we could never have hoped for otherwise. While this gen that was deemed not to be commercially viable at this scale of
surely sounds like an ambitious plan, an EU project with funding operation and therefore could only go through a desk top validation.
of just a little over EUR 4 million is trying to make it a reality with
Despite the problems we faced, our trial produced good quality
the help of a novel processing technology. Renewable PlasCarbon from biomethane derived from food
The plasma process that the PLASCARB (Innovative plasma based waste, Slack notes.
transformation of food waste into high value graphitic carbon and
renewable hydrogen) project came up with consists of transform- Looking into market opportunities
ing the biogas output from 'anaerobic digestion' (AD) of food The teams work didnt end there. We looked at the market oppor-
waste into graphitic carbon a compound made of different lay- tunities from two sides. Firstly we carried out a market appraisal
ers of graphene and renewable hydrogen (RH2). which looked at the potential applications in which the Renewable
We take the food waste through an anaerobic digester, which is a PlasCarbon could be used: these included batteries, supercapacitors,
well-established technology to produce biogas (CH4 & CO2). Then, fol- rubbers, sensors, printed electronics etc. Secondly and probably
lowing purification, it passes through a low temperature microwave more importantly we carried out extensive product characterisa-
plasma reactor to produce the graphitic carbon (named as renewable tion of the renewable PlasCarbon to find out just exactly what it was
made of in terms of structure, and also just how good it was. From
PlasCarbon) and renewable hydrogen, says Neville Slack, coordinator
there we have used the material in a range of test products that
of the project for the UKs Centre for Process Innovation (CPI).
include conductive inks, rubbers, 3D printed lattice structures, super-
Graphite/graphitic carbon is notably a key component of lithium- capacitors, photoluminescence, catalysts, and also investigated
ion batteries, whilst H2 is used in many chemical and process opportunities in the fuel cell market, Slack says.
industries and a potential fuel to power H2 fuel cells. The first is
One of the most recent outcomes of PlASCARB was a scientific
worth some EUR 10 billion per year, and the second is set to take
study on the value and usefulness of Renewable PlasCarbon, and
over a market that was worth 286 million tonnes in 2016 95%
the team is now producing a post-project engagement portal
of which is currently produced from fossil fuels. named PLASCARB Viability Assessment that will include business
information, case studies of PLASCARBs applicability in other
Pilot scale demonstration countries for example Germany, Hungary, Norway. Now we are
In its original form, the project aimed to validate at pilot scale the actively looking for opportunities to take the technology to the
continuous operation of its integrated process for a period of one next commercial stage, Slack concludes.
month. The team planned to build its own plant with a view to
having 150 tonnes of mixed food waste digested and generating
over 25000m3 of biogas, before transforming 2400m3 of PLASCARB
this biogas into highly graphitic carbon with a market value of over Coordinated by the Centre for Process Innovation Ltd
EUR 2500/tonne and RH2. in the United Kingdom.
Funded under FP7-ENVIRONMENT.
But that was before they had to face unforeseen difficulties: We ini-
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/185458
tially had a delay in obtaining a major piece of equipment from a sup-
Project website:
plier, which eventually resulted in the AD plant not being available http://www.plascarb.eu/
24 research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017
ENERGY AND TRANSPORT
A
s scientists and researchers con-
Mimadeo, Shutterstock
tinue to seek new ways to reduce
dependency on fossil fuels and
decrease the amount of CO2 put into the
air, one area that is sometimes over-
looked is how heat is stored. For example,
although much research has gone into
collecting and using solar and wind
energy, little has gone towards answering
the question of how to store excess
energy for the times when the sun is
down or the wind isnt blowing.
Traditionally, the answer to this storage
question has been batteries or, in some
cases, pumped hydroelectric storage
two solutions that are far from perfect.
In fact, some of their inefficiencies can
actually cancel out any environmental
benefit created by using solar and wind
energy in the first place.
for maintaining temperatures beyond the
One possible solution to the storage
melting point.
The project focused on sugar
question is to convert the energy into
thermal energy and store it in thermal alcohols as they permit high
energy storage facilities, which have The magical material levels of undercooling, which
been shown to be generally more effi-
cient, better at capturing wasted heat
For SAM.SSA, the magical material for minimises the risk of
overcoming the PCM problem was sugar
and able to provide more low-cost alcohol, a common and abundantly avail- spontaneous PCM solidification.
energy. However, before we can make able waste product of the food industry.
widespread use of thermal energy, Also known as Molecular alloys based on transfer within a mixture would decrease
research into the development of cost- sugar alcohols (MASA), this material as the nanotube diameter decreased.
effective, high-density storage technol- allows for the adjustment of the melting They also found that, as a general rule,
ogy is needed. point and, as a result, significantly higher density combinations meant better
And this is exactly what the researchers increases energy density. According to a heat transfer. These findings are signifi-
from the EU-funded SAM.SSA (Sugar recent article on the project published in cant as they lay the foundation for the
Alcohol based Materials for Seasonal The Journal of Physical Chemistry, sugar future design of sugar alcohol-based
Storage Applications) project delivered. alcohols, when mixed with carbon nano- energy storage systems.
tubes, create a material capable of stor-
At the time of the projects conclusion,
Thinking outside the box ing renewable energy as heat.
researchers had created an early-stage
The projects objective was to develop The project focused on sugar alcohols as prototype for treating pure sugar alcohol
new Phase change materials (PCM) for they permit high levels of undercooling, or sugar alcohol blends to achieve crystal-
Seasonal thermal energy storage (STES) which minimises the risk of spontaneous lisation. With basic concepts for further
applications in the range of medium tem- PCM solidification. They also reduce the prototypes already in the works, along
peratures. Researchers wanted these requirements for insulation, as well as with exploitation strategies, SAM.SSA
materials to be low-cost, environmentally thermal loss during long-term storage. researchers are optimistic about the use
sound, safe and easy to use. Furthermore, With the application of a local thermal of MASA as an answer to the problems of
the materials would have to be able to shock or ultrasound, nucleation and sub- thermal energy storage.
serve as a long-term storage solution that sequent crystallisation is induced, allow-
provided significantly lower levels of ther- ing for an easy and efficient discharge of
mal loss than currently available options. the energy from the storage system.
