Issue 03 - June 2011

ISSN 1831-9947
No 3 June 2011
European Commission
R E S U LT S M A G A Z I N E
OBiology and medicine 5
O Energy and transport 14
O Environment and society 19
OIT and telecommunications 28
O Industrial technologies 35
O Events 46
Special feature
Research for regions: a coherent research area for Europe
Olivier Le Queinac, prochasson frederic, Shutterstock
Interview with Dr Anu Reinart of EstSpacE

Other highlights
O Probing an ancient part of the brain, page 5
OEU must invest more in wind power if 20 MW turbines to become reality, page 14
O Vital groundwork for R & D cooperation, page 19
O Need footage in a rush? page 28
O Estonia reaches for the stars, page 35
EDITORIAL
Working on research together
R E S U LT S M A G A Z I N E Part of Europes success is in its collaboration and
solidarity. The European Union has already been a
remarkable achievement. The European Research Area
(ERA) is seminal to this Union as strength in numbers
and in minds helps give Europe not only a competitive
edge in the global economy but also in its overall research
and in its innovation. The aim of the ERA is to give
Published by researchers ample opportunity in an EU-wide open space
CORDIS Unit for knowledge.
Publications Office of the European Union
2, rue Mercier
2985 Luxembourg Mire Geoghegan-Quinn, the European Commissioner forr
LUXEMBOURG Research and Innovation, is mandated to take the lead d
E-mail: research-eu-results-magazine@ in making the fifth freedom a reality. The fifth freedom
m
publications.europa.eu entails providing attractive conditions and effectivee
governance for carrying out research in Europe. It should d
Editorial coordination also ensure the free circulation of researchers, knowledge,
e,
Melinda Kurzn Opczky ideas and technology across the EU.
All issues of the research*eu results magazine Europes 271 regions each have their own particular strengths. The development of a
are available online at: coherent research area across all these regions is underway. We wanted to highlight some
http://cordis.europa.eu/news/research-eu
of these developments along with all the latest EU-funded research. This is why we decided
The research*eu results magazine is published
to dedicate this issue of research*eu results magazine to Regions for research: a coherent
by the Publications Office of the European research area for Europe.
Union, as part of the EU-funded research
programmes. Content is prepared using We speak to Dr Anu Reinart, director of Estonias Tartu Observatory. She is also the lead
several sources, including the Technology researcher of the EU-funded EstSpacE project. EstSpacE is working towards enhancing
Marketplace on CORDIS, the Research space research potential of Estonian scientific institutes by collaborating with other
Information Centre, as well as original European partners as well as the ESA. Dr Reinart shares her experiences with us and
material collected specifically for this provides a compelling insight into her work at EstSpacE.
publication.
We start off the issue by first delving into the human brain and exploring the root causes
The technologies presented in this magazine of chronic brain conditions like Parkinsons. The article, listed in the biology and medicine
may be covered by intellectual property rights.
section, discusses how researchers are focusing their efforts on an important and somewhat
Submitting project results to CORDIS
enigmatic portion of the brain called the basal ganglia, which is responsible for motor
The European Commission is interested in control and cognitive aspects of behaviour.
receiving information on research results and
the projects which have produced them. For The energy and transport section leads with an article on the need for greater investment
more information, please visit: http://cordis. in wind power research.
europa.eu/results/submitting_en.html
An article on forging new ties between researchers leads the environment and society
section. The article discusses an EU-funded project that is strengthening the research
capacity and cooperation in central European countries.
In our IT and telecommunications section, we see how European research is attempting

to better archive raw footage. The research will help broadcasters search, retrieve and use
raw footage with much greater ease.
The industrial technology section leads with a story on a project that will help Estonia
reach for the stars. Estonian researchers are collaborating with other European partners
and the ESA. The project is a model on how to integrate other European countries into
the fold of space research.
The issue then ends with a list of exciting events and upcoming conferences in the field of
research and technology.
We look forward to receiving your feedback on this issue and on the research*eu
Community Research and publications in general. Send questions or suggestions to: research-eu-results-magazine@
Development Information Service publications.europa.eu
http://cordis.europa.eu The editorial team
European Union, 2011
Want more information on the contents of this issue?
Reproduction permitted, provided the source is acknowledged.
Neither the Publications Office nor any person acting on its For online versions or information about the contributors in this issue
behalf is responsible for the use that may be made of the of research*eu results magazine:
information contained in this publication or for any errors that
may remain in the texts, despite the care taken in preparing them. - Technology Marketplace: http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace
For reproduction or use of photos and any other artistic material, - Research Information Centre: http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre
permission must be sought directly from the copyright holder.
Excluded from this constraint are the photos and artistic material - Thank you to Dr Anu Reinart of EstSpacE for her contribution to the
owned by the European Union. special dossier in this issue
Specials icon: iStockphoto.com/Tom Nulens
2 research*eu results magazine No 3 June 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE Probing an ancient part of the brain 5
Boosting plant biotechnology research in Bulgaria 7
EU-funded scientists sequence fungal disease genome 7
Psychological interventions key for keeping depression at bay 8
EU works to fill gaps in regenerative medicine 9
Researchers unravel DNAs protection against UV light 10
Cell modifiers to aid autoimmune disease treatment 10
Association studies can explain cell stress response 11
Fortifying nutrition for children and women in Africa 12
Targeting new malaria counter measures 12
Perfecting anaesthesia 13
ENERGY AND TRANSPORT EU must invest more in wind power for 20 MW turbines to become reality 14
Wind turbines examined to improve technology 15
The search for better offshore wind turbines 15
Throwing light on converting solar energy into hydrogen 16
BEE writes the book on biomass assessment 16
Second-generation ethanol to be more sustainable 17
Energy experts create new smart metering standards 17
Energy framework to tackle security of supply problems 18
ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY Vital groundwork for R & D cooperation 19
For the good of the greater region 19
Montenegro plans its future of research 20
Recap, recount and reaping success 20
Europe boosts expertise for the University of Sofia 21
EU helps Bulgarian institute aim for global excellence 22
EU research cooperates with southeast Asia 22
A better grasp of pollution 23
Civil society, where next? 24
Engaging the public in the climate change debate 25
Rocky shore biodiversity 25
Women shaping science 26
Good practice database to support women in research 27
Making science cool 27
research*eu results magazine No 3 June 2011 3

IT AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS Need footage in a rush? 28
Central Europe embraces ICT 29
Grid computing links Europe and China 30
EU research connects with Latin America 30
IT technology to build new EU-Brazil partnership 31
Improved weather forecasts 32
EU creates tsunami early warning system 32
Europeans target better web access for people with disabilities 33
Beyond the X-ray 34
INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES Estonia reaches for the stars 35
Interview: Working together to reach beyond the stars 36
All eyes on the skies 39
A Russian doll of science and technology 39
Appetite for innovation 40
Innovative bio-packaging that can replace plastics 41
Hunting space neutrinos below ground 42
Optical alternative to silicon for future electronics 43
Keeping up to date on nanotechnology safety 43
Europe in the laser limelight 44
Robotic machinery advances European industry 45
EVENTS Artificial intelligence in space: intelligence beyond planet earth 46
Third workshop on social mobile web
Charge transfer in biosystems
Workshop on service science and systems
Multidisciplinary approach to designing intelligent environments 47
Conference on advances in social networks analysis and mining
Doctoral symposium
European conference on artificial life twentieth anniversary Back to the
origins of life
Vladfoto, Shutterstock
Frequent acronyms
ERA European Research Area ICT information and communication technologies

FP5/6/7 Fifth/Sixth/Seventh Framework Programme of the IST information society technologies
European Community for research, technological R&D research and development
development and demonstration activities SMEs small and medium-sized enterprises

BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
Probing an ancient part of the brain
An international group of researchers is studying the incidence of brain cancer in
adolescents to see if mobile phones and environmental factors play a role.

European scientists are studying motor control and The basal ganglia is associated with a variety of functions,
cognitive function to gain a better understanding of the including voluntary motor control, procedural learning
basic mechanisms used to control movements. Their work relating to routine behaviours or habits, eye movements,
will throw light on what causes chronic brain conditions and cognitive and emotional functions, explains Sten
like Parkinsons, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Grillner, coordinator of the Select-and-act and professor at
(ADHD) and many others. Swedens prestigious Karolinska Institute.
The EU-funded scientists are focusing their efforts on an The focus of Select-and-acts research is a key structure
important and somewhat enigmatic portion of the brain within the basal ganglia, called the striatum. The striatum
called the basal ganglia, which is responsible for motor plays a critical role serving as a filter for signals coming
control and cognitive aspects of behaviour. from the cortex and thalamus. Mr Grillner explains that
sensitivity of the striatum is set by dopamine, and it is im-
The basal ganglia are a group of structures in vertebrate portant for Parkinsons disease. Too little dopamine, and
brains that act as a cohesive functional unit. If one imagines the circuits in the striatum do not activate. Too much and
the human brain as a bowler hat, perched at an angle on they cause involuntary movements, called hyperkinesias,
a hat stand, then the basal ganglia is in the centre, about with obvious relevance. Similarly, 5-HT and histamine have
3 cm from the bottom. other impacts.
Now European researchers at the Select-and-act () project The cerebral cortex is a key area for memory, attention,
are probing the area using a variety of advanced tools to perceptual awareness, thought, language, and conscious-
understand exactly how it works. The research is important ness, while the thalamus relays sensation, spatial sense and
both for the basic science it will explain, and for the new motor signals to the cerebral cortex and the basal ganglia.
light it will shine on central nervous system diseases like The cerebral cortex and thalamus work in close inter-
Parkinsons, Huntingtons and ADHD. action with the basal ganglia.
stock
Domine, Shutter

What the striatum did next by the striatum. So one can learn when the different cir-
The cortex and thalamus acquire data about what needs cuits come into action, says Mr Grillner.
to be done next, and the striatum receives that informa-
tion and uses it to help determine which actions should be Finally, the Bergman laboratory of the Hebrew University,
performed at a given instant, playing an obvious and im- Jerusalem is studying the activity of neurons in the stria-
portant role in motor control and coordination. tum, together with dopamine cells that signal reward in
the behaving monkey. The monkey is trained to detect and
The focus of our research is on the striatum because that is interpret different cues indicating rewards or simply air
the structure in the brain that is largely responsible for the puffs. The test situation allows for an analysis of the func-
selection of behaviour, says Mr Grillner. tion of the striatum under more complex conditions.
So if you need to turn left or right you have separate cir- By combining the approach of the five laboratories we get
cuits in the brainstem to do that. But you need another to understand the mode of microcircuit operation in the
structure to decide which circuit should be activated at a striatum and how these microcircuits are operating dur-
given moment, and that is a primary role of the striatum. ing simpler tasks in rodents and more complex tasks in
primates, says Mr Grillner, adding that the combination of
The Select-and-act team consists of five research groups, research techniques makes Select-and-act unique.
with complementary expertise, which have been systemat-
ically studying the striatum in a matrix of related and rele- The team got a big surprise when they discovered how
vant ways. long the striatum has existed. We compared the circuits in
mammals with the circuits in one of the first type of verte-
The Grillner laboratory is exploring the operation of the brates to occur in evolution, which is the lamprey, he says.
microcircuits in striatum at the molecular, cellular and syn- The lamprey is very old, evolving 560 million years ago
aptic level by recording from several nerve cells at the same when it diverged from the main vertebrate line. It is one of
time using the striatum from both rodents and a primitive the most primitive vertebrates still available for study.
vertebrate, the lamprey.
But it surprised us to learn that already 560 million years
Meanwhile the Bolam laboratory in Oxford is looking at the ago the basic design and the properties and the connectiv-
fine structure of specific types of synapses in the striatum ity of these nerve cells had evolved. Mammals only devel-
and how different modulators like dopamine, 5-HT and his- oped 130 million years ago and humans appeared just
tamine affect the microcircuits of the striatum using differ- 200 000 years ago. So the entire control structure of the stri-
ent physiological techniques. atum was ready very early on in vertebrate evolution and
has not been changed much since then, Mr Grillner notes.
Research will continue for another year. The end point for
on
ur research is this project will see us develop an understanding of stria-
The focus of o is
b e c a u se th a t
tum microcircuits and how they are modified by different
th e st ri a tu m e b ra in th a t
modulators like dopamine, 5-HT and histamine, Mr Grillner
ru c tu re in th explains.
th e st
rg e ly re sp o n si b le fo r th e
is la While the team has achieved a lot so far, the scientist says
aviour.
selection of beh work remains on the project itself, although important new
insights have been gained. This kind of research needs,
however, to continue for a long time in order to understand
the intricate mechanism that underlies the complex func-
At the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm the tion of the brain, concludes Mr Grillner.
Lansner/Hellgren laboratory is making computer models
of the striatum and its interaction with the cortex and dif- The Select-and-act project received funding from the
ferent motor centres. The models are based on the detailed Health initiative of the Seventh Framework Programme
biological and morphological findings of the Grillner and (FP7) for research.
Bolam laboratories. The models allow us to test whether
our biological results can account for the operation of the
different circuits.
An in vivo study is taking place at the Graybiel laboratory

at MIT in Cambridge, USA. There, researchers are studying
striatum activity using rodent models, recording simultan- (1) The role of striatum in selection of behaviour and motor learning neuronal code,
eously a number of nerve cells in the microcircuits of the microcircuits and modelling.
striatum when the rat is running. The rats are also trained
to turn left or right according to where they expect to find Promoted through the CORDIS Technology Marketplace.
food and the team can see how these actions are engaged http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6116

Boosting plant biotechnology research genetics were called in. Excellent co-
operation with the staff of the ABI
in Bulgaria helped ensure a successful outcome to
the project.
Following the conclusion of an independent evaluation, a specific action plan

has been defined with the aim of building up Bulgarias research capacity in Several recommendations have been
plant biotechnology. made following an analysis of ABIs
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities
The Agrobioinstitute (ABI), which The EU funded project Plantbioserv (1) and threats (SWOT). The suggested
belongs to the Agricultural Academy aimed to focus ABI on its research, actions are expected to deliver imme-
of Bulgaria, makes an important con- training and networking potential. diate results and help facilitate ABIs
tribution to the countrys agricultural Three different experts in the fields participation in international research
economy through biotechnology. Yet, of plant biodiversity, plant abiotic programmes such as FP7. This in
there is always room for improvement. and biotic stress, and molecular plant turn is expected to create new career
opportunities.
The SWOT findings have been shared

not only with the ABI scientists, but
also with farmers, journalists and oth-
ers through a number of different
events and media, including a bilingual
website (www.plantbioserv.com).
(1) Biotechnology approaches in agrobioinstitute

at the service of crop breeding.
Funded under the FP7 specific programme Capacities

under the theme Research potential of convergence regions.

under the theme Regions of knowledge.
k
FikMik, Shutterstoc
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6151
EU-funded scientists sequence fungal of the fungus facilitate a diseases adap-

tion and fight against a plants defences.
disease genome
They add that new agricultural tech-
EU-funded researchers have sequenced the genome of a major fungal disease niques can be developed, making it
that affects various cereal crops including barley. Presented in the journal easier to keep infection at bay and sus-
Science, the research could help bolster our understanding of the evolution of tain the health of cereal crops. Ensuring
plants. that plants stay free from disease is also
a mega step towards securing food on
T study was funded in
The our planet.
part by the Bioexploit (1)
p
p
project, which is backed The team decoded the genome of
w
with almost EUR 16 mil- Blumeria, which causes powdery mil-
llion under the Food qual- dew on barley. This mildew impacts
ity and safety thematic many cereal crops, fruits and vegeta-
area of the EUs Sixth bles in northern Europe. Plants that fall
Framework Programme victim to this mildew become covered
(FP6). in powdery white spots that spread all
over the leaves and stems. As a result,
The researchers, led by plants are unable to produce crops
Imperial College Lon- which in turn affects the overall agri-
Shutterstock
don (ICL) in the UK, cultural output.