SAM.SSA
This was an innovative approach to the Laying the foundation
Coordinated by CNRS in France.
problem as PCM are not typically viewed
Funded under FP7-ENERGY.
as a STES option. This is due to their insuf- When carbon nanotubes of varying sizes
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/
ficient energy densities and their high risk are mixed with two types of sugar alco- rcn/103643
of solidification during storage a phe- hols erythritol and xylitol research-
Project website:
nomena caused by inadequate insulation ers found that, with one exception, heat http://samssa.eu/
research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017 25
ENERGY AND TRANSPORT
B
iogas, a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide, is a modelling that will allow the correct decisions to be made to
source of carbon neutral energy for electricity genera- ensure increased economic and environmental sustainability of
tion, heating and transport, which can make a signifi- the biogas industry.
cant contribution to achieving Europes far-reaching and
ambitious climate change commitments. However, the pro- Key conference results
duction and utilisation of biogas is not yet equally estab- The projects final international conference, with more than
lished around Europe, currently relying on government 90 participants from Europe as well as representation from
subsidies to ensure the development of biogas infrastructure Brazil and South Africa, aimed to combine both the out-
that would be not only environmentally sustainable but also comes from the project in terms of new contributions to the
an economically viable investment. scientific community, as well as active engagement with a
In order to address these structural and financial challenges, range of stakeholders from the biogas sector to support
the ATBEST (Advanced Technologies for Biogas Efficiency active discussion for the future of the sector. The conference
Sustainability and Transport) projects outputs have focused a cooperation between Linkping University, Scandinavian
on delivering improvements to the effectiveness and effi- Biogas Fuels AB, the Swedish Biogas Research Centre (BRC)
ciency of each stage of the biogas supply chain. These include and the QUESTOR Centre at Queens University Belfast
investigating alternative feedstocks and better digester con- included sessions on the potential of anaerobic digestion
figurations, novel monitoring techniques, new biogas upgrad- (AD) technologies and their applications, the importance of
ing solutions and improved biogas utilisation techniques. new feedstocks, innovative digestion conditions, process
monitoring and sustainable investments.
The ATBEST researchers have produced some excellent work
which will influence the biogas industry across Europe as it During the first day, the conference focused on applied solu-
faces challenges posed by reduced government subsidies and tions for biogas optimisation, including presentations on
competition from other renewable energy technologies, com- novel techniques for biogas upgrading, synergistic possibili-
mented project manager Dr Simon Murray from Queens ties for the recovery of CO2 into valuable commercial by-
University, Belfast, UK. For example, we have developed new products, as well as addressing the technical challenges for
knowledge surrounding control of viscosity in digesters which full-scale implementations. The importance of AD as a driver
will lead to lower mixing power requirements, novel absorbents for societal progress in times of change was highlighted by
which will reduce the size of, and energy used by, the equipment Prof. Willy Verstraete (Ghent University, Belgium). Topics such
employed to upgrade biogas to biomethane, and explored alter- as development of macroalgae as a substrate for biogas
nate biogas utilisation technologies which will capture the production, microbial community structure and their correla-
energy which is currently lost when biogas is used in a CHP tions with process operation and productivity, sustainability
engine. He continued by explaining that all of this work has and life-cycle assessments of feedstock digestion systems,
been underpinned by life cycle analysis and economic and arable land as carbon sink including carbon sequestra-
tion in biogas systems were also addressed.
Biogas is a growing sector not yet fully exploited, stated
Dr Francesco Ometto, one of the ATBEST project researchers.
Lena Wurm, Shutterstock
T
he ever-increasing popularity of analyses the costs and benefits of vari- was able to demonstrate how the bank
the internet, cloud computing and ous efficiency measures and energy could improve the efficiency of one of its
high-powered computing have cre- sources for users via an easy to use inter- carbon-neutral facilities by using a
ated new and exciting ways of working, face. This makes it easy to compare facil- biogas fuel cell and by raising the oper-
communicating and storing information. ities in terms of electricity costs, access ating temperature in its data centre.
However, new data centres are urgently to renewables and other factors that
The project team also found that the
needed just to keep pace with this expo- influence decisions when planning the
data centre for a major bank in the
nential growth of online traffic. site of a new facility.
south of Europe could achieve signifi-
This in turn has created a challenge After three years of research and devel- cant energy reductions through putting
how can we continue to keep building opment, its great to be able to launch in place hot/cold aisle containment,
these energy-hungry facilities if we the finalised RENEWIT Tool and more using high-efficiency chillers and
wish to meet our climate objectives? To importantly that we can make it avail- implementing a biogas fuel cell sys-
date, stakeholders have often felt that able for free, said Andrew Donoghue, tem. The project estimated that this
they lack the necessary tools that might RENEWIT project spokesperson. The sustainability scenario would reduce
enable them to make the most carbon tool is truly unique. It not only allows non-renewable primary energy by 30%
footprint-conscious decisions. data centre operators to model the ben- and CO2 emissions by 1650 tonnes a
efits and costs of on-site and grid year. Given the projected expansion of
This is where the EU-funded RENEWIT
renewable, but also enables the effi- data centres in the near future, achiev-
(Advanced concepts and tools for
ciency gains from technologies such as ing such savings could be significant.
renewable energy supply of IT Data
free cooling, and even workload man-
Centres) project comes in. The pro- RENEWIT, due for completion at the end
agement, to be assessed in detail.
jects newly launched tool now of September 2016, has left behind
online and free to use is targeted Although focused on Europe at present, other tools to help ensure that the valu-
at data centre operators, designers future development of the tool may able research carried out over the past
and other stakeholders interested in extend this to North America and Asia. three years is effectively implemented.
building new facilities and refurbish- A renewable energy optimised data cen-
In order to develop this innovation, the
ing existing ones with energy effi- tre monitoring tool to manage facilities
RENEWIT project consortium worked with
ciency measures and renewable that generate energy on-site using
large data-focused businesses such as
energy sources built in. renewables sources such as solar
Netherlands-based financial services
Through accessing details of over company and bank ING. Using models and wind is now available in demo
60 locations across Europe, the tool developed through the project, RENEWIT version on the website. The project has
also published a free catalogue of
advanced renewable and energy effi-
ciency-technologies to help data centre
operators integrate renewable and
energy-efficiency methods.
Scanrail1, Shutterstock
RENEWIT
Coordinated by IREC in Spain.
Funded under FP7-ICT.
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/
rcn/110428
Project website:
http://www.renewit-project.eu/
research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017 27
ENERGY AND TRANSPORT
FUTURISTIC FREIGHT
Urban freight services are in the process of being modernised. A recent EU project set
out to produce efficient new designs to automate them and also make them greener
and safer.
Elvezlia M. Cepolina
F
reight services are fundamentally based on 19th century deliveries. It is also a cooperative freight system that inte-
design, still sporting numerous features that could be grates the resources of the cooperating companies for more
modernised. Looking ahead, freight trains of the future cost efficiency.
would be fully robotic and more efficient in many other ways.
The projects dissemination activities focused on furthering
The EU-funded FURBOT (Freight urban robotic vehicle) pro- the introduction of the FURBOT vehicle and boxes into the
ject was put in place to make this a reality. Incorporating mass market while promoting the FURBOT transport system
eight European partners, the project designed a radically new to numerous municipalities. This was supported by the pro-
kind of electric urban ject website, publications, several conferences, robotic fairs
freight vehicle and and a final demo workshop (see FURBOT videos on YouTube).
While the FURBOT vehicle introduced new ideas
can be used by itself, it is about how it would FURBOTs work will result in a radical new urban freight sys-
be serviced. tem. It will be greener, more efficient and safer, while
more efficient within a fleet. strengthening the competitiveness of the freight transport
Its design priorities industry in the EU. Lastly, the system also represents an
included modularity, energy efficiency, mobility dexterity, opportunity to expand urban freight systems into parts of cit-
safety, and automated driving and freight robotised fork han- ies previously considered unsuitable. It may well herald the
dling. Specific components of the system included a frame beginning of a new paradigm shift in urban freight transport
platform structure, plus efficient power supply and drive-train if fully exploited.
layout incorporating an X-by-wire transmission. Other com-
ponents included a new internal-state sensor system and
automatic controls.