say their study helps
Subbotina Anna,
shed light on how para- Farmers use several methods to stop

sites within the genome the mildew from surfacing, namely

fungicides, crop rotation and genetic- evolution and defeat the immune means they cannot live freely in the soil
ally resistant varieties. The problem, system. and need their plant hosts to ensure
however, is that the fungi evolve much their survival. This dependency forced
too fast for the techniques to work. The The results of this study will give scien- the pathogens to figure out a way to dis-
mildew evolves quickly because mul- tists the boost they need to design guise themselves and shoot down the
tiple parasites within the genome, so- new fungicides and resistance in food plants defences.
called transposons, help it to conceal crops, particularly because they provide
itself and act without setting any warn- insight into how the mildew can adapt Weve now found this happening in
ing bells off. The host plant is confused so quickly. With this knowledge of the lots of fungi and fungal-like organisms
since the target molecules used by the genome we can now rapidly identify that are obligate pathogens, says Dr
plant to detect the onset of disease are which genes have mutated, and then Spanu, adding that the costly genome
altered. can select plant varieties that are more inflation could therefore be a trade-off
resistant, Dr Spanu explains. that makes these pathogens success-
According to the team, they found ful. Non-obligate pathogens are not so
large numbers of transposons within They could also monitor the spread and dependent on their hosts, as they can
Blumeria. It was a big surprise, says evolution of fungicide resistance in an live elsewhere, so they are less depend-
Dr Pietro D. Spanu from the Depart- emerging epidemic, according to the ent on rapid evolution. Researchers
ment of Life Sciences at ICL, the lead team. Well be able to develop more from Germany and France contributed
author of the study, as a genome nor- efficient ways to monitor and under- to this study.
mally tries to keep its transposons stand the emergence of resistance, and
under control. But in these genomes, ultimately to design more effective and
one of the controls has been lifted. We durable control measures, Dr Spanu (1) Exploitation of natural plant biodiversity for the
think it might be an adaptive advan- adds. pesticide-free production of food.
tage for them to have these genomic
parasites, as it allows the pathogens The researchers say mildew pathogens Promoted through the Research Information Centre.
to respond more rapidly to the plants are a type of obligate parasite, which http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre > search > 19195
Psychological interventions key for The researchers also found no signifi-

cant effect for interventions centred on
keeping depression at bay physical exercise, skill training, support
groups, reminiscence, or interventions
One of the most common mental health disorders among the elderly is with combined content.
depression, and things are not getting any easier since the ageing population
continues to increase. Researchers from Swedens Nordic School of Public The study was based on systematic
Health have found that psychological interventions play a critical role in searches in 11 electronic databases until
preventing depressive symptoms among people who are 65 years and older. October 2009. The main objective was
to compile and assess evidence-based
Th study was funded in part by the
Their knowledge and good examples on how
Dataprev (1) project, which clinched
Da to prevent the onset of depression and
EUR 997 621 under the EUs Sixth
EU promote good mental health among the
Framework Programme (FP6) to
Fr elderly.
enhance the evidence base in policy
en
research for mental health promotion
res Coordinated by the Academic Centre
and
an protection. for Social Sciences in the Netherlands,
the Dataprev project brought together
The
T researchers assessed various researchers from the Czech Republic,
fo
forms of psychosocial interventions Spain, Austria, Poland, Finland and the
a determined that social activities
and UK.
hold
h the most weight for giving men-
tal
t health of older adults a boost. The In another study on depression,
results of their study were published researchers from the Nordic School
in the Journal of Aging and Health. of Public Health and the University of
Gothenburg have found that Swedish
Meaningful social activities adapted women use two times more antidepres-
to the older adults individual needs sants than men.
and abilities should be recognised in
the planning of older care, explained A large proportion of both men and
stock
Anna Forsman, PhD student at the women only ever complete one pre-
Elena Ray, Shutter
Nordic School of Public Health, and scription of antidepressants.

the lead author of the study.

This can be an indication of choices What we need to do now is to monitor with mood stabilisers. But lithium use
being made to end treatment before the this for a longer period of time to see did not follow this pattern.
recommended time, says Dr Karolina if they return and purchase antidepres-
Andersson Sundell, a researcher at the sants again, at a later stage, Dr Anders- One possible reason is that lithium
Nordic School of Public Health. son Sundell points out. We currently users receive better follow-ups, Dr

lack knowledge regarding the reasons Andersson Sundell says. Increased mor-
The team performed a register study of for why only one purchase is made, tality was also seen among the group of
young adults who bought at least one meaning additional studies are required. individuals who filled prescriptions for
antidepressant in 2006. They found that Previous international research how- both antidepressants and antipsychotics.
between 4 % to 13 % of Swedes aged ever indicates that patients often make Further studies are needed to map the
20 to 34 use antidepressants. Women this choice independently and seldom reasons for the elevated mortality rates.
represent a large portion of that group. inform their prescription provider
why they decided to stop taking the (1) Developing the evidence base for mental health promotion and
The study shows that of those who use medication. prevention in Europe: a database of programmes and the production
antidepressants, every tenth also buys of guidelines for policy and practice.
antipsychotics, and some only bought The team discovered a higher mortal-
their medication once, showing that the ity rate among both women and men Promoted through the Research Information Centre.
drug was not used optimally. using antidepressants in combination http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre > search > 19273
EU works to fill gaps in regenerative medicine likely to drive the development of RM

and tissue-engineering firms in Europe:
Europes involvement in regenerative medicine mainly focuses on technological the overall financial health of the global
sub-sectors, creating a host of economic, political and bioethical considerations industry, and the strength of the scien-
that require attention. tific base in firms operating in the EU.
Recognising the need for an improved
The two most active Member States Building on a platform of research governance system, Remedie mapped
in Europes regenerative medicine experience, academic and policy net- the regulatory regimes of all 39 coun-
(RM) industry are Germany and the works, and data relevant to the field, tries active in RM. Only seven countries
United Kingdom. In a study of Euro- the three-year Remedie collaborative (all European) have chosen the most
pean versus global engagement in RM, project examines the economic, politi- restrictive ethical approach. Remedies
the Regenerative medicine in Europe: cal and bioethical implications for work has identified certain gaps relat-
emerging needs and challenges in Europe of current and future global ing to bioethical and legal matters, such
a global context(Remedie) project developments in RM. as there being no European-wide mar-
reveals comparatively little commercial ket of oocytes (immature ova) currently
involvement in Europe with no primary Research over the first 18 months of available for research and no mech-
human embryonic stem cell (HESC) the project indicates that, commercially anisms regulating their procurement
therapies currently being developed speaking, two overriding factors are for such purposes.
commercially.
As global activity in the RM field pro-
gresses at a fast pace, there is great need
to heed medium- and long-term impli-
cations for European regulators, the
corporate sector, and health care sys-
tems and patients in different Member
States. The projects main objectives
are to provide an in-depth analysis of
Europes competitive position in the
globalisation of RM, the requirements
of successful innovation in the field,
and which policies the EU needs to
develop to secure a global advantage in
the field.
i, Shutterstock
Funded under the FP7 specific programme Cooperation

under the theme Socio-economic sciences and the humanities.
Sebastian Kaulitzk

Researchers unravel DNAs protection against was in the detailed calculation of the
coupling of the electronic dynamics
UV light with that of the atomic nuclei.
The effect of sunlight on our skin often helps people feel healthy and happy, They managed to achieve this with
but while tanning may be a desired side effect, it can also initiate damaging the help of worldwide unique quan-
processes that lead to serious illnesses such as skin cancer. tum chemical methods developed at
the Institute for Theoretical Chemistry.
Researchers in Austria have succeeded The researchers said the process under The calculated states of motion of the
in unravelling the shielding mech- scrutiny was simple, yet highly com- nucleobases show a quite remarkable
anisms that allow DNA (deoxyribo- plex, adding that as soon as the UV dynamic behavior in time that spans
nucleic acid) to protect itself from the light excites the electrons into a higher several orders of magnitude, the team
exposure to the UV (ultraviolet) light energy level, ultra-fast decay brings said. The scientists explained that these
emitted by the sun. The results were them back to its original state. Accord- orders of magnitude went from the
published in the journal Proceedings ing to them, In this way electronic pico/trillionth to the femto/quadril-
of the National Academy of Sciences energy is converted into heat. Despite lionth-second range.
(PNAS), a US publication. the complexity of this process, Prof.
Lischkas team explained that it occurs Computational effort of these studies
Scientists led by Hans Lischka, a profes- in an incredibly short time dimension, was enormous and hence the results
sor at the University of Viennas Insti- in up to a quadrillionth of a second. were also only achieved thanks to the
tute for Theoretical Chemistry in Aus- extensive use of the combined com-
tria set out to decipher the ultra-fast Prof. Lischka, together with his col- puter resources of Viennas academic
processes of the photostability of the league Mario Barbatti, now a member institutions.
nucleobases, without which DNA and of the Max Planck Institute for Coal
RNA (ribonucleic acid) would suffer Research in Germany, and experts The researchers said the newly devel-
rapid degradation from UV rays. from the Czech Academy of Sciences in oped methods could be used for the
Prague, created a vivid dynamic picture elucidation of dynamics in DNA nucle-
of the photostability of the obases, and also for studies of photo-
nucleobases using innova- physical processes in DNA itself and
tive computer simulation in the area of photovoltaics which is of
techniques. high technological interest. The new
methods allow a better understanding
They showed how the of the fundamental processes of trans-
DNA components the port of electronic excitation energy and
nucleotides that are re- of charge separation for production of
sponsible in DNA and electricity, the scientists concluded.
RNA for the formation
of base pairs protect
themselves against de-
composition under UV
irradiation. The scien-
stock
tists said the main in-

Blaz Kure, Shutter
Promoted through the Research Information Centre.

novation of their study http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre > search > 19113
Cell modifiers to aid autoimmune their role depends on identifying

patients who will respond positively to
disease treatment cell modification by effectively binding
inhibitor proteins, which is where the
Thanks to their potential for anti-inflammatory activity, the inhibition of EU-funded Novel anti-inflammatory
p38 protein kinases shows promise in the treatment of autoimmune diseases compounds for autoimmune diseases
provided that suitable, respondent patient populations can be identified. (Kinacept) project comes in.
Mitogen-activated protein kinases to extracellular stimuli, these protein Kinacept is investigating the chemical
(MAPKs), such as p38, have been kinases can have major impacts on cell make-up of p38 inhibitor compounds
researched at length regarding their pathways and expression. This enables in efforts to enhance their applica-
potential in the treatment of both them to regulate a wide range of cellular tion in a responsive patient popula-
inflammatory and neurodegenerative activities and can thus be a strong ally tion. Identifying such a population is
diseases. Although they are responsive in various disease models. However, challenging as patients vary in their

physiological conditions, stage of dis- Kinacept intends to solve the problem form of the p38 MAPK protein. Such
ease, and the ways in which the protein at all levels. data will make it possible to single out
binding occurs. p38-dependent, drug-responsive indi-
T team is preparing analogues of
The viduals who can then be included in
th
the existing compounds, conduct- clinical trials. Kinacept is doing this by

iing preclinical models for various profiling the expression of p38 in exist-
d
disease afflictions, examining how ing patient-tissue collections, correlat-
tthe compounds behave in human ing protein levels of p38 kinases, and
tissue models, selecting a pre- identifying possible ratios of inflamma-
clinical candidate patient class, tory markers or p38 proteins associated
and examining p38 expression in with disease.
irritable bowel disease (IBD) and
rheumatoid arthritis (RA) sub-
types at various stages of disease.
The project is making strides in

stock
segmenting patient populations, Funded under the FP7 specific programme Capacities
BioMedical, Shutter
particularly in identifying those under the theme Research for the benefit of SMEs.
with high levels of p38a one http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6072
Association studies can explain cell to cope with stress and its regulation.
This will apply at different levels and
stress response under various genetic backgrounds.
Oxidative stress is involved in ageing, Alzheimers, atherosclerosis, cancer, The project participants have already
Parkinsons and other complex diseases. Research into how cells protect the achieved successes in RNA sequenc-
human body against it is gaining momentum. ing, targeted proteomics, robot-assisted
automatic phenotyping methods and
Phenoxigen (1), an EU-funded project Phenoxigen is using fission yeast as new computational methods for identi-
will develop models for predicting the a model organism to gain a systems- fying respective genetic loci. The four-
regulatory response to oxidative stress. level understanding of how cells protect member consortium will use a multidis-
Genome-wide association studies are against oxidative damage, and thus get ciplinary and complementary approach,
used to investigate genetic variations greater insight into the interplay of the while ground-breaking computational
associated with particular diseases. three variables. methods will validate the mathematical
models.
A genotype is an organisms actual set of The project is working to build a genet-
genes, while a phenotype is the visible ically and phenotypically diverse library The efforts of Phenoxigen will establish
expression of the character and traits of of yeast strains with distinct stress sen- a framework to be used for research into
a genotype. Introduce environmental sitivities. Using genome-wide analyses, complex systems, such as response net-
influences and it is easy to understand the different strains of fission yeast will works, will improve association studies
how the three create complex inter- yield information about how natural in human cells and enhance biological
relationships in disease expression. genetic variability affects a cells ability insights into the links connecting geno-
type, environment and phenotype.
(1) A systems approach linking genotype and environment to

phenotype: oxidative stress response mechanisms in fission yeast.
Shutterstock

under the theme Health.
Soa & IP's image,

Fortifying nutrition for children and will test the effects of biofortification,
fortification and post-harvesting on
women in Africa improving millet-, sorghum-, maize-
and cassava-based foods. The project
An EU-supported team is testing new approaches to optimising the iron and will do this by evaluating the genetic
zinc fortification of staple foods. Improving traditional processing methods will potential of staple foods for increasing
enhance micronutrient uptake and bioavailability. micronutrient and anti-nutrient con-
tent, and assessing the degree of suc-
In efforts
ef to help reach the Millen- cess when introducing biofortified sta-
nium Development Goals (MDGs), ple foods in local farming systems.
the EU-funded Instapa (1) project
is wworking to improve the overall Instapa is also concentrating on cap-
health and development of women
hea acity building, information sharing
and children in sub-Saharan Africa and reinforcing scientific and techno-
(SSA). This important initiative
(SS logical excellence in staple food-based
uses a food-based approach to
us approaches across Africa and Europe.
fighting malnutrition. It is par-
fig The project has a regularly updated
ticularly concerned with those
tic website and has already issued its first
individuals who suffer from an
in newsletter for project partners. In
inadequate intake of iron, zinc
in Benin, Burkina Faso, Kenya and Mali,
aand vitamin A. training needs assessment of small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and
T first two years of the five-
The local food processors has started and
yyear project were dedicated to initial project results have been pres-
tthe development and carrying ented at international forums.
out of various studies and pro-
cedures in SSA. Over this
period, data gathered helped
update recipe booklets, while
various dishes have been
selected to undergo process
optimisation in order to boost
nutritional intake. (1) Novel staple food-based strategies to improve micronutrient
status for better health and development in sub-Saharan Africa.
Shutterstock
To enhance retention of micro-

nutrients, and strengthen Funded under the FP7 programme Cooperation
Dennis Donohue,
immune function and cogni- under the theme Knowledge based bio-economy.
tive development, Instapa http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6073
Targeting new malaria counter measures tterstock

Gregor Buir, Shu
Malaria is spread by mosquitoes. The Malvecblok (1) project is an

EU-funded initiative that has investigated mosquito biology in order to
develop new ways of controlling infection.
Malaria is one of the worlds deadli- its interaction with the Plasmo-
est diseases and is caused by a micro- dium parasite. For the first time,
organism known as Plasmodium. The the consortium has integrated thee
parasite is passed from an infected in- key aspects of A. gambiae biology, y,
dividual to a female mosquito when it including its reproductive biologyy
takes a blood meal and then transmit- and effect on immunity, and thee
ted by the insects bite to the next host. transmission of Plasmodium. Scien- n-
One of the main transmission routes of tists have also proved the importance
ce
the disease is a species of African mos- of laboratory experiments for study-y-
quito, Anopheles gambiae. ing natural populations of A. gambiae.
ae.
The Malvecblok project comprises Molecular mechanisms that regu- gu-