While the FURBOT vehicle can be used by itself, it is more
efficient within a fleet. This is why system-wide concepts FURBOT
were also developed, offering highly efficient intra-urban
Coordinated by the University of Pisa in Italy.
freight operation and optimal fleet management which
Funded under FP7-TRANSPORT.
adapts to changing freight demands and availability.
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/100348
In more detail, the system is based on the pick-up point con-
Project website:
cept which includes Pick&Pay, Pack Stations and Bento http://www.furbot.eu/
Boxes offering an innovative solution for e-commerce http://bit.ly/2eLrc48
28 research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017
NOW ON CORDIS
alekseiveprev, Shutterstock
PCP AND PPI
A PUBLIC BOOST
TO SOCIETAL
CHALLENGE-DRIVEN
INNOVATION
Rising public needs and interests require not only innovation per se, but
also innovative ways to trigger, fund and support the R&D process up to
the commercialisation of new products and services that will be answering
these needs.
In the EU, two mechanisms are increasingly used to this end, putting governments purchasing power to good
use by pulling demand for innovation, creating a signalling effect and facilitating the diffusion of innovations. Public
Procurement for Innovation (PPI) is used in challenges that can be addressed by innovative solutions close to
commercialisation or already commercialised in small quantity, while Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) is favoured
when there are no existing near-to-the-market solutions and new R&D is needed.
Although these co-financing mechanisms were already used extensively under FP7, Horizon 2020 reinforces them
by introducing two dedicated instruments. In total, the EU is putting EUR 130 million on the table for PCP and PPI
funding over 2016 and 2017.
This CORDIS ResultsPack aims to shed light on the main innovations brought by EU-funded PPI and PCP projects. It
demonstrates how these tools concretely help innovative products to reach commercial success, increase the quality
of public services, support SMEs and help address major societal challenges.
Discussed projects cover a wide range of topics, from smart firefighter equipment to intelligent transport systems,
ehealth and telemedicine, technologies to support independent living, brownfield decontamination and ICT solutions
to support road construction and repair processes.
W
hen dating and tracking the evo- oceanic records, the project investigated the by volcanic activity) influence continental
lution of oceanic crust, plate tec- geomagnetic fields behaviour to present drift and so could help explain the plate
tonics research usually relies on a the first plate kinematic models for the CNS. motion process which resulted in the
combination of knowledge about periods breakup of the ancient supercontinent
The project was able to do so by applying
when the polarity of the planets geomag- Gondwana. Analysing the marine mag-
netic field was reversed, alongside mag- an innovative approach which recon-
netic records has also resulted in age
netic anomalies. After volcanic activity, the structed plate movement from evidence
models that have produced some note-
ensuing magma cools at the mid-ocean left by past fluctuations in the strength of
worthy results. For example, GEOPLATE
ridge and the minerals contained in the the geomagnetic field. These fluctuations techniques indicated that the oldest oce-
newly forming rock magnetise and align left magnetic traces, described as tiny anic crust in the world is located in the
with the direction of the planets magnetic wiggles, which were located using mag- eastern Mediterranean Sea and that it is
field. These magnetic traces can therefore netic sensing equipment. possibly almost 340 million years-old.
serve as a date stamp for the crust. The project results have expanded under- However, as well as deepening our under-
However, the planets geomagnetic field standing of a number of continental and standing of the past the project also
polarity has actually stayed stable in the oceanic phenomena related to the inter- offers tools applicable to the present. We
past for periods lasting for as long as tens action between surface tectonic plates, know that past tectonic motion has
of millions of years (Myr), a timeframe mantle convection and geomagnetic field helped shape the development of the lith-
known as a superchron. The ocean floor processes, during the long CNS period. For osphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, cryo-
for these periods, lacking prominent mag- example, it helps explain some of the sphere and global climate with important
netic anomalies, thus presents a chal- contributing factors for phenomena such consequences. For instance, by providing
lenge when it comes to the creation of as sea levels which are considered to insights into the formation of continental
accurate plate kinematic models. have been abnormally high during the marginal basins, GEOPLATE could help
mid-Cretaceous. researchers locate prospective regions for
Interpreting magnetic wiggles new mineral and hydrocarbon reservoirs.
to understand the past Techniques which could help
locate future natural
The EU-supported GEOPLATE (Global Plate
resources
Reconstructions During the Cretaceous GEOPLATE
Normal Superchron) project set out to These new kinematic models which Coordinated by Ben-Gurion
examine the progression of plate motion GEOPLATE accomplished, contribute to a University of the Negev in Israel.
during the period known as the Cretaceous deeper appreciation of how rates of crus-
Funded under FP7-PEOPLE.
normal superchron (CNS, between tal production and sea floor spreading
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/
~ 121 and 83 Myr ago). By analysing (resulting from new oceanic crust created rcn/104252
30 research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017
ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY
T
he environmental fallout from plastic microbeads has Professor Laura Robinson from Bristols School of Earth
over recent months become a pressing political prior- Sciences commented: The result astonished me and is a
ity. The British government is planning to ban plastic real reminder that plastic pollution has truly reached the
microbeads in cosmetics and cleaning products by the end ends of the Earth.
of 2017. This follows reports by the UKs House of Commons
Environmental Audit Committee that a single shower can The main purpose of the research expedition was to collect
result in 100000 plastic particles entering the ocean. microplastics from sediments in the deep ocean and we
France and the United States have also taken steps to found lots of them, said lead author of the study, Dr Michelle
impose their own restrictions. Taylor from Oxford University. Given that animals interact
with this sediment, such as living on it or eating it, we decided
Alarming discovery to look inside them to see if there was any evidence of inges-
tion. Whats particularly alarming is that these microplastics
Now researchers from the universities of Bristol and Oxford, werent found in coastal areas but the deep ocean, thou-
working on the Royal Research Ship (RRS) James Cook in sands of miles away from land-based sources of pollution.
the mid-Atlantic and south-west Indian Ocean under the
CACH (Reconstructing abrupt Changes in Chemistry and Reducing contamination risks
Circulation of the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean: Implications
for global Climate and deep-water Habitats) project have The animals were collected using a Remotely operated
found evidence of microbeads inside hermit crabs, squat underwater vehicle (ROV). This method was chosen to
lobsters and sea cucumbers, at depths of between 300 m reduce the risk of contamination by surrounding sediments,
and 1 800 m. In total, nine organisms were studied and as well as reduce trauma to the organisms. Using an ROV
microplastics were found in six of them. This is the first also ensured that the research team knew the exact loca-
time that microplastics have been shown to have been tion and habitats of the organisms. Stomach, mouth, all
ingested by animals at such depth. internal cavities and breathing organs (gills and ventilation
cavities) were dissected from the nine deep-sea organisms
Microplastics are generally defined as particles less than 5 and examined under a binocular microscope to identify
mm in length and include the microfibres analysed in the whether or not they had ingested or internalised microplas-
study and the microbeads used in cosmetics (such as tooth- tics. Microfibres were classified using a Nikon polarised
paste and shower gel). Among the plastics discovered in the light microscope, a method commonly used in forensic sci-
deep-sea animals in this study were polyester, polypropyl- ence and with proven benefits for the fast and effective
ene, viscose, nylon and acrylic. Microplastics are roughly the identification of fibres.
same size as marine snow, the shower of organic material
that falls from upper waters to the deep ocean and which The research team also included the Natural History Museum
many creatures residing at those depths feed on. in London and Staffordshire Universitys Department of
Forensic and Crime Science, which made sure that the results
were robust and free from potential contamination.
e2dan, Shutterstock
CACH
Hosted by the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom.
Funded under FP7-IDEAS-ERC.
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/100593
research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017 31
M
rather than remain in one set and caste-
ole rats, including the naked mole However, in a new study published in defined role for their entire lives. Thus,
rat, live in underground colonies Proceedings of the National Academy unlike insects such as ants and termites,
and the majority of the rats in the of Sciences, researchers from the all mole rats are involved in a range of
colonies are workers, with only one Department of Zoology at the University different activities, and their contribu-
female (the queen) and one male of Cambridge, and funded through the tions to cooperation activities increases
responsible for breeding, thus having a European Research Councils (ERC) with age.
rigid social structure which is more asso- THCB2011 (The evolution and develop-
ciated with insects such as bees and ants ment of cooperation in mammalian They followed the lives
in the public consciousness. All individual societies) project, have shown that in
mole rats cooperate by digging large Damaraland mole rats, the contributions of several hundred individual
underground tunnel systems to forage for of individuals to cooperation activities mole rats to document
change with age. Individual differences
food, and if a large food source is found,
in behaviour that appeared to be caste- how their behaviour changed
this is then shared with the entire colony.
based are in fact age-related changes in as they aged.
Queens and the reproductive male behaviour. It is still to be confirmed that
remain in their roles for their entire life variation in behaviour between naked
As Damaraland mole rats do not have
after they have achieved this position. mole rats is also a consequence of age,
castes, this may mean that castes are
When a queen dies, the strongest and but the researchers are confident that
only found in social invertebrates and
largest worker is most likely the prime this is indeed likely.
have not evolved in any vertebrates,
candidate for inheriting the breeding In some ants, aphids and termites, indi- adds Dr Zttl. Mole rat social organisa-
position. viduals are born into castes that fulfil tion probably has more in common with
certain roles, such as soldiers or work- the societies of other cooperative ani-
Earlier studies suggested that non-
ers, explains Dr Markus Zttl, first mals, such as meerkats and wild dogs,
reproducing mole rats could be divided than with those of social insects.
author of the study explained. Initially,
into non-workers, infrequent workers everyone thought that this was only
and frequent workers and that most found in social invertebrates, like ants
individual rats stay a member of a par- and bees, but in the eighties, the dis-
ticular caste for the entirety of their THCB2011
covery of the social behaviour of mole
lives. It was commonly believed that Hosted by the University of
rats changed this view. Social mole rats Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
each individual would focus solely on a were thought to be unique among ver-
Funded under FP7-IDEAS-ERC.
particular task digging, nest building tebrates, in that they also had castes.
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/
or colony defence. To understand this fully, what we rcn/104484
32 research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017
ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY
IT AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
W
hy is it that humans are capable achieved by machines, explains theory of relativity can take one decade
of learning complex languages Professor Ers Szathmry, Director of or more. Often a eureka solution can
from such an early age? And the Parmenides Centre for the pop into your head without prior warn-
why does the solution to an insight prob- Conceptual Foundations of Science at ing, suggesting that unconscious pro-
lem (such as connecting nine dots on a the Parmenides Foundation in Munich, cessing plays a crucial role in insight.
rectangular grid with four contiguous Germany and Professor of Biology at
straight lines without lifting the pencil) Etvs University in Budapest, Hungary. The evolution of thought
suddenly pop into your head first thing In particular, robots lack adequate The deep similarities between thought
the morning after? algorithms for insight problem solving and evolution led us to hypothesise
in various contexts, which is vital in that cognitive adaptations achieved
INSIGHT (Darwinian Neurodynamics),
human understanding.
a ground-breaking EU-funded project by neuronal natural selection run
led by one of the current pioneers of By insight, we mean the ability of in real-time in the neuronal networks
theoretical evolutionary biology, has humans to create new and more useful of the human brain during its lifetime,
achieved a better understanding of representations of a problem, in order explains Szathmry. This process we
exactly how we solve problems, by to allow for solutions other than by call Darwinian neurodynamics.
examining how ideas in our brains brute force, and guide future actions.
The INSIGHT project provided evidence
could evolve throughout our lives. The This enables us to tackle problems that
to support this theory by using com-
findings could have implications for are not routine in a highly creative
puter simulations, robots, examinations
programming problem-solving robot- manner, something that artificial intel-
of cell cultures and human psychology
ics that think for themselves and ligence has difficulty in doing.
experiments and neuroimaging. For
advance our knowledge of how human
For example, over several years we example, rat neurons were stimulated
language developed.
learn through experience and play how to learn temporal patterns of activity,
Open-ended human problem solving to walk, talk and socialise, while the which were recorded and then played
and open-ended learning remain far development of complex, knowledge- back to a naive network to see if the
superior to what can currently be expanding ideas such as Einsteins learnt information could be copied.
34 research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017
IT AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Robots were fed natural selection algo- print evolved body parts, assemble the Ultimately, robots could be
rithms designed to create open-ended entire robot and observe its behaviour in
creative autonomous exploration, and the real world. The project has also
able to generate their own
tested to see if they could, in effect, cre- made progress in mapping how values and desires, and in a
ate their own objective. Darwinian dynamics in the brain are sense have minds of their own.
Unlike artificial selection, which says crucial to language processing.
here is your function, this is what The implications of this research are far-
youve got to evolve, we found that a smarter language translation and trans-
reaching. One interesting twist might be
robot could develop its own game, form teaching and problem solving.
that the evolutionary processes going on
explains Szathmry. Ultimately, robots
in the brain could even be more powerful
could be able to generate their own val-
ues and desires, and in a sense have than in the wild, as they are modified and INSIGHT
minds of their own. In order to test this guided by learning. While much of this Coordinated by the Parmenides
remains speculative and further Foundation in Germany.
hypothesis, the project developed a new
refinement of models is required the
Funded under FP7-ICT.
evolutionary robotics toolkit, called
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/
Robogen, which allows anybody with a INSIGHT project has begun to put flesh rcn/108232
computer to evolve robot bodies and on the bones of a theory that could one
Project website:
brains in physics-based simulations, 3D day lead to self-learning machines and http://www.insightproject.eu/
T
he world is clearly mobile and well connected. Thanks
to the massive penetration of cellular telephony, wher-
ever you go youre always just a call or a text away.
But there is one exception to this well-connected world: the
truly isolated and rural areas, such as the Amazon jungle,
which are often inhabited by small, low-income popula-
tions. Here, because of the costs to build classical access
and backhaul infrastructures, the return on investment in
GaudiLab, Shutterstock
such projects is nearly 1000 times lower than what can be
achieved in urban areas. As a result, cellular companies
tend to overlook these rural areas.