European and African partners who late Plasmodiums ability to formrm
are investigating mosquito biology and spores have been studied in both the

laboratory and in natural populations. Polymorphism is the occurrence of two
Project partners have found that the or more different forms of the same
genetic diversity of the Plasmodium species in a population.
parasite enables it to resist the mos-
quitos immune system. This has had The consortium has successfully devel-

important implications for designing oped state-of-the-art training pro- (1) Population biology and molecular genetics of vectorial capacity
mosquito control measures. grammes for exchanges of personnel. in Anopheles gambiae: targeting reproductive behaviour and
The new knowledge developed by the immunity for transmission-refractory interventions.
Scientists also studied the role of poly- project will help promote Europes
morphism in genes controlling repro- scientific competitiveness and have Funded under the FP7 specific programme Cooperation
duction and immunity on mosquito a positive impact on global health under the theme Health.
populations and malaria transmission. issues. http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6110
Perfecting anaesthesia spectrometry and gas chromatography

the volume of propofol in parts-per-
A novel technique of measuring a common anaesthetic drug in the breath billion had previously been estimated
under surgery will help doctors gauge dosage and avoid complications. but the techniques were unsuitable for
surgery.
General anaesthesia is often necessary the patient. The ability to monitor
before surgical operations, but it exhaled trace levels of propofol in After many tests using ultraviolet and
remains a tricky component of surgery patients does not currently exist but infrared rays to measure propofol, the
that must be monitored closely. There would dramatically improve the level team elaborated the most optimum
is an acute need to monitor anaesthetic of control over its administration. strategy for optical detection of the
concentrations in the patients blood drug. The technology relied on what
stream during surgery. The project team succeeded in devel- is known as photoacoustic spectros-
oping a new optical sensing concept to copy (PAS), built to measure ultravio-
The Intelsens (1) project, fully funded trace levels of propofol in the breath. let absorption. Laser excitation was
by the EU, set out to develop a new This is expected to improve healthcare also used in the process, and success-
way to monitor the patients levels of quality by tailoring dosage to individual ful equipment was ultimately developed
propofol one of the most common needs, while reducing clinical recovery and fine-tuned.
anaesthetics. The project is proposing times and postoperative care, along
a gas sensor to identify trace levels of with associated costs. The project proved the concept beyond
the anaesthetic in the patients breath. doubt and was accomplished through
Upon injection, propofol is transported active collaboration between physi-
Currently, the effectiveness of propofol- into the blood stream and traces of the cists, chemical engineers, medical pro-
induced anaesthesia is only assessed drug appear in the exhaled breath. In fessionals and commercial medical sys-
according to symptoms presented by medical feasibility studies using mass tems developers. The results have raised
interest in other research institutes and
iindustrial systems manufacturers.
A follow-up project is aimed at a clin-

iical evaluation of the PAS technique for
oonline propofol monitoring in patients
uundergoing surgery. The novel tech-
nniques have also shown great potential
bbeyond the current application in fields
s
such as atmospheric trace gas sens-
i exhaled breath disease diagnostics,
ing,
i
industrial process monitoring as well as
pollutant detection in the liquid phase.
p
(1) Integrated laser sensor for exhaled anaesthetic agent

monitoring.
Funded under the FP7 specific programme People

(Marie-Curie actions).
stock
beerko, Shutter

ENERGY AND TRANSPORT
EU must invest more in wind power for 20 MW
turbines to become reality
Giant 20 megawatt (MW) wind turbines are feasible and could provide a cost-
effective way of expanding Europes offshore wind capacity and providing cheaper
electricity, according to a report from the EU-funded
f Integrated
g wind turbine
tterstock
design (Upwind) project.
WDG Photo, Shu

The Upwind project received EUR 14.5 mil-
lion from the Sustainable development,
global change and ecosystems thematic
area of the Sixth Framework Programme
(FP6) and the study was published at
the European Wind Energy Associations
(EWEA) annual event in Brussels, Belgium.
The EWEA forecasts that wind energy will

meet 26 % to 34 % of Europes electricity
demand by 2030, with almost as much
electricity coming from offshore turbines as
from those onshore. The latest report from
Upwind cites that 20 MW machines could be
one way of reaching these levels of produc-
tion by providing several times more electri-
city at lower costs than that produced by
todays turbines.
Indeed, while the report suggests that such h

technology is possible, it also warns that pro--
ducing such machines would be complicated. d.
It states that it would not be possible simplyy
to upscale the technology used to produce the he
5 MW turbines that are already in operation. n.
ed
Instead, it says that a new, innovative, tailored
design would be required to make 20 MW tur- ur-
bines work.
'Upwind found that making a 20 MW machine e is

ur-
not as simple as just upscaling todays 5 MW tur-
bines,' commented Jos Beurskens from the Neth-eth-
erlands Energy Research Centre (ECN), who led
the project along with the Upwind coordinator ator
Peter Hjuler Jensen from the Danish Technical ical
University Ris (DTU). He said that the project had
helped identify how such large turbines could d be
constructed. We identified key innovations too the
ated,
design, materials and way the turbine is operated,
noted Mr Beurskens.
Mr Beurskens believes 20 MW turbines could be in operation The study also mentions a variety of ways that blades should be
by 2020. He backs calls for more funding, adding that his scen- changed to improve efficiency and make them easier to trans-
ario would only be feasible providing these large scale tur- port. Finally, it highlights how technological advances would
bines are the cheapest option. allow future wind turbines to be better maintained than the
current generation of machines.
Among the main innovations Upwind suggests for a 20 MW
wind turbine is the need to change the layout of a wind farm by
lowering the power output of the first row of turbines to allow
for higher overall wind farm efficiency. Moreover, the report
notes that the future smart wind turbine would be able to adapt Promoted through the Research Information Centre.
its position and the pitch of its blade to local wind conditions. http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre > search > 20593

Wind turbines examined measurements, has been completed.
A major result, according to the
to improve technology researchers, has been the development
of a new method applied to the pitch
A series of reports on wind turbines, their mechanical systems, loads and rotor system. This method contains six steps

blades will improve their construction and workings. that should be followed to set up and
use a so-called measurement cam-
The EU-funded project Procedures recommended practices and proced- paign to validate or improve the com-
for testing and measuring wind energy ures. Moreover, all results from the ponent model.
systems (Protest) will deliver a batch Protest project will be submitted to the
of reports aimed at improving the con- relevant standardisation committees Funded under the FP7 specific programme Cooperation
struction and day-to-day working of on wind energy, and they will be pub- under the theme Energy.
wind turbines. These will examine a lished at wind energy conferences and http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6130
variety of subjects including present- workshops.
sa, Shutterstock
day procedures for developing mechan-
ical systems of wind turbines and areas The results are intended
Pedro Miguel Sou

for improvement. to better specify the
procedures for proto-
Much focus will be on design loads, type measurements in
with reports looking at various aspects order to bring the design
of this subject including whether the and development pro-
set of design load cases currently used cess of mechanical com-
is adequate for not only determining ponents to the same levell
the global rotor and tower loads, but as the design and devel--
also for determining the design loads opment process of rotorr
for mechanical components. If not, blades.
the project team will specify additional
load cases. It also plans to recommend The report describingg
practices for component modelling. wind turbine mechan- n-
to
ical systems, taking into
All of the reports will be applied to gn
account the current design
three case studies and findings from nd
and simulation models and
the case studies used to update the feedback from prototype pe
The search for better offshore wind turbines operation and maintenance of wind tur-
bines, the results of which should lead
The current problems in the operation and management of offshore wind to a new generation of offshore, and
turbines are being investigated by EU researchers in a bid to help the Union onshore, turbines for the market beyond
meet its target of producing 20 % of its energy from renewables by 2020. 2015. According to the research team,
future turbines should be built using a
The EU Council of Ministers agreed make the most substantial contribution modular design that is more resistant to
in March 2007 that renewable energy to this target. environmental conditions and permits
would supply at least 20 % of the EUs the replacement of components simply
energy demand by 2020. Provided suffi- However, various issues are hindering and quickly. Turbines fit for purpose
cient emphasis is placed on research and this development and the EU-funded post-2015 should also have their com-
technological development (RTD) and Reliawind (1) project plans to highlight ponents monitored better and be subject
the marketplace, wind power in par- what needs to change. Current off- to more accurate diagnosis when a prob-
ticular offshore wind energy should shore wind operation and maintenance lem arises. The project team also wants
(O&M) costs are too high. This means to develop preventive maintenance algo-
that high feed-in tariffs are needed to rithms to help anticipate failure.
encourage private investors to enter the
market. The researchers want to change
this paradigm by encouraging offshore
wind to be deployed with similar oper- (1) Reliability focused research on optimizing wind energy systems
ational performance and O&M costs as design, operation and maintenance: tools, proof of concepts,
onshore through better availability and guidelines & methodologies for a new generation.
tterstock
lower energy costs.

Chris Lishman, Shu

It plans to manage this transition by stud- under the theme Energy.
ying how reliability affects the design, http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6139

Throwing light on converting solar energy electrons and protons via, for example,
carbon nanotubes or titanium diox-
into hydrogen ide (TiO2) connecting the two elec-
trodes and ion-exchange resins, such
European scientists are working to develop an artificial device to convert the as Nafion. Thirdly, a cathode will carry
energy from the sun into hydrogen. the hydrogenase enzyme or an artificial
hydrogenase catalyst to recombine the
By exploiting sunlight, leaves can split compounds which can be used as fuels. protons and electrons into pure mo-
water into oxygen and hydrogen at However, a specific enzyme, hydroge- lecular hydrogen at the opposite side of
ambient conditions. During photosyn- nase, may lead to non-negligible H2 the membrane.
thesis, hydrogen (H2) is used to reduce formation even within natural systems
carbon dioxide (CO2), giving rise to under certain operating conditions. The complicated tasks of enzyme puri-
various organic compounds, even oily fication and enzyme mimic develop-
Th
The EU-funded Solhydro- ment, enzyme stabilisation on the
mi
mics (1) project is using this electrodes, membrane development,
kn
knowledge to develop an arti- and ultimately the design and manu-
fic
ficial device that will convert facturing of a proof-of-concept proto-
so
solar energy into H2 with 10 % type, will be carried out by Impe-
efficiency by water splitting at
ef rial College London in the UK, the
an ambient temperature. Politecnico di Torino in Italy and the
GKSS research centre on polymers in
This device will comprise
T Geesthacht in Germany, in conjunction
tthree parts. First, an elec- with experts from four high-tech small
trode exposed to sunlight and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
that will carry Photosystem
II (PSII) the enzyme that
governs this process or a (1) Nano-designed electrochemical converter of solar energy into
PSII-like chemical mimic, hydrogen hosting natural enzymes or their mimics.
which will be deposited on
stock
a suitable electrode. Sec- Funded under the FP7 specific programme Cooperation
concept w, Shutter
ond, a membrane to en- under the theme Energy.

able the transport of both http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6068
stock
BEE writes the book on biomass assessment
woodsy, Shutter
Much has been made about Europe replacing fossil fuels with biomass.
The creation and adoption of a harmonised approach to evaluating these
valuable resources will help ensure that biomass lives up to the hype.
Biomass can be exploited to produce practices applied in different

energy in an environmentally sus- regions and to different types of
tainable manner. It comes from a var- biomass. This knowledge has sub-
iety of sources and can take on many sequently been transformed into
different forms. Unfortunately there two handbooks addressing thee
remains a great deal of uncertainty topics of methods and data sourcess
regarding estimates of the potential respectively.
of biomass to power Europe.
The handbooks are already being ng
The EU-funded Biomass energy put into practice in the context of
Europe (BEE) project aims to several BEE illustration cases. The
he
increase the accuracy and reliability word is also being spread to stake-
ke-
of biomass assessments by establish- holder and potential user commu-mu-
ing a common methodology. The nities, which range from forestry to
first phase of the project involved agriculture to waste management, nt,
reviewing a number of recent biomass through an aggressive informationion
studies. dissemination campaign. Additionalnal
exposure is also being gained by col- Funded under the FP7 specific programme Cooperation
Analysis by BEEs multidisciplinary laborating with another relevant EU under the theme Energy.
team of experts helped identify best research project. http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6150

Second-generation ethanol to be The project team will also investigate
other potential feedstocks native in
more sustainable Latin America and western Europe.
Priority will be given to biomasses
The need to ensure that second-generation ethanol from lignocellulosic with high carbohydrate content, low

feedstocks is sustainable is being investigated by researchers from the EU- lignine content and which are not
funded Babethanol (1) project. competing with human and animal
feed. The costs along the supply chain
EU researchers are working to make The new process, called CES, will be for the collection, pre-processing,
sure that the production of second- an alternative to the current costly transportation, storage and handling
generation ethanol is based on a practices, which most notably include while waiting for processing will also
moderate, environmentally friendly pre-treatments that require signifi- be major criteria for the selection.
and integrated transformation pro- cant energy, water, chemical products,
cess that will be applicable to a range detoxification and waste treatment. The scientists have likewise been
of lignocellulosic feedstocks. CES will be developed and tested from studying the operating conditions for
laboratory
la to semi-industrial pilot- the biomass pre-treatment, conclud-
scale
sc with different feedstocks. ing that the process should be per-
formed at a rather low temperature
During
D the first period of the pro- lower than 100 C to minimise
ject,
j several lignocellulosic mater- energy consumption and cellulose
ials
i were selected according to their degradation.
expected potential for conversion
to second-generation ethanol.
These include blue agave bagass
(BAB), a fibrous residue from the
manufacturing of tequila, palm oil
empty fruit bunches (POEFB), a
fibrous residue from the manu-
facturing of palm oil, corn cob, (1) New feedstock and innovative transformation process for a more
a grainy residue from the har- sustainable development and production of lignocellulosic ethanol.
vest of corn and the production
stock
of sweet corn (CC), and barley Funded under the FP7 specific programme Cooperation
Jim Barber, Shutter
straw, a fibrous residue resulting under the theme Energy.

from the harvest of barley (BS). http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6125
Energy experts create new smart Partners in the project include leading
worldwide electricity, water, gas and
metering standards heat meter manufacturers, as well as
research institutions and large utility
Smart utility meters that help control prices and monitor consumption providers in Europe. The partners are
have come a long way in the EU. Now, a single set of standards is needed to identifying and filling the knowledge
implement this formidable technology across the continent. gaps that enable relevant industries to
agree, implement and embrace the new
Smart meters can measure gas, electri- However, due to the lack of unified set of international standards.
city and water consumption effi- standards for these systems, there is
ciently and wirelessly. The technology little interoperability among them, The project is taking advantage of the
is known professionally as advanced which prevents their adoption on a existing international and European
metering infrastructure (AMI) and has large scale. The EU-funded Open standards, technologies and solutions,
created value for energy consumers, public extended network metering adapting them to the specific needs
utility companies, metering operators (OPEN) project is creating standards of AMI and furthering research and
and retailers. AMI provides more ac- that can help to deliver interoperabil- technological development activities
curate metering and billing and facili- ity between devices produced by dif- where necessary.
tates supplier switching and helps both ferent manufacturers. It will specify a
the utility companies and consumers comprehensive set of open and pub- To achieve its goals, the project has in-
control costs more efficiently. They can lic standards for AMI agreed by rele- vestigated regulatory issues concern-
even help consumers track their CO2 vant stakeholders in the field to sup- ing AMI/smart metering in Europe
emissions, taking environmental aware- port electricity, gas, water and heat and identified the requirements of the
ness to the next level. metering. various stakeholders.

It reviewed the latest different technol- objective has been to ensure that the Extensive testing is now being car-
ogies and selected the most suitable for requirements of AMI/smart metering ried out on newly developed system
the development of standards. Another will be met in a cost-effective manner. elements to ensure their viability. The
final OPEN meter proposal for stand-
ards will then be submitted to the rele-
vant standardisation organisations.

These include the European Commit-
tee for Electrotechnical Standardisation
(Cenelec) and the International Elec-
trotechnical Commission (IEC).
In short, the new standard suite will aim

to remove barriers to the large-scale
deployment of smart metering systems
and build a truly advanced metering
infrastructure. The energy sector, con-
sumers and even the environment will
stand to benefit from these standards
for smart metering.
tterstock

Sinisa Botas, Shu
under the theme Energy.

Energy framework to tackle security of in the short and long terms. This includes
the potential impacts of severe accidents
supply problems and terrorist threats.
The EU-funded project Secure (1) worked on a framework to address security This meant evaluating the costs and
of supply issues in the energy sector inside and outside the EU. benefits (both measurable and per-
ceived) of energy security for different
The framework takes into consideration The scientists set out to develop energy energy supply and demand scenarios to
all issues related to security of supply, security indicators for all the major help policy-makers introduce the most
including geopolitics, price formation energy sources, namely oil, natural gas, appropriate institutional, political and
and the economic and technical design coal, nuclear and renewables, in order industrial solutions. This includes aiding
of energy markets inside and outside the to identify risk factors and quantify the the European institutions and national
European Union. EUs exposure to volume and price risks governments to achieve the right energy
mix taking into consideration energy se-
curity and sustainability requirements.
The researchers also looked at the need

for the EU to develop stable relations with
energy exporting countries and external
partners, and to build efficient regulatory
frameworks that address incentives and
obligations for energy companies and
consumers. They also looked into opti-
mising the synergies among Member
States to improve security of supply, and
defining sound public service missions to
compensate for potential market failures.
(1) Security of energy considering its uncertainty, risk and economic

implications.
tterstock
Pakhnyushcha, Shu

under the theme Energy.

ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY
Vital groundwork for R & D cooperation
A European-funded project is seeking to strengthen the research and development
fundamentals in central European nations, and bring them closer to the rest of
Europe.

The Czech Republic, Slovak Republic and Poland have Cerada has catalogued current R & D activities in the region
banded together to form the Central European research as well as their exploitation potential. The data includes 150
and development area (Cerada) with the aim of boosting research profiles and 800 partnerships. The project part-
coordination and cooperation among relevant institutions ners have produced strengths, weaknesses, opportunities
and R & D stakeholders. and threats (SWOT) studies and documentation describing
how the Cerada joint space will take shape.
On the skills and know-how front, Cerada

has developed a training programme
focused on R & D project management
and technology transfer issues, to ensure
professionals are available for future
activities.
Cerada has laid the groundwork for

attracting SMEs and major industrial
players to the region. And it has encour-
aged academic and private-sector
researchers to work together through
workshops, seminars, round-table dis-
cussions and expert meetings and
conferences.
stock

RTimages, Shutter

stock
For the good of the
silver-john, Shutter
greater region
A European network will bring fruitful exchanges for research
and education in Saarland, Luxembourg, Lorraine and Liege.
One invaluable feature of a united the EUs Euraxess project

Europe is its diversity and different which promotes academic
approaches to research and learning. exchange, employment and d
The EU-funded Uni-Salll (1) project rep- relocation within Europe.
resents a unified exchange and mobility
programme for the four main univer- The project partners i.e. e.
sities of Saarland, Luxembourg, Lorraine the universities in the net-t-
and Liege, right in the heart of Europe. work developed a scheme me
for training visits from thehe
Uni-Salll links four mobility centres in first year. The mobility teams
ms
these universities to enable research- from different universities es
ers and students to travel to other uni- worked on training tools andnd
versities in the network. The aim was content of visits from otherher
to give the students and research- institutions.
ers significant opportunities to learn
from their peers and exchange ideas or They developed sophisticated
ated
research. The initiative was linked to welcome packs which include
ude

relevant data on establishing themselves partners prepared the workshop for the socio-economic impacts as well as pro-
in the host institution and country. Uni- Euraxess Network Conference which mote exchange, mobility, education,
Salll also printed leaflets outlining its took place in Potsdam, which focused travel, and the pursuit of knowledge.
mission, distributing them at various on structuring visits to other academic
events and conferences, and set up a institutions. The term greater region
website in 2009. refers to a common area for higher

education, research and innovation in
Key visits took place during this first the heart of Europe, incorporating the
year of the project to launch the initial areas included in the project. (1) Network of mobility centres of the Universities of Saarland,
phase. The partners visited and inau- Luxembourg, Lorraine and Lige.
gurated the newly renovated Univer- Once in full swing, Uni-Salll is expected
sit de Lige Student Mobility Centre. to bring up to a 50 % increase in incoming Funded under the FP7 specific programme People
They also visited the Euraxess Service and outgoing researchers in the greater (Marie-Curie actions).
Centre at the University of Nancy. The region. The project will offer positive http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6119
Montenegro plans its future of research The framework created by UOM has
helped to establish standards and gain
The University of Montenegro (UOM) has responded to the countrys insights into better ways to evaluate
development needs by expanding its research capacity with help from the EU- research and research management.
funded Evolunimont (1) project. Information on best practice, together
with the framework can be dissemin-
Better research cooperation with Euro- The project has helped the university ated online and through workshops.
pean partners, more participation in the draw up a profile of its research cap-
EUs Seventh Framework Programme ability and quality factors. This work Success of the Evolunimont initiative
(FP7), and better defined quality enables informed decisions to be made can help promote better management of
standards, information exchange and when conducting strategic research resources in Montenegro and increase
research best practices are all consid- planning that supports regional and the competitiveness of local SMEs. The
ered important to Montenegros future. national economic development. The project should contribute to the eco-
The EU-funded Evolunimont initiative Evolunimont project also raises aware- nomic growth of the country and help
was set up to evaluate research activ- ness of the importance of strategic create jobs, thereby improving quality
ities and improve strategic research planning among the research commu- of life in the country.
planning at UOM. nity and general public.
(1) Evaluation of research activities and strategic planning of

research at the university of Montenegro.
Funded under the FP7 specific programme Capacities under the

theme Research potential of convergence regions.
Funded under the FP7 specific programme Capacities under the

stock
theme Regions of knowledge.

liseykina, Shutter

tterstock
Recap, recount and reaping success

imagestalk, Shu
The Mediterranean innovation and research coordination action

(MIRA) project has proven successful since its inception in 2008. It has
now become a model encouraging scientific interaction and cooperation.
The MIRA project set out to establish In strengthening and coordinating

various goals to promote and encour- science and technology research in
age scientific collaboration by using the EU, MIRA has established a col-
innovative methods and technologies. laborative platform between scientific
The teams efforts have been both communities to promote dialoguee
rewarding and successful. and establish thematic priorities.

The aim of this dialogue is to connect technology transfer services, all of which (1) Evaluation of science, technology and innovation capabilities in
and facilitate cooperative initiatives and aim to provide an institutional basis for the Mediterranean countries.
interaction between Member States and EU-MPC S & T cooperation.
other political bodies. (2) Assessment of the bilateral scientific cooperation between the
MIRA has also developed a web portal EU Member States, accession, candidate and Mediterranean partner

MIRA has identified areas of common that serves as both an information out- countries (MPC).
interest and value, and developing groups let and a repository for its document
which have participated in a number of pro- library. Key information provided not Funded under the FP7 specific programme Capacities
jects, such as Estime (1) and Asbimed (2). As only includes current activities but under the theme Horizontal actions and measures in support of
it moves forward, MIRA brings to the fore also enables users to get a better idea international cooperation.
its network of research institutions and of future plans. http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6008
Europe boosts expertise for the Other issues to address are lack of
post-doctorate opportunities for stu-
University of Sofia dents and lack of international experi-
ence among young scientists.
Thanks to the work of the EU-funded Everest (1) project, an EU action plan is
helping to boost the chemistry department of Sofia University in Bulgaria. The SWOT analysis has already been
used to prepare an action plan for
Considered the primary institution and advancing any organisation or future development and improvement
of higher education in the Bulgar- institution. of the faculty. The final version of the
ian capital, Sofia University is liais- action plan was approved by the fac-
ing with the European Commission Several challenges were identified as ultys steering committee at the end of
to boost its expertise in certain fields. priorities in the SWOT analysis, in the project. The plan was even recom-
In particular, an EU-sponsored team coordination with both the evaluators mended for dissemination among the
recently evaluated the research quality and faculty members. Interestingly, other faculties of the university as a
and capability of the universitys fac- one of these was the high number of model of good practice.
ulty of chemistry. teaching hours (180 to 360 hours/year)
compared to the European average of The independent experts issued rec-
A team of five independent evalu- 120 hours/year. ommendations to both the university
ators was selected by the European management and the state authorities
Commission to undergo a SWOT Moreover, lack of funding for mainten- on how to improve Bulgarian science
analysis of the faculty. SWOT stands ance and infrastructure, as well as lack of and research policy. The evaluators
for strengths, weaknesses, opportuni- equipment has been identified as major concluded overall that, considering the
ties and threats. It is considered an im- issues. A need to hire highly experi- lack of advanced equipment and infra-
portant tool in the drive for upgrading enced professionals was also underlined. structure, research output and interna-
tional cooperation are strong, reflect-
ing high competence in different fields.
in
Once the plan is implemented, the

O
li
likelihood of the faculty becoming a
gl
global player in its field, on par with
o
other European universities, will
b
boost Bulgarian research.
(1) Evaluation of the research quality and capability of the

faculty of chemistry, University of Sofia,
and defining of an action plan.

under the theme Research potential of convergence regions.

hev, Shutterstock

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search >
Boris Vasilev Nes
offers > 5959

EU helps Bulgarian institute aim for Ultimately, the quality label aims
at transforming the institution to a
global excellence regional unit of excellence with solid
participation in large research clusters
European advisory team ascertains the quality of Bulgaria's Academy of and infrastructures.
Sciences and prepares the way for it to earn a 'quality label'.

Through the support of Evalipp, the
Established in 1869, the Bulgar- It is a field that falls under the informa- academy is now demonstrating to
ian Academy of Sciences has been tion and communications technology Bulgarian funding agencies the high
a cornerstone of higher education (ICT) banner at the academy. R & D quality of the research teams. It
for almost 150 years. Since the turn is also working on attracting PhD stu-
of the century the academy has seen Evalipp has assigned an external advi- dents and those seeking post-doctor-
a need to address newer technol- sory team, set up by the European ate degrees. On a global level, this is
ogies and continually modernise its Commission, to examine the insti- strengthening the position of the insti-
programmes. tute's R & D potential in this discipline. tution in the European Research Area,
inv
invigorating international cooperation
an
and encouraging participation in fur-
th
ther projects.
B
Based on its expertise with respect
to computer sciences and ICT, the
d
department is now operating as an
iinterdisciplinary centre, further
sstrengthening its already solid inter-
n
national position. This allows it
to attract external (including EU)
funding and contribute to the eco-
nomic development of Bulgaria.
In all, the advisory team has con-

cluded that the Bulgarian Science
Academy is a first-rate scien-
tific institute operating well at an
international level. This has been
underlined by the number of stud-
ies the staff have published, as well
tock
ock
rsstoc
ttters
as their participation in interna-

Shuttter
Shu
tional projects and organisation

to,
arjotto,
Suprri Suharjo
of scientific events. The future for

the academy looks bright.
Sup
With this in mind, the EU-funded The team is assigning a quality label
Evalipp project has set out to Evaluate to research teams in certain well-
the Institute for Parallel Processing of defined ICT areas. It is also undertak-
the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. ing a detailed Strengths, weaknesses,
Parallel processing refers to the simul- opportunities and threats (SWOT) Funded under the FP7 specific programme Capacities
taneous use of more than one processor analysis and formulating a respective under the theme Potential/Regional.
in computers to execute multiple tasks. action plan to advance the institute. http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offer > 5958
EU research cooperates with southeast Asia Seventh Framework Progamme (FP7)

through partnerships.
Collaboration between European researchers and their counterparts in
southeast Asia (SEA) has many benefits, including new medicines, improved Activities include conducting joint
economic performance and a better quality of life for citizens. forums to provide information about
FP7 and highlight initiatives between
The SEA-EU-net (1) project has been by taking a strategic and focused the Association of southeast Asia
established to increase scientific and approach. The initiative supports the nations (ASEAN) and the EU. Chal-
technological (S & T) cooperation EUs internationalisation policy by lenges facing the initiative involve
between southeast Asia and Europe increasing collaborative research in the raising awareness of opportunities,

im
improving connections among The project will increase bi-regional
rresearchers, establishing part- cooperation between SEA countries of
nerships and S & T program-
n ASEAN and Member States and associ-
mes
m and synchronising funding ated states of the EU.
systems.

As well as encouraging S & T
cooperation the project also
provides a basis for address-
ing global challenges through
a sustainable approach. The
initiative also acts as a net- (1) Facilitating the bi-regional EU-ASEAN science and
work for the different stake- technology dialog.
tterstock
holders, such as universities,

industr y, government, Funded under the FP7 specific programme Capacities
tsev, Shu
civil society and donors, under the theme Horizontal actions and measures in support
Alexander Ryabin
which strengthen research of international cooperation.

capacity. http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5961
A better grasp of pollution The project aims to strengthen inter-

national cooperation, networking and
Pollution research in countries like Serbia and Slovenia can help the whole partnerships among these institu-
region. The EU is enhancing their capabilities and infrastructure in this field. tions and to set up a brain-gain envir-
onment. It is also improving material
Pollution is a major environmental of Belgrade (UB-FMG), focusing on research standards at the UB-FMG by
concern of the 21st century. The EU the Mineralogy-Crystallography and upgrading facilities, as well as exploit-
is taking steps to support academic Petrology-Geochemistry Depart- ing RTD results of both the Geozs
institutions that study pollution and ments. The second institution is the and UB-FMG. This is set to position
report on it. Geological Survey of Slovenia (Geozs) the Serbian and Slovenian universities
with specific focus on the Department as national and regional centres of
One of these initiatives is the RESTCA- of Geochemistry and Environmental excellence.
TERCE-NIPMSS (1) project, aimed at Geology. Under the project, these insti-
reinforcing the S & T potential of two tutions are establishing strategic part- Upgrading and renewing crucial facili-
emerging research centres which study nerships with each other and with the ties at the UB-FMG involves the pur-
natural and industrial solid pollutants. Institute of Geosciences, Division of chase of several new systems that
The first is the Faculty of Mining and Mineralogy, at the University of Frank- measure and analyse pollution as well
Geology of Serbia at the University furt, Germany. as setting up the necessary infrastruc-
ture for these systems to oper-
tu
ate. Noteworthy among the
at
ne
new equipment is the scan-
ning electron microscopy
n
with X-ray microanaly-
w
ssis (SEM/EDS) which pro-
duces an image of a samples
d
ccomposition.
Reinforcement of interna-
tional networking is also
part of the projects man-
date, involving staff mobil-
ity and knowledge transfer.
In this respect the project
tterstock
organised a workshop in
October 2009 at Geozs
k & IP's image, Shu
entitled Applied envir-

onmental geochemistry:
Christian Lagere
anthropogenic impact on
human environment in
SE Europe.