The problem, however, is these are the same places that are
also in the most need of developmental aid and support for
which communication is crucial. To fill this void and to connect
these otherwise unconnected regions, the EU-funded
Hello, the Amazon calling
TUCAN3G (Wireless technologies for isolated rural communi-
ties in developing countries based on cellular 3G femtocell To demonstrate the economic viability of this system, the
deployments) project aims to introduce mobile telephony and TUCAN3G project set up a demonstration platform in a very
data services into the worlds most isolated and rural regions. remote part of the Amazon rainforest. The demonstration
consisted of two platforms supplying 3G telephony to six
Simple, cheap yet powerful villages along the banks of the Napo River, located in the
Balsapuerto region of the north-eastern Peruvian Amazon.
The TUCAN3G solution utilises new wireless technologies
to create access networks based on 3G femtocells. These Using only small 3G femtocells installed in each village,
femtocells, which resemble a wireless router, are essen- locals were able to communicate with relatives, coordinate
tially small, low-power cellular base stations that act as health care services and even negotiate the price of the
repeaters capable of boosting signals. According to project crops they were selling. The cost for the voice over IP was
researchers, the advantage of using femtocells is that they a flat rate of around EUR 9, plus the costs of the down-
work via solar energy, thus eliminating the need for costly loaded kB. Since the system has been in place, users are
energy infrastructures that are simply not feasible in making an average 40 calls per day.
remote areas. For instance, installing a classical access sta-
tion could cost upwards of EUR 40000, whereas a femto-
Towards universal connectivity
cell can be bought for just EUR 500. On top of this, In addition to connecting remote villages, the project also con-
femtocells are easy to install and can be maintained with vinced local governments to support the development of
a simple reconfiguration performed remotely. small, mobile rural operators connected to the Telefonica
research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017 35
IT AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
backbone, thus ensuring ongoing connectivity for the villag- TUCAN3G project is huge. Soon, thanks to research such as
ers. Furthermore, a South American development bank has this, universal connectivity could become a reality.
committed over EUR 700000 towards expanding the pro-
gramme to another 15 villages. TUCAN3G
Coordinated by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia
But perhaps the projects biggest achievement is proving in Spain.
that the development of sustainable, long-term cellular
Funded under FP7-ICT.
solutions for remote villages with fewer than 250 residents
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/108002
is economically viable. When one considers the number of
Project website:
remote villages, not only in developing countries, but also http://www.ict-tucan3g.eu/
across the developed world, the potential impact of the http://bit.ly/2ffz26O
W
earable robots are programma-
ble body-worn devices, or exo-
skeletons, that are designed to
mechanically interact with the user. Their
purpose is to assist or even substitute
human motor function for people who
have severe difficulty moving or walking.
The BIOMOT (Smart Wearable Robots
with Bioinspired Sensory-Motor Skills)
project, completed in September 2016,
has helped to advance this emerging
walking on uneven ground, for example, task, says Moreno. Our research with
field by demonstrating that personalised
or approaching an obstacle. healthy humans showed such positive and
computational models of the human
promising results that we are keen to con-
body can effectively be used to control In order to address these challenges, the
tinue validation with both stroke and spi-
wearable exoskeletons. The project has project developed robots with real-time
nal cord injury patients.
identified ways of achieving improved adaptability and flexibility by increasing
flexibility and autonomous performance, the symbiosis between the robot and the Indeed, Moreno is confident that the suc-
which could assist in the use of wearable user through dynamic sensorimotor cess of the project will open up potential
robots as mobility assistance and reha- interactions. A hierarchical approach to new research avenues. For example, the
bilitation tools. these interactions was taken, allowing results will help scientists to develop com-
the project team to apply different layers putational models for rehabilitation thera-
An increasing number of researchers in
for different purposes. This means in pies, and better understand human
the field of neurorehabilitation are inter-
effect that an exoskeleton can be per- movement in more detail.
ested in the potential of these robotic
sonalised to an individual user.
technologies for clinical rehabilitation fol- In the project we also defined novel
lowing neurological diseases, explains Thanks to this framework, the BIOMOT techniques to evaluate and benchmark
BIOMOT project coordinator Dr Juan exoskeleton can rely on mechanical and performances of wearable exoskeletons,
Moreno from the Spanish Council for bioelectric measurements to adapt to a says Moreno. Further innovation projects
Scientific Research (CSIC). One reason is changing user or task condition, says are planned by consortium members to
that these systems can be optimised to Moreno. This leads to improved robotic follow up on this research, and to exploit
deliver diverse therapeutic interventions interventions. developments in the field of human
at specific points of recuperation or care. motion capture, human-machine interac-
Following theoretical and practical work,
tion and adaptive control.
However, a number of factors have lim- the project team then tested these proto-
ited the widespread market adoption of type exoskeletons with volunteers. A key
wearable robots. Moreno and his team technical challenge was how to combine a BIOMOT
identified a need for wearable equipment robust and open architecture with a novel
Coordinated by CSIC in Spain.
to be more compact and lightweight, and wearable robotic system that can gather
Funded under FP7-ICT.
better able to anticipate and detect the signals from human activity. Nonetheless,
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/
intended movements of the wearer. In we succeeded in investigating for the first rcn/109702
addition, robots needed to become more time the potential of automatically con-
Project website:
versatile and adaptable in order to aid trolling human-robot interactions in order http://www.biomotproject.eu/
people in a variety of different situations; to enhance user compliance with a motor http://bit.ly/2fDU63X
36 research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017
INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES
A
highly skilled workforce supported by advanced and proposes solutions adds Manns. Our aim has been to
automation and IT tools has enabled European replace this with a completely virtual model.
industries to become leaders in fields ranging from
This has been achieved by using software involving con-
car making to chemicals. In order to ensure that factories
trolled natural language commands where grammar
and assembly lines remain at the cutting edge in a highly and vocabulary are restricted in order to eliminate ambigu-
competitive world, the EU-funded INTERACT (Interactive ity and complexity along with a statistical motions data-
Manual Assembly Operations for the Human-Centered base to generate
Workplaces of the Future) project has sought to better uti- realistic human
lise workers knowledge in the development of next gener- motions. In addition, The key outcome has
ation digital tools. low-cost sensors been a proof of concept
were used to track
Manufacturing companies often use 3D software tools to
actual tasks on the
demonstrator for automated,
simulate human tasks on the factory floor prior to their
implementation, explains INTERACT project coordinator
shop floor, in order context dependent motion
to make the pro-
Professor Martin Manns from the University of Siegen in
jects 3D simula-
synthesised from controlled
Germany. Initially, tasks are described in a textual manner,
tions more intuitive natural language.
before being translated into 3D simulations. This enables and interactive. The
managers to make time and cost estimations and achieve idea of motion opti-
production efficiencies. However the skills and knowledge misation through real life actions led to the design of new
of workers is often not utilised, and there is no standard innovations such as a data glove with inertial sensors and
mechanism for taking into account this valuable input. bending and force sensors.
The INTERACT project has sought to facilitate the automatic In this project, we specifically focused on manual produc-
generation of 3D assembly plant plans and enable workers tion assembly lines and warehouse operations, and ran two
and engineers themselves to contribute to optimising pro- case studies on an automotive manufacturer and a white
cesses. In traditional process planning, an initial plan is cre- goods manufacturer, explains Manns. We looked at three
ated by a planning engineer who documents critical issues key questions: whether a task is feasible by any worker;
research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017 37
INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES
whether a worker can do the tasks in a given cycle time; further input data. Nonetheless a browser based live demo is
and whether ergonomics issues are likely to arise if the available on the INTERACT website. And while the technology
worker does the same process over a period of years. is not yet ready for commercialisation, the project has
Obviously, all three questions leave room for process sparked interest from companies in other fields such as
optimisation. motion capture, virtual reality, entertainment and academia.
The key outcome has been a proof of concept demonstra- Further research projects are currently being prepared in
tor for automated, context dependent motion synthesised order to bring the technology to market.
from controlled natural language. This algorithmic solution
has been developed from scratch and produces realistic-
looking body motions, though we havent succeeded in vis- INTERACT
ualising fingers yet, says Manns. Interestingly, we found a
Coordinated by Daimler in Germany.
rich variety of motions from the shop floor, which enabled
Funded under FP7-ICT.
us to increase the number of input motions to over 10000.
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/110466
However, even this number only allowed 11 of the original
Project website:
22 planned motion types walk, pick up, carry, etc. to be http://www.interact-fp7.eu/
modelled. Extending the number of motion types will require http://bit.ly/2fSSQPd
W A clustered approach
ith industrial processes and more productive project and in turn,
supply chains becoming more greater benefits for the end user.
digitalised with the rise of new USE-IT-WISELY organised its research into
six clusters, with each cluster based on a Consortium member Karin Verploegen,
technologies such as the Internet of
particular industrial sector or theme. These representing Dutch organisations
Things (IoT), the Industrial Internet and
Gispen and TNO, presented how their
the Cloud, the vast majority of compa- were respectively power plant turbines,
cluster focus was to extend the lifespan
nies are still struggling to understand machinery, space, trucks, shipping and
of office furniture by implementing
the implications that an increasingly office furniture. Each of the clusters and Circular Economy principles. In particu-
globalised and connected world econ- their successes were presented at the lar, they developed two tools to enhance
omy brings to their businesses. final conference. Clustering was viewed by sustainable business practices, a
This is where USE-IT-WISELY (Innovative the project partners as an advantage as it Circular Life Cycle Assessment tool and
continuous upgrades of high investment allowed for the exploitation of the existing a Design Framework for flexible, modu-
product-services) comes in, offering a strong links between research organisa- lar, adaptable products. These innova-
comprehensive solution for improving tions and industry, thus allowing for a tions will not only increase customer
products and services through effective
upgrade innovation, allowing for sustain-
Zapp2Photo, Shutterstock
GROUNDBREAKING 3D PRINTING
TECHNOLOGY FOR METAL
Tapping the market for small, customised metal parts could boost the competitive position of Small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A new manufacturing platform enables mass production of 3D metal
printed parts, and can also simultaneously clean and polish up to 100 parts in a single session.
A
dditive manufacturing is a maturing technology well demonstrated a high-performance 3D printing production
suited to such jobs. A part of complex 3D geometry is line for serial fabrication of customised high-quality small
built up from details provided in a computer-aided metal parts. Coupled with this line is a high-speed finishing
design file. However, improvements in accuracy and post- line using laser polishing.
processing are required to reduce product costs.
Project partners further developed the manufacturing pro-
Within the EU-funded project HYPROLINE (High-performance cess itself and carried out research and application work on
production line for small series metal parts), researchers materials, pre- and post-treatment of the parts produced and
research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017 39
INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES
supporting software. In this way, HYPROLINE has added implementation was demonstrated with serial production of
capabilities to commercially available manufacturing sys- customised high-quality parts on the order of 10 mm for jew-
tems in terms of speed, product quality and versatility. ellery companies, dental parts and microwave electronics.
HYPROLINEs sophisticated machine consists of a carousel The automated and high-speed HYPROLINE system for produc-
unit that has room for 100 pallets and a robot that picks and tion of small metallic parts with high precision promises to signif-
places non-finished components, extracts finished products icantly enhance the competitive position of Europes SMEs. It will
and adds specific modules. The pallets pass underneath a also foster the production of innovative components that were
patented 3D metal inkjet printer (Digital Metal) on a fixed Z previously cost prohibitive for consumers.
axis. A key part of this machine is a laser scanner that com-
pares the finished 3D prints with the 3D models used for
them, while a laser ablation module polishes parts and
removes any excess material. HYPROLINE
Coordinated by TNO in the Netherlands.
With the addition of process monitoring and metrology, pre-
Funded under FP7-NMP.
dicted benefits include reduced time to market, fewer rejects
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/104393
and scrap, and better products with higher market value.
Project website:
The HYPROLINE machine can produce parts from three dif- http://www.hyproline.eu/
ferent metals: stainless steel 316L, titanium and copper. Pilot http://bit.ly/2fE4vfI
W
hen compressed to a smaller
volume, air attains higher-
than-atmospheric pressure that
makes it useful in many industrial and
domestic applications. Compressed air
generates force per unit area that can be
used to impart motion in pneumatic
tools. It can also atomise or spray sub-
Jan Conrad Petersen
T
he EU-funded MUSE-TECH (MUlti reworks are frequent to more pre- and beer production. The first tech-
SEnsor Technology for manage- dictive process control. This is where nology Distributed temperature
ment of food processes) project in-process raw materials can be sensing (DTS) proved robust for all
has developed an innovative new sys- checked in real time and any compo- three case studies, allowing accurate
tem to monitor industrial food pro- sitional variations or problems dealt monitoring of complex temperature
cessing in real time by combining three with during manufacturing. profiles under harsh environments
different sensors into one easy-to-use such as during dough fermentation.
The project team found that one
tool. Positive test results suggest that effective way of achieving in-process The second sensor, Quasi imaging
the device could help food makers control was to integrate three novel visible-near infrared (QIVN), success-
across a number of sectors to achieve sensors into what is called a Multi fully gathered data simultaneously
greater processing efficiencies and sensor device (MSD). The MSD is from different points of the process.
ensure high standards of safety. based on a flexible plug-in architec- Finally, a photoacoustic spectroscopy
The starting point of this three year ture, allowing additional inputs from (PAS) sensor was shown to be capable
project, which began in October 2013, other sensors already installed in the of simultaneously monitoring CO2,
was to find ways of helping the food process lines. ethanol and humidity during baking.
industry to move on from conven- These MSD devices were built and Raw data gathered by the MSD was
tional process control strategies then tested at both pilot plant and then processed in real time using new
where food is only tested at the end industrial level in three case studies: statistical tools, and made available to
of the process, and batch failures and bread production, fried potato chips end users via an easy to use interface.
research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017 41
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
These MSD devices were built businesses, policy makers and consum- innovative equipment with tailored
ers for increased transparency along the MSDs installed to monitor and control
and then tested at both pilot global food supply chain. Consumers the specific food processes.
plant and industrial level in want to know where their food comes Further research and development is
from and how it has been processed.
three case studies: bread For food makers, a problem somewhere
now needed to develop a commer-
cially viable MSD, with a particular
production, fried potato chips along this chain a batch of poor qual- focus on the design of robust and effi-
and beer production. ity ingredients or contamination by cient probes to monitor dough during
unauthorised compounds for example mixing and improving the PAS sensor
can shut down production and lead for frying and beer production.