The issue of brain-gain at the educa- (e.g. the WIRE conference in Granada, programmes and the valuable research
tion and research level was addressed Spain) among other initiatives. Con- coming out of these institutions all bear
through a course on SEM-EDS in tacts and inter-institutional exchanges witness to the projects work ethic.
April 2009. Another course was on among the projects participants and
micro-analytical techniques in earth with other institutions have increased
science and was held during Febru- considerably, and the project is doing
ary 2010 in Belgrade. Two young its part to support the goals of the (1) Reinforcing S & T capacities of two emerging research centers for
researchers were also employed at the European Research Area. natural and industrial pollutant materials in Serbia and Slovenia.
UB-FMG to bring a fresh perspective
to the study. Lastly, human and technical research Funded under the FP7 specific programme Capacities
capabilities at the UB-FMG and under the theme Research potential of convergence regions.
Networking and dissemination of pro- Geozs are being reinforced, as these
ject results are being supported by the institutions become leaders in their Funded under the FP7 specific programme Capacities
projects website, in addition to pres- field. A dynamic research atmos- under the theme Regions of knowledge.
entations and international events phere, increased participation in EU http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6138
Civil society, where next? deficits embedded in the contemporary

exploitation of regions. The study also
In the rush to exploit the natural wealth of some regions, society has often stipulated alternatives for their demo-
overlooked the adverse consequences that may result. An independent study cratic inclusion in the governance of
suggests it is time to adjust perspectives, find viable alternatives and listen to such regions.
local concerns.
The completed project has compiled
The exploitation of natural resources in ensure long-term goals and mutual its findings into an 80 000-word docu-
certain regions has led to the exclusion inclusion of benefits. This would help ment, which is given extra weight via
of wealth and benefits for some indig- to safeguard natural resources such as its conclusions that have been derived
enous populations. In many cases, glo- water, land and seeds. from both academic and field research.
balisation has bypassed the concerns In addition, it addresses complex issues
of native populations, bringing disrup- Civil society groups in Latin America, in a number of publications, tack-
tion, environmental destruction and for example, have tabled a number of ling such themes as globalisation and
regional conflict. A new study presents key initiatives which have been per- security.
a fresh look at regionalisation and pro- ceived as counter to the economic lib-
vides an alternative approach to the ex- eralisation of a region. The media have It has also considered economic
ploitation of natural wealth. often portrayed such groups negatively. regions, such as the EU, Free Trade
The study goes to great lengths to allay Area of the Americas and SPP (security
The Alternative regions (1) project pre- such fears with comprehensive research and prosperity partnership of North
sents several noteworthy findings. For into finding alternatives. America) giving them the framework
example, one supports incentives for to develop a means to analyse their
the stewardship of a regions wealth Such alternatives would enable all par- official mechanisms. It has done so in
by native populations in an effort to ties to overcome the socio-economic an effort to include civil society in the
policy decision-making process.
Through international conferences,

workshops and seminars, the research
aims to contribute towards critical gov-
ernance studies and to bringing about
change through better governance
principles.
(1) Alternative regionalisms in an age of

globalization the role of civil society.

tterstock
Martina Ebel, Shu

Engaging the public in the climate Research has been conducted on the
best ways to reach out to citizens,
change debate both young and old. A questionnaire
has also been used to gather feedback
What better place than your local science centre, museum or aquarium to about the publics initial perceptions

learn more about climate change from Europes experts and get involved in about climate change.
finding solutions?
Consequently, a campaign entitled
A great deal of information has been The objective of the EU-funded pro- I Do was designed and launched dur-
disseminated to the public in recent ject Action on climate change through ing a high-profile event in Copenha-
years regarding the topic of climate engagement, networks and tools gen, Denmark. The backbone of this
change. The challenge is to move (Accent) is to use science centres, muse- campaign is its website. Interested
beyond this initial phase and actually ums and aquaria as vehicles to engage individuals and organisations can
get citizens to take up the fight against the public in a dialogue with the scien- download guidelines for targeted edu-
climate change. tific community and other stakeholders. cational activities from the site and
can also upload information about
up
upcoming events in their area.
F
Feedback gathered from the Accent
p
participants will help determine
w
which types of measures have
p
proved most successful in encour-
aging communication and partici-
pation on this important subject.

under the theme Socio-economic sciences and the
Shutterstock
humanities.
Galyna ANdrushko,
offers > 6083
Rocky shore biodiversity A major review of ecological resilience

was also undertaken in an attempt to
Ecologists have studied biodiversity and resilience in communities of marine marry the current differences between
organisms along the rocky coast of Liguria in north-western Italy to determine theory and practical research in the
how ecosystems function and respond to disturbance. field and laboratory. The projects find-
ings have provided important data on
Better understanding of the mech- The intertidal zone is the area exposed environmental conditions as well as the
anisms behind changes in an ecosys- to the air at low tide but at high tide is abundance and diversity of rocky shore
tems biodiversity remains one of ecol- underwater. plants and animals.
ogys greatest challenges, but is crucial
to successful coastal management and Researchers carried out a biodiversity Project partners also collected data
conservation. survey of this zone along the Ligurian on little studied organisms, such as
coast. Biodiversity can be described shrimp-like amphipods and syllid and
The EU-funded project Biodiversity as the number and variety of animal nereid polychaete worms, which live
and connectivity in the resilience of and plant species within a region. among small turf algae. These samples
coastal marine communities (Biocon- The scientists also performed ex- required painstaking identification and
nectence) has studied the ability of bot- periments across a number of sites to counting in the laboratory.
tom-dwelling marine organisms along assess the role of ecosystems in influ-
the intertidal zone of a rocky coastline encing recovery rates, thereby assess- Algal turf dwelling fauna have contrib-
to recover from disturbances. ing resilience. uted to increased estimates of species

richness along rocky shores, compared thereby gaining greater information on fresh studies into the utilisation of pri-
to traditional visual sampling tech- the spatial scale of biodiversity change mary food resources and overall food
niques. Bioconnectences sampling along the coast. Recognition of the im- web structures. A food web is a com-
strategy enabled patterns to be iden- portance of turf dwelling organisms in munity of organisms made up of several
tified over a range of spatial scales, terms of biodiversity has encouraged interrelated food chains. Scientists are
particularly interested in the import-

ance of detritus generated within the
turf habitat.
Data from the Bioconnectence project

will help policy-makers, scientists and
conservationists improve coastal man-
agement particularly designated marine
protected areas and their role in pre-
serving biodiversity.
tterstock & IP's image, Shu

Dominique Capelle
Women shaping science The network met for the first time
in autumn 2006, held its first general
A platform bringing together female scientists organisations from Europe and assembly in 2007, enjoyed the success
beyond has been established to counter the current under-representation of of its first annual conference in 2008
females in science and to make their voice heard. and the latest in 2010. The conclusions
from all meetings, stressing the need to
Few networks of women scientists and questionnaires. Besides collect- include gender issues in research pro-
Europe-wide have the capacity or ing information about their main field grammes, were provided as input to
expertise to enter into the European of interest and activities, the ultimate public consultations of both the Euro-
research policy debate. The EU-funded objective of such efforts was to tell them pean Research Area and European
project European platform for women about the EPWS and encourage them to Research Council.
scientists (EPWS) was launched in join in.
March 2006 to act as the missing link As women in science are still outnum-
between female scientists and policy- In less than three years, EPWS evolved bered by men at all levels, the EPWS
makers. Special emphasis was placed on into a network of 104 organisations proposed changes to increase the par-
supporting existing national, regional working for the promotion of equal ticipation and advancement of female
and international networks of female opportunities in research across 39 scientists and engineers. In addition,
scientists. countries, reaching out to more than by networking across institutes and
12 000 female researchers in Europe national borders, women have made a
The platform started to reach out to net- and beyond. And it continues to acquire concerted effort to penetrate the old
works across Europe through surveys new members today. boy network.
Yet, in spite of its increasing impact,

high visibility at European level and the
acknowledged crucial nature of its work,
EPWS continues to face financial diffi-
culties. Initially funded by the Euro-
pean Commission through its Sixth
and later the Seventh Framework Pro-
gramme, since 2009 the platform has
been supported by its members work-
ing on a voluntary basis.

k
Oculo, Shutterstoc
under the theme Socio-economic sciences and the humanities.


Good practice database to support is described and the results of its evalu-
ation are given according to three main
women in research areas: creating a friendly environment for
women researchers; promoting aware-
A European project is examining strategies used to promote the presence of ness of the gender dimension in science

women in decision-making positions in public institutions. and technology priorities, design and
use; and supporting female leadership.
The EU-funded project Practising gen- how gender-equality-oriented measures Each record also lists factors that either
der equality in science (Prages) stud- are implemented in research manage- enabled positive outcomes or led to
ies good practices in enhancing wom- ment. Data has been collected and clas- obstacles.
ens participation in science-oriented sified for the evaluation of favourable
academic and research institutions strategies, at both national level and To help university leaders and adminis-
throughout Organisation for Economic that of individual institutions, and made trators pursue the above three strategic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) available for use by interest groups. objectives, the Guidelines for gender
countries. The project determines if and equality programmes in science tool
The project integrates the most rele- contains 31 specific recommendations
vant results in the fight against vertical and 61 concrete lines of action. These
segregation in social, professional and are accompanied by examples of best
political areas and sheds light on why practice, with tools for action suggested
women are excluded. It also investigates and advice offered on how to increase the
the resistance by the scientific commu- programmes overall quality.
nity to recognise and manage the social
and gender dynamics that drive scientific The project achieved this comprehensive
research. and useful body of information through
extensive networking, questionnaires,
Prages has made its database of good and quality evaluation and identification
practices accessible to the public via the of successful solutions. The database and
internet. This tool contains over 100 guidelines can be downloaded from the
programmes implemented in univer- projects website.
Shutterstock
sities, research institutes and science

and technology-related companies Funded under the FP7 specific programme Cooperation
Alexander Raths,
aimed at promoting and maximising under the theme Socio-economic sciences and the humanities.
female resources. Each programme http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6075
Making science cool as normal people. More informative and

accessible text, interesting pictures, and
The main goal of the EU-funded Young people and images of science on links to school-related tasks should also
websites (Yosciweb) project has been to improve the way youngsters view be used, according to the project team.
scientists and science, and to encourage them to pursue a career in it. Use of multimedia and easy navigation
was also considered vital for a websites
Young people in Europe appear to be base, which is crucial in maintaining a success.
losing interest in science. Negative ste- competitive economy in the global mar-
reotypes about scientists and the work ket place. Results from the Yosciweb project indi-
they do are common among todays cate that science websites should incorp-
youth. This could have a serious long- Researchers from the Yosciweb con- orate interactive features to make the
term effect on Europes scientific skills sortium have carefully studied web- website more entertaining and appeal-
sites dedicated to popularising science. ing to youngsters. Yosciweb will provide
Searches of popular scientific websites tools and methods that can increase the
have revealed that negative stereotypes impact and efficiency of scientific com-
of science and scientists predominate. munication aimed at young people.
A series of detailed personal interviews
have also been conducted with young- The Yosciweb project is helping build
sters between 12 and 17 years old. Europes knowledge economy by encour-
aging youngsters to take a greater inter-
Following the findings, researchers have est in science and technology.
drawn up a set of recommendations for
stock
blinow61, Shutter
creating websites that would appeal to Funded under the FP7 specific programme Cooperation
young people. These have included the under the theme Socio-economic sciences and the humanities.
use of positive images showing scientists http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6103

IT AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Need footage in a rush?
How can broadcasters and filmmakers keep track of their ever-growing archives?
A team of researchers has developed a system to automatically analyse, index and
search for video content, making reuse of raw footage much easier.
Broadcasters have thousands of hours of unprocessed vid- Collaborative development

eos sitting in their databases. Many of these rushes could The team involved professional and general users through-
be used for future work, but they often sit gathering vir- out the development of the system. A first step was to
tual dust because programme producers and journalists assess the industry's current workflows and technologies,
usually working to tight deadlines cannot quickly identifying areas for improvement and additional needs.
assess what footage they contain.
We worked closely with Basque broadcaster ETB to build
Programme makers may use only a few seconds or min- our prototype, says Dr Schreer. Once the system was
utes out of hours of footage that they shoot, says Dr Oliver designed, user input tested and validated it.
Schreer from the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunica-
tions/Heinrich-Hertz-Institute in Berlin. We asked journalists and archivists to investigate the dif-
ferent functionalities of the system, he adds. This feedback
At the moment broadcasters may do some manual anno- was vital as we really wanted to provide a solution that met
tation of unedited footage but it is a very time-consuming the industry's needs.
process and much of the footage remains unclassified and
therefore unused, continues Dr Schreer. What they really The system analyses and categorises raw videos using
need is automated methods to organise this material. semantic indexing principles. The team first created a
series of algorithms which can detect certain types of
Working under the EU-funded project The retrieval objects or content in a video and then automatically gen-
of multimedia semantic units for enhanced reusabil- erate metadata to describe it.
ity (Rushes), Dr Schreer headed a team from European
research institutes and the technology industry who For instance, the system can detect faces (which indicates
looked at how to make the reuse of this type of raw video the presence of people), regular shapes (which shows
content much easier. ma
man-made environments), different types of vegetation,
or even different types of camera motion.
It is also able to classify different types of audio such

as speech, music, noise or silence; different types of
water, including sea, oceans, rivers or harbours; or
identify common objects such as buses, dogs and
ships. And a flashlight detector can help to indicate
press conferences or news interviews.
We adapted and combined existing technologies

used in image search and retrieval for video, but also
created some aspects from scratch, such as the cam-
era movement detector and the 3D shape detector,
he says.
Another set of algorithms used the generated

stock
Bruce Rol, Shutter
metadata to cluster and summarise rushes' content,

creating groupings of content that aid browsing
and further processing.
The prototype system that they developed automatically The metadata model at the heart of the system was quite
analyses and labels video footage, making the indexing novel, says Dr Schreer.
and cataloguing much simpler. Meanwhile they also cre-
ated a user interface to improve the management and Fast retrieval
searching of large multimedia repositories. A key consideration of the project was to make a user
interface that can enable users to access video content
Current video databases will present individual images much more efficiently. Searching through footage takes a
from videos but the user has limited ability to understand lot of time for journalists, so we wanted to give them new
and analyse footage. We wanted to create tools that can tools to enable them to explore video databases more
present video content in a much better way, he says. quickly and help them to reuse content, says Dr Schreer.

The Rushes system features a series of browsing and to July 2009, at a number of major technology events
visualisation interfaces ranging from simple text-based across Europe including the CEBIT telecommunications
searches based on keywords, to semantic and visual fair in Hannover. The feedback that we got was good, with
browsing. The technological concepts behind these tools the industry thinking this could be really helpful, says Dr
are the systems grouping of content based on hierarch- Schreer.
ical clustering, semantic context matching and relevance
feedback. Individual project partners are now further developing
certain aspects of the prototype, with some lasting co-
The system takes the temporal structure of the footage operation continuing. The project results will be seen in
into account, telling the user much more information commercial products which should help broadcast profes-
about how it is organised and helping to put it into con- sionals, he predicts. Rushes received funding from the EU's
text. This enables the users to find relevant content and Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) for research.
the specific parts of it they want much more easily and
quickly, he adds.
Future outlook
The team demonstrated the prototype that they devel- Promoted through the CORDIS Technology Marketplace.
oped under the project, which lasted from February 2007 http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6114
Central Europe embraces ICT On a more professional level, the CETEX

R & D platform (www.cetex.org) has
Regional and cross-border cooperation are vital to the health of the European been developed as yet another arena
information and communication technologies (ICT) sector. With this in mind, for exchange, appealing to high-level
Central Europe is transforming itself into a new ICT hub. contributors and consumers. Contrib-
utors include owners of technologies
The Central European or Centrope benchmarking of clusters in Europe, or know-how, while consumers are
region comprised of the Czech an ICT network strategy and business defined as those looking for technol-
Republic, Hungary, Austria, and Slo- plan for the first years of operation ogy or know-how. Research results and
vak Republic and has an ambi- have been completed. The ICT cluster innovations, demands for cooperation,
tious plan in mind to fortify the ICT has been organised with central head- development of ideas, patents, research
sector and technology transfer. The quarters in Vienna, alongside regional results and technology requests are also
EU-funded Centrope ICT technol- subsidiaries and local associations. The part of the CETEX platform. The web-
ogy transfer project (CITT) project is plan describes in detail how the clus- site was tested, fine-tuned and made
mapping the region to build a virtual ter will be set up in three phases over a available in all four Centrope languages,
ICT community. This involves an ICT period of three years. as well as in English.
cluster study, a technology transfer tool,
strong web presence and business sup- The project has also established an Overall, the project has made great
port measures. active weblog (noweurope.com) repre- strides in marketing and disseminating
senting a lively platform to disseminate its initiatives, while important analysis
The CITT action plan has already results and ideas, as well as to network of ICT-related best practice examples
been articulated, with a clear vision with SMEs and researchers. The weblog for technology transfer in Centrope has
for a future regional ICT cluster. Based enables readers to provide feedback been prepared. In March 2010, the First
on in-depth market research and easily and be involved in the project. ICT clustering & technology trans-
fer conference in Centrope gathered
around 100 experts from the region in
a lively discussion in Vienna. Among
other events, the conference was seen
as the culmination of a successful pro-
ject that spurred important technology
exchanges in the region.

ck
stocck
tterrsto

no,, Shu
Kajanno
Kaja tte
Shutte

Grid computing links Europe and China using a hybrid grid infrastructure based
on GRIA and GOS.
Efforts to improve international research cooperation between China and the
EU received a boost thanks to the work of grid-computing specialists in both New drug development is time-con-
regions. suming and costly. Powerful computers
can help by simulating the processes of

Research is an increasingly global access needed applications and trans- the body in search of potential matches
endeavour. In 2007, an EU-funded pro- late higher-level commands into steps between millions of small molecules
ject set out to improve the link between that each grid could carry out. and proteins that play vital roles in
European and Chinese computing disease-causing organisms. A molecule
grids and enable researchers to carry In doing so, the team addressed key that binds strongly to a key protein has
out joint research in data-heavy fields interoperability issues, such as policy the potential to be turned into a potent
like aerospace, pharmaceuticals and management (trust relationships, se- new drug.
meteorology. curity policies, access rights), resource
and capacity management Bridge researchers set out to integrate
(providing services under four different docking tools pro-
different constraints), grams that calculate bonding between
and data processing and a small molecule and a particular pro-
storage. tein which were running in distrib-
uted locations in Europe and China.
The project set up three They were able to test millions of mol-
joint application show- ecules for promising candidates against,
cases, using distributed for example, malaria or the H5N1 bird
workflow and data flu virus. This successful four-pronged
stock
access technology. The approach produced promising results,