The project team investigated suitable to significant losses unless it is dealt
communication systems and soft- with efficiently and effectively.
ware, which were then implemented MUSE-TECH
The success of the project also high-
to support the integration of the MSD.
Coordinated by IRTA in Spain.
lights the market potential that exists in
Funded under FP7-KBBE.
The team behind the MUSE-TECH pro- the food sector for sensory technology
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/
ject, which has just been completed, developers. There is also an opportunity rcn/110427
are confident that their MSD tool will for food process equipment manufac-
Project website:
help to meet growing demand from turers to design and commercialise http://www.musetech.eu/
T
he study, led by the University of Cambridge, is one of In a second experiment, the participants were served Eton mess,
the first studies to show a direct link between food pref- a traditional English dessert that includes strawberries, whipped
erence and specific genetic variants in humans. The cream and broken meringue. Again, there were three options to
research builds upon previous studies on mice, which high- choose from, but this time it was the overall sugar content that
lighted that disruption of a particular pathway in the brain differed between low, medium and high concentrations. The fat
involving the melanocortin-4 reception (MC4R) can lead to content though was fixed. Again, participants could choose
mice eating a lot more fat. What was unusual was that these which of the three desserts to eat.
mice consumed a lot less sugar.
they could not tell the difference between the foods and were
unaware that the fat content varied in each dish. The research
team discovered that although there was no overall difference
in the amount of food eaten between the groups, individuals
with the defective MC4R gene ate almost double the amount
of high fat korma that lean individuals ate and 65% more
than obese individuals without the defect.
42 research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
Lean and obese individuals preferred the high sugar des- Prof. Farooqi and her colleagues believe that humans and
sert more than the other two options. However, individuals animals may have evolved pathways in the brain that mod-
with the MC4R defect were less enamoured with the high ulate the preference for high fat food in order to cope with
sugar option and actually ate significantly less of all three times of famine. When there is not much food around, we
desserts compared to the other two groups. For obese indi- need energy that can be stored and accessed when needed:
viduals who do possess the defective MC4R gene, this fat delivers twice as many calories per gram as carbohy-
makes them much more likely to put on weight. The drates or protein and can be easily stored in our bodies, she
research team believes that for these individuals, the fact explained. As such, having a pathway that tells you to eat
that the MC4R pathway is not working may lead them to more fat at the expense of sugar, which we can only store
subconsciously prefer high fat food which then contributes to a limited extent in the body, would be a very useful way
to their weight problem. of defending against starvation.
The NEUROFAST (The Integrated Neurobiology of Food
A survival mechanism against starvation Intake, Addiction and Stress) project ended in March 2015,
Our work shows that even if you tightly control the appearance whilst the ERC-funded STILTS (Genetic and physiological
and taste of food, our brains can detect the nutrient content, basis of thinness) project will continue until December 2016.
commented Professor Sadaf Farooqi, who led the research at
Cambridge. Most of the time we eat foods that are both high
STILTS
in fat and high in sugar. By carefully testing these nutrients sep- Hosted by the University of Cambridge
arately in this study, and by testing a relatively rare group of in the United Kingdom.
people with the defective MC4R gene, we were able to show
Funded under FP7-IDEAS-ERC.
that specific brain pathways can modulate food preference.
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/101508
T
babies and young children. In addition,
Rice accumulates significantly he main exposure route of i-As to the effects of agricultural practices on
higher levels of arsenic (As) EU citizens is through their diet, the As concentration and speciation in
than other crops. This threat the main source being rice. rice grains and the effect of the man-
to human health was addressed Children are particularly susceptible to ufacturing process on As were deter-
by EU-funded scientists who arsenic exposure, which can adversely mined in rice-based infant products.
conducted risk assessments of affect long-term health, with infant Researchers also improved the frame-
inorganic arsenic (i-As) in rice- consumers of rice products one of the work for understanding i-As in the
based products and developed groups with the highest exposure lev- human diet. This framework was used
new ways of limiting exposure. els in the EU. to help set i-As standards for food.
research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017 43
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
Scientists found that it was best to use the inorganic arsenic burden from exposure in several EU countries and
polished rice in rice-based products for individual rice and rice bran samples. to minimise health risks for the most
infants and young children, as this type Its use in the manufacture of rice- vulnerable sub-populations.
of rice has significantly less i-As than based infant products will therefore
whole grain rice. In addition, variations significantly reduce the concentration
in i-As from paddy field samples and of i-As. Rice and rice-based products
commercial samples from the Iberian with low inorganic arsenic could
Peninsula were studied. Paddy field potentially be sold as premium prod-
areas with low inorganic arsenic rice ucts, in doing so highlighting the RICENIC
were also identified. Therefore, rice with potential socio-economic impact of Coordinated by Queens University
low concentrations of i-As should be the RICENIC project. of Belfast in the United Kingdom.
selected for the manufacture of food
Funded under FP7-PEOPLE.
Food Standard Agencies have already
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/
for infants and young children.
taken advantage of the projects rcn/187670
A method of cooking the rice was results, which have been applied to
Project website:
developed; it removed around 90% of assess early-life inorganic arsenic http://ricenic-project.blogspot.co.uk/
C
heesemaking is an ancient art, The development is intended to help Other results for producers include
but the level of ripening effi- smaller or traditional businesses opti- the ability to remotely monitor ripen-
ciency can be improved with mise their ripening processes in an ing rooms, and the ability to expand
modern, controllable ventilation. energy-efficient way that also mini- the system to other ripening rooms at
Although suitable systems are avail- mises cheese mass loss. The system minimal cost.
able for modern premises, such meth- developed utilises innovative sensors The SMART-RIPE technology allows
ods do not adapt well to the traditional and control software. producers to differentiate their prod-
facilities used by the bulk of cheese-
SMART-RIPEs system consumes ucts on the basis of quality and envi-
making businesses.
40-60% less energy during ripening. ronmental impact. Additionally, the
The EU-funded SMART-RIPE (New rip- Such an outcome helps cheesemakers improved yields and lowered costs
ening room monitoring technology for compete in a market demanding sus- provide a boost to profitability.
improving the efficiency and sustain- tainability and low carbon dioxide emis-
ability of cheese ripening processes) sions. The system has shown a 40%
project built on the work of a previous reduction in environmental impact com-
EU project, TRUEFOOD (2006-2010), pared to conventional systems.
which introduced new sequential ven- SMART-RIPE
tilation technologies to control cheese Additionally, the development lowers
Coordinated by IRIS in Spain.
ripening and reduce energy consump- cheese mass loss (water evaporation)
Funded under FP7-KBBE.
tion. SMART-RIPE exploited the previ- rates to between 0.6 and 0.9%. The
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/
ous results to construct a prototype outcome means improved yield with- rcn/111141
system demonstrating the TRUEFOOD out lowering quality, therefore result-
Project website:
concept. ing in minimal wastage. http://smart-ripe.eu/
44 research*eu results magazine N58 / December 2016January 2017
PHYSICS AND MATHEMATICS
sakkmesterke, Shutterstock
PHYSICS AND MATHEMATICS
SPIN NANO-SYSTEMS
RESULTIN NEW TYPE
OFQUANTUM BITS
EU researchers believe these new, innovative qubits could serve as the
information units for the quantum computers of the future.