Jim Barber, Shutter
aerospace simulations according to reports, and the Bridge

proved tougher than infrastructure has already been adopted
exp ec ted, accord- in Egypt to target the malaria parasite.
ing to the partners,
The first challenge of the EU - funded because different parts of their simu- The Bridge team was eager to present
project, called Bridge (1), was to make lations took place in different research these promising results at various con-
the software systems that manage the centres. Optimising the flow of work ferences in China and Europe. The Chi-
European and Chinese grids compatible. from centre to centre was therefore a nese partners, in particular, have organ-
The European grid infrastructure huge challenge. Despite this, the Bridge ised many workshops, where industrial
(GRIA) and Chinese CNGRID (GOS) team set out to determine optimal wing partners from the relevant Chinese
provide comparable services, but were flap parameters to maximise lift and industrial sectors participated.
organised differently. minimise noise during aircraft landing.
And they succeeded.
The Bridge team worked to bridge the
main gaps between GRIA and GOS by The enormous amounts of data in me- (1) Bilateral research and industrial development enhancing and
building a new software superstructure teorology, the second of Bridges show- integrating grid enabled technologies.
to access them and tap their capabil- cases, also posed a challenge. However,
ities. The system included new gate- by the end of the two-year project, the Funded under the FP6 programme IST
ways into the two grids plus a shared researchers had achieved their goal of (Information society technologies).
platform to manage overall workflow, linking major meteorological databases http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5912
EU research connects with Latin America The project, spanning two years, organ-
ised three major research conferences
Building on a strong research community in Latin America, the EU stepped in Latin America, two seminars in
up collaboration and dialogue with the region through a dedicated strategic Europe and a final conference in Brus-
cooperation project. sels to boost dialogue and cooperation
between the regions.
The European project Widening IST net- The project helped to gather key issues
working development support Latin and actors for cooperation between Winds-La built on existing research
America (Winds-La) brought together the two sides. A number of confer- communities in Latin America and
a multinational and multi-stakeholder ences were organised which helped to highlighted the priorities of the EUs
community of European and Latin Amer- disseminate information on European Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).
ican researchers, policy-makers and other research and development (R&D) to
research actors to find common areas for Latin American stakeholders including Activities included providing informa-
collaboration specifically in ICT research. private industry and civil society. tion on European and Latin American

An open consultation pro- American research partners in the EU.
cess was achieved which Furthermore, the standing of Winds-La
both sides hoped would as a research hub in Latin America has
lead to a consensus-based increased markedly since its launch in
roadmap for future R & D 2007. This was best seen from the direct
collaboration. involvement of other countries in the
region that were not in the consortium
The consortium behind the such as Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecua-
project included seven part- dor, Paraguay and Uruguay.
tterstock
ners from three Latin Amer-

ican countries (Argentina, The upwards trend of Latin American
Danilo Moura, Shu
Brazil and Mexico) and research actors taking part in FP7-ICT

three European countries was also largely attributed to the success
(Belgium, Germany , and of Winds-La.
research projects, as well as their results Spain).
and the actors involved. Winds-Las col- Funded under the FP6 programme IST
laboration services also provided a plat- The project has produced tangible (Information society technologies).
form to put prospective actors together. results, raising the profile of Latin http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5946
IT technology to build new BB.Bice can measure its success in a

number of ways, including the devel-
EU-Brazil partnership opment of a service area providing
assistance and a guide to participat-
Due to its ongoing success in the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), Brazil ing in Brazilian co-ops. It also hosts a
and Europe have established further initiatives to sustain and foster even document area, an electronic newslet-
greater cooperation under FP7. ter and a well-developed search feature
for partnerships, to name but a few.
The EU-funded BB.Bice (1) project is The BB.Bice looked to disseminate
the product of previous FP6 efforts information and established a com- The newsletter is most important as
and the continued involvement, inter- munication area that developed several it provides a number of added bene-
action and cooperation of Brazilian actions. A primary achievement was fits. First, it broadens awareness of
interests with deliverables established a website focusing on the scientific, Brazilian interests in the FP7 actions,
within FP7 actions. In particular, it technological and entrepreneurial com- and brings credibility to BB.Bices ac-
aimed to foster and enhance science, munities. It hosts news of FP7 calls, as tivities. It is also disseminated in Por-
technology and innovation between well as events, meetings, and informa- tuguese and English with a special
Brazil and Europe. tion on international co-operatives. emphasis on FP7 calls. In addition, it
ensures a continued flow of informa-
ttion with three other Latin American
ccountries with which Brazil has bilat-
eeral cooperation agreements.
WWith such success already under its

bbelt, continued development holds
ggreat promise for expanding European
aand Latin America's interests.
(1) New Brazilian bureau for enhancing international cooperation

with the European Union.

under the theme Horizontal actions and measures in support of
international cooperation.
k
cla78, Shutterstoc

Improved weather forecasts Models developed by the Joint-assimila-
tion project can be used to give more ac-
Clouds have been studied as part of an EU-research project that has developed curate forecasting of storms and resulting
an improved model for weather forecasts. flash-floods, thereby improving the qual-
ity of life of EU citizens.
Interaction between clouds, aerosols and of studying cloud structures and their
solar radiation from the sun in the form properties. The impact of aerosols on cli- (1) Joint assimilation of satellite aerosol, cloud, and precipitation
of heat and light is a major source of mate and weather has also been assessed observations in numerical models to support climate
uncertainty in predicting weather and cli- using this analysis. and hydrologic applications.
mate conditions. Clouds can be affected
by a range of factors including aerosols, Integration of microwave brightness Funded under the FP7 specific programme People
which are fine solid particles or liquid data into the model has increased the (Marie-Curie actions).
droplets suspended in the atmosphere. accuracy of precipitation forecasts for http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6164
up to two hours, but made only a minor
Thanks to satellite technology it is pos- difference to long-term forecasts. This is
sible to monitor clouds continuously because variables such as winds, relative
c., Shutterstock
from space. Researchers from the EU- humidity and temperature cannot be
funded Joint-assimilation (1) project have deduced from satellite microwave obser-
used existing satellite data on aerosols, vations alone.
clouds and precipitation to gain greater
insights into cloud processes. The infor- Nevertheless, scientists have found that
mation has been applied to a state-of- an improved understanding of pro-
the-art weather research and forecasting cesses within clouds can have a signifi-
(WRF) model. cant impact on precipitation forecast-
ing. Therefore, a simplified procedure
The model has enabled better analysis has been devised to identify the condi-
of the interaction between clouds and tions for aerosols most consistent with
large-scale processes and improved ways observed infrared radiation data.
EU creates tsunami early warning system The EU decided to take this innov-
ation further by funding and launching
EU-funded researchers have helped develop an early warning system that will DEWS in 2007 to provide protection to
protect vulnerable communities from tsunamis and avoid future terrible losses all Indian Ocean nations.
of life such as that suffered in Indonesia and Sri Lanka in December 2004, and
more recently in Japan. Its almost impossible to give num-
bers, but if DEWS had been in place
EU support for the research came Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) to in December 2004 a very large num-
from the EU-funded project Dis- develop an advanced interoperable tsu- ber of lives could have been saved, said
tant early warning system (DEWS), nami early warning system for strong Andreas Kppers of the Helmholtz-
which received just over EUR 4 million early warning capacities. Zentrum Potsdam, German Research
from the Information society technol- Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), the
ogies (IST) thematic area of the EUs When a 1 600 kilometre (km) researcher in charge of DEWS.
seg
segment of the Indian tectonic
pl
plate jolted downward off the The project is now being used to detect
co
coast of Indonesia six years ago, and analyse seismic events in the Indian
it provoked one of the strongest Ocean, quickly assess their potential to
eearthquake ever measured (a unleash a tsunami, and warn at-risk
m
magnitude of 9.2) and tsunami countries through a network of detec-
w
waves 30 metres high. The tors including broadband seismome-
rresulting devastation brought ters, land and ocean-surface based GPS
home the urgent need for a instruments, tide gauges, and ocean
system to give populations at bottom pressure control devices.
risk from a tsunami as much
warning as possible. The data generated by these instru-
ments is streamed via communication
Germany was the first to take satellites to a central station in Jakarta,
Shutterstock
action with a joint German- Indonesia for processing. SeisComP3

Indonesian tsunami detec- software, developed by the GFZ, rapidly
Andrejs Pidjass,
tion and warning system determines the magnitude and location

(GITEWS). of a seismic event.The former systems

needed 11 or 12 minutes to detect a In addition to this time challenge, the profession that of the early warning
signal and locate the source, said Pro- DEWS team has also had to cope with engineer to offer maximum protec-
fessor Kppers. The same can now be the difficulties of having to warn 20 tion to vulnerable communities.
done in four minutes. countries in a multitude of languages,
many of whom do not see eye-to-eye If you want to tackle these problems
Once the system detects an earth- politically. It is a multilingual system properly, you have to take the time and
quake powerful enough to create a tsu- that can distribute different messages to effort to involve everybody, said Prof.
nami, it begins to analyse and model different people in different languages, Kppers. So wed like to see people
the risk of a tsunami. However, even Prof. Kppers pointed out. It was even acquiring a new full-scale profession
with powerful computing capabilities, more difficult politically to get all the and be able to take care of the whole
it would take too long to model a tsu- players together at one table, but we are early warning field.
nami in real time. well on our way to overcoming those
problems as well.
So DEWS researchers use libraries
of temblors of different magnitudes Researchers are now turning their
and source locations, coupled with attention to Europe and countries there
detailed simulations of the waves they at risk from tsunamis, namely those
would create along the Indian Ocean bordering the Mediterranean and
coastline, to determine which areas are the northeast Atlantic. They are even Promoted through the Research Information Centre.
at risk. advocating the development of a new http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre > search > 20313
Europeans target better web access for people hearing impairments are often excluded
from audio media. The most important
with disabilities principle of accessibility to a web page
is to provide alternatives for the differ-
For people around the world the internet has become the first port of call ent media applications and their navi-
for most information. However, researchers in Hungary believe that much gating functions, she said. Similarly,
of the information posted on the web does not meet the demands of users software that addresses the issues faced
with disabilities. Writing in the International Journal of Knowledge and by people with special needs is essential
Web Intelligence, the research team explains how theoretical and practical for accessibility.
dimensions of screen structure.
Ms Forczek explained that aspects of
One of the main aims for posting on the web.It has to be searchable, and its web design that must be considered for
the internet is to reach as many people contents identifiable and interpretable, ensuring as wide an accessibility as pos-
as possible. That usually means achiev- since immediately available informa- sible include, in particular, a syntacti-
ing a prominent position in the search tion is crucial in economic and busi- cally and semantically correct web page
engine results pages, providing legible ness life, in education, in research, that can be parsed correctly by assistive
and attractive enough information so in healthcare and in virtually every software.
that potential readers desire to read it other sphere of life,
tterstock
and to ensure that it meets the demands she suggested. Jason L. Price, Shu
of users with disabilities. Researchers

from the University of Szeged believe We have to consider
that only if all these criteria are fulfilled how disabled people
does a website become truly accessible. can access the infor-
mation available on
Medical informatics expert Erzsbet websites and how they
Forczek explained that access to the can utilise it, she said,
internet has become essential for all adding that by provid-
members of society. Physical access ing additional physical
is a prerequisite but the availability, accessibility, we can n
retrieval and processing of information extend the group off
on the web must be supported by infor- end-users.
mation technology.
Ms Forczek investigated
ed
Information on the web is global in how well the needs of
the sense that it can be seen or used the visually impaired are
re
by anyone around the world, said Ms addressed by websites, es,
Forczek. However, she pointed out that especially those offering
ng
for information to become global, it is multimedia. Similarly,rly,
not sufficient merely for it to appear on she found that those with

The use of style sheets to allow a page to alternatives to time-dependent media, more readily available through a search
be rendered fully in alternative formats like audio applications or videos, and engine. Consideration of these issues is
is also important, as is the clarification the provision of full navigation via inevitable, since they all help to reach a
of the meaning of any acronyms used. the keyboard so that mouse control wider circle of end-users, she said.
is not a prerequisite for accessing the
Other important aspects to improve information.

accessibility include the provision of
alternative texts for non-textual infor- Ms Forczek suggested that in addition to
mation, such as images and audio these considerations metadata must be Promoted through the Research Information Centre.
files, the provision of synchronised used correctly to make the information http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre > search > 20393
Beyond the X-ray The project is working on the design,

fabrication and implementation of such
Safer, cheaper and more accurate imaging technology promises to speed up a device by bringing together chemists,
medical diagnosis and treatment in a wide variety of applications. academics and engineers via an inter-
disciplinary approach.
X-rays have long been popular for In modern imaging techniques, radi-
taking images of bones and internal opharmaceuticals which fall within The planned device would involve a
organs, but the more advanced tech- the field of nuclear medicine are micro-fluidic architecture, designed
nology of positron emission tomogra- used effectively as tracers in the body. to manipulate fluids on a very small
phy (PET) represents a more precise Tracers are materials used to track or scale. This requires the use of emerging
imaging method. PET is a medical im- define substances or systems in human technologies under the field of micro-
aging technique which produces an ac- organs, from the thyroid and lungs to reactors (usually below 1 mm in size)
curate three-dimensional image of the the liver and blood. and micro total-analysis systems (which
bodys internal workings. However, it is shrink chemical laboratory processes
much more costly than X-rays (around The EU-funded Radiochemistry on on to a microchip). This is bound to
EUR 300 to 500 per scan) and requires chip (ROC) project plans to design a improve efficiency and safety of the
substances called radioactive pharma- micro-device that can synthesise these micro-device under development.
ceuticals or radiopharmaceuticals to radiopharmaceuticals more readily and
operate. cost-effectively. By the end of the project, the team
plans to have a fully working device
pla
based on a micro-fluidic modular
ba
concept. The ROC prototype will
co
be able to synthesise several tracers
more quickly and efficiently than
m
ever before, lowering the prices of
ev
PET scans significantly. The whole
P
discipline of PET scanning will be
d
ssimplified and more readily avail-
aable, facilitating laboratory research
iin this respect. Most importantly,
ssafety standards such as radi-
aation levels are set to improve as
wwell. With this new micro-device,
the next generation of PET imaging
and scanning is on the horizon.

under the theme Nanoscience, nanotechnologies,
Shutterstock
materials and new production technologies.

artur gabrysiak,
offers > 6180

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES
Estonia reaches for the stars
A little country with a lot of potential, Estonia is proving its worth in the area
of space research. The results represent a true example of successful European
integration.
European collaboration in space research is essential if the disseminating scientific information were organised in
continents space endeavours are to grow. While nations 2008-10 and one large scale conference Boosting the com-
in old Europe such as Britain and France have shaped petitiveness of business and science: satellite services in
European space research for many years, newer European modern society in May, 2010. European collaboration has
nations like Estonia have much to contribute. resulted in two new projects funded by EU. The first is the
Strategic partnership for improved basin-scale water qual-
ity parameter retrieval from optical signatures (Waters),
with the Tartu Observatory coordinating a consortium of
six European partners. The second is Electric sail propul-
sion technology (ESAIL), again with the Tartu Observatory
being one of the partners in a consortium led by the Finn-
ish Meteorological Institute. Both projects fall under the
Seventh Framework Programme for research.
Ongoing networking is also taking place with the Euro-

pean supersites for atmospheric aerosol research (Eusaar),
as well as Finnish-Estonian cooperation in atmospheric sci-
ences and forest ecology (Smear-Gaw). This is significantly
k
image, Shutterstoc
advancing the integration of Estonian research potential

into the European community. Worthy of note as well is
Estonias participation in the Nordic aquatic remote sens-
Paul Fleet & IP's
ing initiative, or Nordaquarems.
Meanwhile, the Tartu Observatory is maintaining the Aer-

Through the EstSpacE () project, funded almost entirely by onet measurements in Travere, within Estonia. Aeronet
the EU, the research potential of Estonian scientific insti- stands for the Aerosol robotic network of ground-based
tutes in the field of space research is being added to exist- sun photometers and measures atmospheric aerosol prop-
ing European expertise. The project is also enhancing col- erties. The observatory is also taking advantage of the Aer-
laboration across Europe, particularly with initiatives of the onet facilities for research.
European Space Agency, while intensifying space research
in Estonia. The achievements speak for themselves. Ultimately, all these cooperation mechanisms and achieve-
ments are acting as a model to integrate other European
Six high-level researchers were recruited by Estonias Tartu countries into the fold of space research, underlining
Observatory bringing with them a wealth of knowledge. Europes primacy in the field.
The researchers belong to different fields such as remote
sensing (ground and vegetation mapping), radiation,
metrology, radio electronics, optoelectronics, and pho-
tometry of stellar objects. The initiative has also raised the (1) Expose capacity of the Estonian space research and technology through high quality partnership in Europe.
number of visiting researchers, lecturers, contacts, work-
shops and conferences. Funded under the FP7 specific programme Capacities under the theme Research potential of convergence regions.
Within the framework of the project, seven international Funded under the FP7 specific programme Capacities under the theme Regions of knowledge.
scientific workshops on space research/technology and http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5960
Watch this space!