T
he rapid progress that has been in the understanding and successful utilisa- be manipulated via a magnetic field in
sweeping the field of crystal growth tion of nanoscale systems in future devices order to code information.
and related device technology is via research, exchange programmes and However, unlike electrons, electron holes
opening doors. Perhaps nowhere is the training sessions. are positively charged, meaning they are
effect of this evolution being felt more
decoupled from the positively charged
than in the development of ultra-small The answer is in the hole nuclei that surround atoms making
structures whose material properties can
Before S^3NANO, qubits have only been them virtually immune against interfer-
be controlled on the nanoscale. The rea-
available in the form of individual electrons. ence caused by nuclear spin.
son for this development: because solid-
state nano-structures possess unique To create these electron-based qubits, an
electron must be locked in what is called a
The research continues
optical and electronic properties, they
have the potential to be the launching quantum dot a tiny semiconductor vol- Researchers are enthusiastic about the
pad of a new generation of devices. ume that spins the electron until it forms a high-quality quantum dots they have been
small permanent magnet. Researchers can able to develop, noting that they represent
Within the field, researchers are particu- an important step towards being able to
manipulate the spin by using an external
larly focused on the properties of spins manufacture reproducible components
magnetic field, with the direction of the spin
confined within the nano-structures based on quantum bits. However, since
being used to code information.
with the ultimate goal being to use spin electron holes are more susceptible to
nano-systems to develop, for example, Even though this development was a being disturbed by warm temperatures
robust quantum bits (qubits) capable of significant breakthrough in itself, it was than electrons are, their use is only appli-
storing vast amounts of information. Here, far from perfect. The problem with elec- cable at low temperatures.
the EU-funded S^3NANO (Few Spin Solid- tron-based qubits is that the electrons
State Nano-systems) project has success- To address this shortcoming, as well as
themselves cause interferences that
fully developed qubits in a new, innovative to carry the S^3NANO projects efforts
render the information carriers difficult
form. According to project researchers, forward, in 2016 a successor network
to programme and read. Thus, a better was launched. The Marie Sklodowska-
these qubits could serve as the informa-
method was needed. Curie ITN Spin-NANO Network currently
tion units of the quantum computers of
the future. Taking the next step, the S^3NANO pro- employs 15 PhD students.
ject helped find a solution. Researchers
S^3NANO, which has recently published its
full key findings, was a collaborative effort discovered that the key was to utilise
of studies and researchers. It brought electron holes, not electrons, as qubits.
Instead of locking individual electrons in S^3NANO
together existing studies on the develop-
the quantum dot, the team decided Coordinated by the University
ment of new device concepts in the field of of Sheffield in the United Kingdom.
few spin solid-state nano-systems with a to remove specific electrons. The result
Funded under FP7-PEOPLE.
team of leading international researchers was the generation of positively charged
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/
and institutions. Over the course of four vacancies within the electron structure rcn/101612
years, this few spin solid state nano-system itself, the so-called electron holes. As
Project website:
network achieved numerous breakthroughs electron holes also have a spin, they can http://spin-nano.sites.sheffield.ac.uk/
research*eu results magazine N58/ December 2016January 2017 45
PHYSICS AND MATHEMATICS
C
omputational simulations based on (Fe) alloys, and revealed a series of anom- have demonstrated that the properties of
atomic-level theories are going to alously magnetic effects. In iron- Fe-rich BCC alloys including a small
play an increasing role in the search chromium-nickel (Fe-Cr-Ni; austenite) amount of light metals are consistent with
for advanced and high-performance alloys, the stacking fault energies con- those indicated by seismology. This sug-
materials. In most cases, these methods trolling the plastic deformation mecha- gests that BCC-structured Fe alloys are
deliver accurate data related to the nisms follow a strongly non-linear possible models for the Earths inner core.
atomic, electronic, chemical and mag- composition dependence, which can be
ALPAM has shed light on the atomic-scale
netic structures of materials. First- ascribed to the magnetic contribution to
properties and processes behind the
principle methods also provide an the defect energy.
observed macroscopic properties of mate-
opportunity to study atomic-level struc-
Accurate knowledge of elastic properties is rials and delivered comprehensive first-
tures and phenomena that are beyond
indispensable in many practical applica- principles data for multi-scale modelling.
present-day experimental abilities.
tions, including the phenomenological As a result, detailed information on the
The main methodological achievements modelling of strengthening mechanisms. compositionstructureproperty relations,
of the ALPAM (Atomic-level physics of Most of the scientific problems addressed defect interaction parameters and atom-
advanced materials) project include a by this project are closely related to impor- istic mechanisms of processes in the sam-
newly developed quasi-non-uniform den- tant industrial problems. For instance, the pled alloy phases has been obtained.
sity functional scheme and an atomic- effect of non-equilibrium segregation is
level approach to thermodynamic and believed to be largely responsible for the ALPAM
kinetic properties of alloys with non-trivial Cr depletion at grain boundaries in auste- Hosted by the Royal Institute
magnetic degrees of freedom. Most nitic stainless steel under irradiation, lead- of Technology in Sweden.
recently, the project put forward a trans- ing to radiation-induced stress corrosion
Funded under FP7-IDEAS-ERC.
parent atomic-level theory of plasticity for cracking, which is often involved in acci-
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/
face-centred cubic metals and alloys. dents at nuclear power stations. rcn/90064
Project tools have been applied to the The teams insights into the electronic The teams insights into the
investigation of order-disorder phase tran- properties of Fe have also made it possi-
sition in important classes of magnetic ble to carry out significant interdisciplinary electronic properties of Fe have
alloys, including interstitial alloys. They work in geology. They have shown that at also made it possible to carry
have addressed the thermodynamics of high pressure and high temperature the
different point and planar defects (vacan- Body-centred cubic (BCC) phase of Fe is
out significant interdisciplinary
cies, interfaces and stacking faults) in iron dynamically stable. Furthermore, they work in geology.
W
hen light couples to electrons on a surface, their con-
certed motion can travel as a wave guided by the
surface geometry itself. Known as surface plas-
mons, these waves could impact the development of tele-
communications and computing, as in the future data will
likely be processed using light instead of electricity. Not only
is the use of light more energy-efficient than electricity, it also
allows developers to reduce the processors size to the
nanoscale a necessary step in the quest to build high-
resolution sensors and nano-sized signal processing systems.
The challenge, however, is that to build these nano-sized
Serdar Duran, Shutterstock
I
tions) project was devoted to developing tures to the original code or to fix bugs.
sogeometric analysis (IGA) was
software tools for research into IGA.
Login, Shutterstock
EVENTS
FEBRUARY FEBRUARY FEBRUARY
01 0709 0810
EVENTS
For more forthcoming events:
http://cordis.europa.eu/events
FEB.
0810
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