Coming up in issue 4 of research*eu results magazine a special dossier on
Innovative modes of transport: where would we be without cars?

Kalju Annuk
Interview
Working together to reach beyond
the stars
Regional research cooperation throughout the EU is an endeavour that not

only promotes the very best in science and research; it also stimulates the
common pursuit of knowledge. Space research is one such area.
Space has no discernible boundaries Your project, EstSpacE, seeks to

and represents a cogent example of enhance the potential and research ch
scientific collaboration both within capacities of Estonian scientists in
the EU and throughout the world. space research and technology, includ-d Dr Anu Reinart
The international space station is a ing remote sensing. Can you explain
testimony of that collaboration and its how this works in practice? We have proved our competence
extraordinary end result. Tartu Observatory has been for over through twinning workgroups and
200 years the leading centre of astro- collaboration with key research and
Working together and defining com- nomical research in Estonia. It also industry partners in Europe via inter-
mon goals is an expansive illustration has an internationally acknowledged national networks such as Eusaar, Aer-
of the European Research Area (ERA). competence in remote sensing of the onet, Nordbaltsat, and Noraquarems
It binds together the brain power of natural environment. Tartu Observa- (see page 35).
the brightest luminaries and those tory's research strategy brings together
curious enough to attempt to unravel scientific and public goals. This en- It has also been important that we
the nature of the universe. Indeed, ables us to respond to the challenges have been able to extend sources for
space has long mystified human- that modern technologies, political financing. EstSpacE has motivated
ity. Mapping the stars helped sailors situations and economic needs create. researchers to more actively prepare
thousands of years ago navigate wide EstSpacE is a three-year project that proposals at the international level.
distances across the oceans. Constel- started in 2008. Its general objective is So far, this has resulted in two new
lations helped explain through myth to enhance the potential and research FP7 projects: Strategic partnership
and story-telling the mysteries of life capacities of Estonian scientists in for improved basin-scale water qual-
and nature. Parallels can be drawn space and atmospheric research, space ity parameter retrieval from optical
today. The mysteries of nature and technology and remote sensing by signature (WaterS) and Electric solar
the universe remain elusive and cap- supporting and mobilising human sail technology (ESAIL), as well as two
tivating. But the search for answers and material resources and develop- more contributions as an end-user;
could in turn help us navigate through ing strategic partnerships with other namely Downstream observatory
the labyrinth of issues of global pro- research groups in Europe. organised by regions active in space
portions climate change, energy, (Doris Net) and High resolution
health... The added value of the project to freshwater monitoring (Freshmon).
Estonia is that the partnerships enable
Our featured scientist in this issue is us to focus better on future research New ideas and information about
the director of Tartu Observatory in efforts. It also supports closer cooper- European space research and tech-
Estonia which has a long tradition of ation by Estonia with the European nology has been distributed at seven
excellence in astronomy and space. Space Agency (ESA). And finally it workshops and seminars, two sum-
Dr Anu Reinart is an expert in remote facilitates the participation of Esto- mer schools, and one large-scale
sensing and is leading the EU-funded nian scientists in the Global moni- space downstream conference called
Expose capacity of the Estonian space toring for environment and security Boosting the competitiveness of busi-
research and technology through high (GMES) programme, as well in the ness and science: satellite services in
quality partnership in Europe (Est- most relevant activities in the Euro- modern society. These events have
SpacE) project. She is also a former pean Research Area and global space brought together more than 700 inter-
Marie Curie Fellow, has led other community. national researchers, public author-
research projects in Sweden and in ity representatives and entrepreneurs.
Estonia, and has published more than EstSpacE has definitely increased inter- The events helped to disseminate RTD
30 peer-reviewed articles. national collaboration. New updated results on the international stage and
research infrastructure and complemen- enhance the general publics knowledge
Dr Reinart speaks to research*eu tary competence of researchers has led to of the science behind it. For our part,
results magazine and discusses how broadened research topics studies in we raised awareness about Estonias
partnerships and science can help give the modern physics of astroparticles, appli- achievements in space research and
the European Union the leading edge cations for water remote sensing, devel- culture to the ERA by participating in
in space research and exploration. opment of specific space technology, etc. more than 70 scientific events.

The European Research Area has scientific publications and workshops technology we use today telecom-
several ambitious objectives. One of focused on the process of knowledge munication, large flat screens with
them is to guarantee the free circu- sharing and skills development. moving images or mobile phones. So,
lation of researchers, knowledge and maybe the right answer to the question
technology throughout Europe. Can Estonian space research and technol- what will be achieved in the next 50
you explain how your collaboration ogy capacity has been acknowledged years? has already now been written in
with other EU researchers has con- by ESA and the Estonian govern- some science fiction book!
tributed to this? ment. In 2010, the Plan for Euro-
We wish to stimulate young people pean cooperating states (PECS) was Seriously, I believe that, as one of
to pursue careers as researchers. Cur- signed and 12 projects have already the most technology-intensive sec-
rently there are several young students started this year. Tartu Observatory is tors, space research will help us find
preparing their PhDs on the topics of carrying out two of them in cooper- new energy solutions and more sus-
space science or earth observation. ation with the EU-funded projects tainable use of natural resources.
We directly contribute to post-doc Services based on optical radiometry Thanks to operational global moni-
research but we also provide unique applications for aquatic environment toring systems we will be able to
opportunities for young research- (Oraqua) and Emission line star understand the earths environmental
ers. We help them to start a career, classification in the Gaia catalogue changes and adapt our activities to
broaden and deepen their scientific (GAIA-ELS). improve the outcome. I also hope that
horizon, and acquire other mind- new propellants and relevant technol-
sets. We also help them to work on Fifty years ago, the Russian cosmo- ogies will make it possible for humans
the practical application of research naut Yuri Gagarin embarked on his to go beyond the solar system and take
results through cooperation with pioneering flight into space. Today, an exceptionally long journeys for the
SMEs or other research centres. international space station is orbiting benefit of research and satisfy our curi-
earth. What do you think European osity. Hopefully, we will have the know-
Secondments and a range of network- space research will have achieved in ledge to understand what dark matter
ing opportunities have made trans- the next 50 years? really is and the role of dark energy in
national knowledge-sharing and new This is really a tricky question. When the universe. But most likely this quest
research training possible, as well as Arthur C. Clarke wrote his famous will just throw up new riddles to solve.
strengthening and enriching interna- Space Odyssey series over 50 years I guess space is a never-ending source
tional cooperation. Indeed, many joint ago he actually described a lot of of inspiration!
de Andaluca, Spain)
tituto de Astrofsica
s Maz Apellniz (Ins
NASA, ESA and Jes

In your opinion, what are the main convergence of the satellite telecom- are the energy source of the stars.
challenges that European space munications services sector with grow- In the 1970s, Jaan Einasto with his col-
research funding has tackled? ing requirements in terms of flexibility leagues discovered dark matter and a
The European Union is developing its and bandwidth. regular large-scale structure of the uni-
own space policy to ensure its inde- verse. These are real-world and well-
pendence in this important field of The use of satellites for location and known discoveries!
knowledge and to shore up the eco- navigation purposes is rapidly expand-
nomic benefits. Space research and ing, although only one system, the US Also in the 1970s, the scope of astron-
technology development must sup- global positioning system (GPS) is fully omy in Estonia was extended to space
port this goal. Global challenges like operational today. Developed by the research by building and launching
our changing environment, energy US Department of Defense to maintain instruments for atmospheric studies
efficiency issues and rapid population troop contact and position, GPS con- onboard Soviet spacecraft and space
growth are forcing countries to look sists of a network of at least 24 satellites stations. I was seven years old when
for new and innovative technologies. launched in medium earth orbit and American astronauts first studied the
Space technology has a significant role regularly replenished and modernised. moon in detail.
to play in meeting these challenges. European civil system Galileo is also
well underway. It is expected to com- Physics was my first choice of study
Space research is widely acknowledged plement and compete with GPS from after I graduated from high school.
as one of the most innovative fields of 2012. By combining the two systems, I continued with a PhD thesis on
science, and plays an important role users will be ensured better reliability environmental physics. I did my post-
in economic growth, innovation and than could be achieved with either sys- doctoral studies at Uppsala University,
entrepreneurship. And of course space tem alone. Sweden, with an EU Marie Curie
science and technology enables space Individual fellowship. I worked on
exploration and improves our under- Earth observation is one of the earli- a project with the Swedish National
standing of the nature of the universe. est applications of satellites. Commer- Space Board that led me to research
cial earth observation satellites are still satellite remote-sensing applications.
relatively new. Technology has played I then returned to Estonia to continue
an important role in the development my career at Tartu Observatory with
the young
Space inspires
of earth observation systems. In par- a Marie Curie reintegration grant in
art careers ticular, advances in optical and radar 2004. That was followed by several
generation to st sensor technologies have made pos- national and international projects
chnology,
in science and te sible the development of satellites that until 2010 when I become director of
f the most
which is one o are smaller, cheaper and more agile. the Tartu Observatory.
c to rs fo r The EU started the GMES programme
im p o rt a n t fa
velopment to combine space infrastructure, mod- Truly, I did not dream about this, but
sustainable de elling and contact measurements into the work I am doing now is very chal-
of the economy. one user-driven system. The output lenging. Joining the European Union
will be distributed to users via services. in 2004 opened up new prospects for
This is the European contribution to space activities in Estonia. In 2010,
the Global earth observation system Estonia signed the PECS agreement
Space activities provide invaluable tools of systems (GEOSS). with ESA.
for environmental monitoring and pro-
tection, security, crisis management, What drew you to this field? As a The present-day space research and
communication and navigation. Space schoolgirl, did you ever imagine you technology community in Estonia con-
applications can also provide a signifi- would be doing this? sists of about 70 researchers, a major-
cant pull for terrestrial technologies, Estonian space history is impressive. ity of specialists working at the Tartu
e.g. advanced intelligent systems. Space We just celebrated the 200-year anni- Observatory. However, we have close
inspires the young generation to start versary of Tartu Universitys Observa- collaboration with Tartu University,
careers in science and technology, which tory. History of professional astron- Tallinn Technical University, Estonian
is one of the most important factors for omy in Estonia is rich in achievements University of Life and we are very open
sustainable development of the economy. and traditions. Astronomers from to international partners.
Tartu have played an important role
The telecommunications segment in understanding distance scales in
represents the largest and the most the universe and in shifting cosmo-
mature downstream segment of the logical paradigms. Wilhelm Struve
space sector. It comprises two main was among the first in the world to
components: telecommunications and measure the distance to the star Vega
broadcasting, with a distinction being in 1835/6. In 1922, Ernst pik showed
made between fixed and mobile ser- that the Andromeda nebula is another
vices. Evolution of digital technologies galaxy outside the Milky Way. He also
over the last few years has led to the realised that thermonuclear reactions

All eyes on the skies Opticon is providing a framework that
encourages joint action to improve the
Creating a pan-European network of observatories and astronomy related quality of Europes facilities and train
facilities is bound to bring more valuable results and observations about the new astronomers, especially those
universe than ever before. from central Europe. It is focusing on
modern research methods, developing
Europe is a large continent that can However, the size of the continent, its innovative technologies and enhancing
observe the skies from different angles, varying systems and different strengths research quality. Opticon will ultimately
and its experts continually come up also means there is no single unified help Europe to outline future develop-
with myriad observations, hypotheses community or network to coordinate ments in astronomy and map a strategic
and discoveries related to astronomy. these valuable efforts. plan for the continents research infra-
structure in this field for the future.
Th
The Optical infrared co-
or
ordination network for Efforts are well under way to achieve
as
astronomy (Opticon) pro- these objectives, building an active
je
ject is an EU-funded ini- consortium to tackle the different ini-
ti
tiative that is planning tiatives involved. Such a plan ensures
tto combine the power that astronomers are able to carry out
of diverse initiatives in
o advanced research on state-of-the-art
tthis field. It is bringing facilities. It will also allow astronom-
together national and ical communities in Europe to develop
international agencies scientific plans for their own future
and organisations which facilities. With this, the full potential
fund, support, develop and synergy of European players in the
and operate Europes sector will take astronomy on the con-
ge, Shutterstock
facilities for optical and tinent to unprecedented levels.

infrared astronomy.
aumburg & IP's ima
This applies to both

night-time or classical
astronomy, as well Funded under the FP7 specific programme Capacities
Noel Powell, Sch
as daytime or solar under the theme Infrastructures.

astronomy. http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6128
A Russian doll of science and technology The portal offers comprehensive infor-
mation about the Russian S & T land-
Numerous opportunities to collaborate with Russia on science and technology scape as well as funding information
are drawing the EU closer than ever to this multi-faceted, research-minded from the EU and Russia for imple-
federation. menting joint scientific projects.
igner, Shutterstock
Russia has been a formidable leader in EUs Seventh Framework

science and technology (S & T) since Programme.
the early days of space exploration,
Michel Rouleau des
atomic energy and computer tech- The project aims to facili-

nology. Both Europe and Russia can tate information dissem-
benefit from exchange of knowledge ination, raise awareness on n
and collaboration in different areas of joint initiatives and enhancee
S & T by combining their knowledge future EU-Russian cooper--
and enhancing collaboration. ation across all S & T themes.
s.
It is creating a knowledge basee
The Bilat-Rus (1) project, funded by for emerging issues related to o
the EU, is enhancing the bilateral S & T sustainable cooperation, whilele
partnership with the Russian Federa- stoking existing and upcom- m-
tion. The project aims to contribute to ing joint thematic EU-Rus- us-
the sustainable implementation of the sian working groups on S & T
Common space on research, educa- cooperation.
tion and culture, an initiative set up
between the EU and Russia in 2003. The project has already establi-bli-
Bilat-Rus is also working on strength- shed a new web portal on joint S & T
ening the participation of Russia in the initiatives (www.st-gaterus.eu).eu).

A database of key Russian institu- Beyond the website, many important and a series of events and workshops.
tions has been developed together with initiatives have been established. An More initiatives for the future have been
another EU-funded project and a user- advisory hotline between Russian and outlined with the European Commis-
friendly tool has been implemented to EU National Contact Points (experts sion. The relationship between Russia
this effect. who help with EU programmes and and the west has changed forever, and
matters) has been set up. In addition, for the better, and Bilat-Rus is one solid
The content of the web portal fea- an expert meeting on success factors for example of how both sides can reap the
tures results of Bilat-Rus initiatives, as Russian participation in the EU RTD rewards.
well as those from other EU-funded framework programme was organised
projects targeting Russia. The portal in May 2009, in Moscow. Good prac-
holds a valuable database of so-called tices of the EU-Russian joint working (1) Enhancing the bilateral S&T partnership with the
programme owners and a partner groups have also been defined. Russian Federation.
search tool. Relevant policies, pro-
grammes and projects are also listed Ongoing and upcoming activities under Funded under the FP7 specific programme Capacities
on the website, as well as a calendar this project include regular updating of under the theme Horizontal actions and measures
of events, a newsletter and other im- the web portal, a quarterly newsletter in support of international cooperation.
portant databases. about EU-Russian S & T cooperation, http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6099
tterstock
Appetite for innovation
Andre Blais, Shu

The University of Novi Sad (UNS) contains Serbias only scientific-
research unit that specialises in feed technology issues. Lack of
investment however has meant that researchers struggle to access EU
level projects.
An EU-funded project aims to Furthermore, in the scope of pro-

address this and enable Serbian jects activities, important EU
researchers to realise their potential research institutes have accepted
and actively participate in cross-bor- the UNS as a participant in FP7
der initiatives. The project is also of projects, and the project partners
significant strategic importance to the are ready to form new research
region: the agro-food sector is one of consortia and to make new propos-
the most important economically, and als. Good communication with pro-
is one of seven national R & D priori- ject beneficiaries has been achieved,,
ties defined in Serbias scientific and something which will be continued d
technological development strategy following project completion.
2009 to 2014.
Reinforcement of the research cen- n-
The Feed-to-food (1) project was tre has also been achieved through gh
initiated following the signing of the purchase of pilot plant equip- p-
the memorandum of understanding ment for activities such as milling,ng,
associating Serbia to the EUs Sev- mixing, drying-cooling and vacuum um
enth Framework Programme (FP7). coating. A new research pilot plant la-
Its principal goal has been to rein- boratory was ceremonially opened on are also now highly proactive, and are
force research potential at the Centre 29 September 2009 by professor Viktor active members of the European Com-
for Feed and Animal Products, part of Nedovic, assistant minister for interna- missions food cluster initiative.
the University of Novi Sads Institute tional cooperation and European inte-
for Food Technology. gration in Serbias Ministry of Science The Feed-to-food project can there-
and Technological Development. The fore already be seen as a success. The
The project, which is due for comple- laboratory is now capable of providing project has enabled project partners to
tion this year, has already achieved a training and research opportunities to reinforce their own research capabilities
number of positive results, and the scientists, researchers and students in and has helped to integrate Serbia into
project partners say they have many the feed and food industry. the European Research Area.
reasons to be satisfied with the pro-
gress made so far. Research capacities The centre has also been able to employ (1) Reinforcement of Feed-to-food Research Center at Institute for
have been improved, networking with additional researchers, a technician Food Technology of the University of Novi Sad.
EU research institutions has been and one experienced researcher. These
increased and researchers now have developments, say the project part- Funded under the FP7 specific programme Capacities
solid experience of taking part in EU ners, will significantly strengthen their under the theme Regions of knowledge.
research. research potential. The project partners http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5965

Innovative bio-packaging that can Surfaces
To produce higher barrier films, the
replace plastics team looked at two innovative surface
treatments which can be applied to the
An ongoing European research project is developing new environmentally new reinforced materials: solvent-free
friendly materials that can replace oil-based plastic films used in packaging for chemical grafting and vacuum coating.
food and other goods. Chromatogenic grafting is a chemical
process which allows the molecular
According to recent figures, over 16 With partners from research institutes grafting of cellulosic materials with
million tonnes of flexible packaging and the food and packaging industries, long chain fatty acids.
are used each year across Europe. The the team has developed a number of
majority is used for food and ends up new techniques using renewable ma- We found that [grafting] significantly
in rubbish bins after a short life span. terials reinforced with nano-particles reduces the sensitivity of the coated
The environmental impacts are signifi- and innovative coatings. The required layer to water and water vapour. We
cant much of this material does not properties of flexible packaging are very were able to get perfect water repel-
degrade when put into rubbish dumps, demanding. We needed to be able to lence and a very low water vapour
whilst other waste treatments, such as match the barrier properties of plastic transmission rate, says Dr Guerin.
incineration, release pollutants into films with regards to grease, water, oxy-
the earth or water. And because many gen and water vapour, says Dr Guerin. Meanwhile progress was made in using
of these materials are plastics derived vacuum coating to further improve
from fossil fuels, they also add to cli- Technical details gas barrier properties, which is very
mate change. The combination of the different novel demanding due to two factors. Mater-
approaches can produce low-weight ials must be very smooth and remain
A team of researchers is developing 50 to 90 g/m2 materials with differ- unchanged when put in a vacuum
new paper-based materials that can ent levels of barrier properties. The first chamber. We had encouraging results
compete with plastic films and other step to making low- and medium-bar- in overcoming these factors, he adds.
flexible packaging in terms of perform- rier papers was to make a paper-based
ance and cost, but with much lower en- substrate with significantly improved Another focus has been on develop-
vironmental impacts. barrier properties in combination ing an antibacterial coating that can
with water-borne coatings made from prolong the life of food, without deliv-
The flexible packaging that we are renewable materials including different ering unacceptable quantities of pre-
developing is recyclable, says project forms of starches. servatives. They have tested the use
coordinator Dr David Guerin from the of preservatives in a starch layer that
Centre Technique de l'Industrie des Researchers in the EU-funded project would be in contact with the food, as
Papiers, Cartons et Celluloses in Gre- Flexpakrenew (1) also proved the con- well as a sustained release mechanism
noble, France. The new materials will cept of applying micro-fibrillated cellu- using preservatives embedded in cap-
biodegrade in less than six months, lose (MFC) at the very early steps of the sules. The team is now refining these
compared to the 200-year period paper formation. They established that preservatives, especially ensuring that
required for materials such as poly- this addition resulted in a significant they will comply with food contact
ethylene, and will be made from more decrease in the air permeability of the regulations.
than 70 % bio-based materials. material, which effectively means better
protection for goods contained in the
p Next steps
packaging.
pa Assessing the environmental bene-
fits of the new materials has been
The dimensions of MFC fibres are
T important throughout the project
about 100 times smaller than trad-
ab which began in September 2008. The
itional
iti cellulosic fibres, notes Dr researchers used life-cycle assessment
Guerin.
G techniques to look at the impacts
throughout the production, use and
In order to create a suitable water- disposal of the new materials. This
borne
b coating, the team assessed dif- enabled them to select the most sus-
fferent starches, hemicelluloses, ben- tainable materials and compare
t
tonites (sedimentary clay derived them with the current materials used
from volcanic ash) and plasticisers commercially.
(organic chemicals that make mater-
ials more flexible, resilient and easier We are confident that we have fulfilled
to handle). They demonstrated the the environmental aims of the project,
tterstock
potential of the hemicellulose xylan, says Dr Guerin. The second gener-

Franck Boston, Shu
which is derived from the Birch tree, ation of our demonstrators were much
and defined the optimum combin- more efficient than the first, but we
ations of these different elements. still need to improve them.

Work is still needed on improving the for industrialists to invest in such tech- The Flexpakrenew project received
compatibility between the material lay- nologies, says Dr Guerin. Our project EUR 3.28 million in funding from the
ers and reducing the number of coats concentrates on flexible packaging, but EUs Seventh Framework Programme
needed. At the moment we need three because the required properties are so (FP7) for research. For more details
water-based coatings applied in the demanding, the developments made on the project and its partners, visit:
papermill, but the maximum possible here can be easily transferred to other www.flexpakrenew.eu.
with industrial machines is two, he paper grades and applications.
adds.
With the ubiquitous nature of pack- (1) Design and development of an innovative eco-efficient low-
Into the final year of the three-year aging and the huge quantities of ma- substrate flexible paper packaging from renewable resources to
project, the focus is now on optimis- terials it uses, the progress made in replace petroleum based barrier films.
ing the pilot technologies for use at a this project has the potential to make
commercial level. Our overall goal is a significant improvement to overall Promoted through the CORDIS Technology Marketplace.
to show that there is a great interest sustainability. http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6115
Hunting space neutrinos below ground terrestrial, solar and atmospheric neu-
trinos. Matter and anti-matter will also
A new pan-European operated underground facility is set to isolate and study be studied in conjunction with CERN.
neutrino activity, a phenomenon normally observed in space. Astrophysics
is the study of physics in the universe, covering a wide range of topics from Laguna is studying underground infra-
celestial bodies to temperature and density beyond our planet. One important structures and engineering at different
part of astrophysics is neutrino astronomy, which requires sophisticated sites, and has already eliminated some
infrastructure, and which ironically is usually located underground. that were not ideal. The study is looking
at socio-economic, environmental and
aan international multi- political issues as part of the site selec-
ppurpose facility to study tion process.
neutrino astrophysics.
n
Laguna is a collaborative
L The scientific impact of the project is
project involving 21 part- also being examined, and dissemin-
ners, including academic ation of information is underway. A
institutions from Den- website for the general public has been
mark, Finland, France, developed and Laguna was presented
Germany, Poland, Spain, in various workshops, continuing to
Switzerland and the attract and involve scientists worldwide.
United Kingdom.
Basic designs for the detector tanks
The consortium also have been devised and many engin-
includes industrial eering studies regarding the tanks have
partners specialised been undertaken. Laguna is also iden-
in civil and mechan- tifying potential safety and environ-
tterstock
ical engineering, as mental risks for liquids, such as argon,

James Thew, Shu
well as rock mechan- to be used and transported through

ics. Together, they will tunnels.
assess the feasibility
of such a facility and Once completed, the project will greatly
A research team plans to ascertain corresponding infrastructure needed contribute to the enhancement of the
whether Europe has the technical and to create a deep underground neutrino European Research Area (ERA) by
human capability to lead future under- observatory including the latest neu- strongly supporting new ways of doing
ground science by building the next- trino detectors and covering anywhere science in Europe.
generation underground neutrino from 100 000 to 1 000 000 m3. Such
and rare event observatory. Key ques- a facility can provide new and unique
tions in particle and neutrino physics scientific opportunities, and very likely
can only be answered by constructing lead to fundamental discoveries in
new giant underground observatories the field of particle and astroparticle
to search for rare events and to study physics. (1) Design of a pan-European infrastructure for large apparatus
sources of terrestrial and extra-terres- studying grand unification and neutrino astrophysics.
trial neutrinos. In addition, Laguna is involved in
upgrading and building existing under- Funded under the FP7 specific programme Capacities
The EU-funded Laguna (1) project is ground laboratories to study a rare under the theme Infrastructures.
examining the possibility of building process called proton decay, as well as http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6158

Optical alternative to silicon for fraction of the size of standard silicon
processors.
future electronics
Specifically, artificial opals were assem-
Silicon chips are struggling to meet the increasing need for computing power. bled out of 10 silica beads with the
Photonic crystals are one of the solutions European researchers have explored diameter of just a few hundred nanom-
to make optical chips a reality. eters, bringing together both two- and
three-dimensional crystals. The PHAT
Thanks to their organised structure, industry. However, there was a down- project ended in 2007 with the success-
photonic crystals can conduct light in side. They proved to be extremely ful fabrication of the first three-dimen-
a particular wavelength, stopping other expensive to build. sional photonic crystal integrated with
frequencies from interfering with the waveguides, which channel light to
correct functioning of the crystals. The EU-backed PHAT (1) project was where it is needed.
able to develop a photonic crystal that
As early as the 1980s, researchers were is much easier and cheaper to fabri- The crystal fabrication method was
able to replicate such photonic crystals cate, and ready to be integrated into patented by two of the project partners,
which could be used in the electronics silicon chips. the Tyndall National Institute, Ireland
and the Technical Research Centre of
Bu integration of photonic
But Finland. This is a significant advance in
crystals into silicon chips
cr photonic crystals, and brings us a step
is not easy. There are dif- closer to all-optical chips for computers
fficulties related to the size and communication systems.
of the optical components
o
which tend to be much
w
larger than their electronic
counterparts.
The PHAT research- (1) Photonic hybrid architectures based on two- and
ers combined two- and three-dimensional crystals.
three-dimensional pho-
tonic crystals. By doing Funded under the FP6 programme IST
so, all-optical computer (Information society technologies).
k
Lepas, Shutterstoc
chips could shrink to a http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6166
Keeping up to date on nanotechnology safety the paper contains graphs). It zooms

in on specific information extracted
A powerful database and website on the safety of nanotechnology, complete from the scientific paper itself, sifting
with an elaborate search engine, will keep the public and other stakeholders through a large amount of documents.
well informed about the latest developments. The unique features of NHECD should
allow different user groups to easily
Nanotechnology is all the rage for regarding the impact of nano-particles access, locate and retrieve information
European industry and promises of on health and the environment. relevant to their needs. The creation
advanced products, technologies and of the NHECD knowledge repository
solutions in many fields are slowly but The database should then allow faster will enrich public understanding of the
surely becoming a reality. On the other extraction of data on nanotechnology, impact of nano-particles on health and
hand, while cautiously welcoming its featuring online tools developed by the environment. It will support safe
benefits, society is sometimes uncom- European experts in toxicity. The pro- and responsible development and use
fortable with nanotechnology, ques- ject team has proven skills in infor- of engineered nano-particles, offering
tioning how nano-particles affect our mation technology, particularly in a useful instrument for implementing
health and environment, for example. databases, data warehousing and text relevant regulatory measures.
mining, in addition to being well versed
The EU-funded NHECD project, which in the toxicity of nano-particles. In more detailed terms, the database
stands for Nano-health-environment will serve many communities from
commented database, is an initia- NHECD is based on text mining regulators to scientists, companies,
tive which addresses these concerns. methods and algorithms that improve new activities and the general public
The project team wants to use recent upon traditional searching (e.g. author concerned with all aspects of nano-
advanced research results to build a names, journals, keywords) to more particle toxicity. The database and the
novel and useful automatic database sophisticated searches (e.g. whether internet site will also provide expert

Th
The system is being hosted more. The beta version is already being
an
and maintained by an expert tested, and links with experts in the
so
software company based in field such as scientists and regulators
E
Europe. It includes a robust have been established. The database and
ccontent management system website are ready for the next phase,
((CMS) as its backbone, con- communicating the project's purpose

ttaining raw data, scientific and moving on to the official launch.
papers and relevant publi-
cations. It also includes a The final database will be manually and
mechanism for automat- automatically updated with informa-
ically updating its know- tion that can be accessed through the
ledge repository, yielding internet by the public and by interested
an ever-growing collec- organisations. Information gathering,
tion of data on environ- in-depth analyses and presentations
tterstock
mental and health effects will keep the database updated and pro-
Sergey150770, Shu
following exposure to vide an easy-to-use interface for com-

nano-particles. plex queries.
The project has made

much progress so far, Funded under the FP7 specific programme Cooperation
cooperation and information exchange with the creation of a sophisticated under the theme Nanoscience, nanotechnologies, materials and
in this evolving domain, where toxicity backend system, an advanced search new production technologies.
should be considered in advance. system, elaborate content and much http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6196
Europe in the laser limelight Eurofel. Several European countries

are supporting the building of national
A new laser facility will beam Europe into technological primacy, creating the FEL facilities which are now joining
flash camera of the molecular world. forces to create and operate Eurofel.
This facility will offer complementary
Laser technology is playing an im- launched, called the single-pass free sources and instrumentation that is
portant part in research, touching on electron laser. Research centres world- unsurpassed in the world.
many important fields from medical wide were keen to explore this new
imaging to national defence. One tech- discovery and to apply it in different Eurofel partners will integrate national
nology, the free electron laser (FEL), ways. FEL facilities into a distributed Euro-
is considered particularly versatile (or pean facility to fully exploit the com-
tuneable), opening up a whole range The EU-funded IRUVX-PP (1) pro- plementary features and expertise of
of applications. About a decade ago, ject now intends to harness this power individual member facilities and max-
an advanced type of FEL laser was in a new European facility, known as imise benefits for all involved.
The consortium is also setting up pol-

icies to facilitate access to this facil-
ity, offering world-class service in
response to the needs of the research
community. The goal is to make opti-
mum use of existing resources and
fully exploit the complementary exper-
tise and features of individual member
facilities.
The project has already reviewed and

defined the core activities of the future
Eurofel consortium and prepared com-
prehensive reports for establishing the
joint facility. This includes a detailed
description of its mission, envisioned
activities, budget estimates, internal
tterstock
procedures and more.

Mike Zakharov, Shu
In more scientific terms, the new

FEL technology combines wide and

continuously tuneable wavelength molecular world, adding the femto- of novel technologies ranging from
radiation with ultra-short pulses and second timescale to nanometre micro- micro-electronics to energy.
the coherence of lasers, yielding much scopy. This can be used to observe
more power. It covers the terahertz, intricate phenomena and opens the
infrared, visible and ultraviolet spec- door to numerous scientific disciplines
trum up to hard X-rays, producing ranging from the physics of atoms, (1) Preparatory phase of the IRUVX-FEL consortium.
extremely short (femtosecond) flashes molecules and clusters to plasma phys-
of light with unprecedented intensities ics, chemistry, nano-sciences, mater- Funded under the FP7 specific programme Capacities
at short wavelengths. In other words, ials and biomaterials. The results are under the theme Infrastructures.
FELs are the flash cameras for the expected to lead to the development http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 6129
Robotic machinery advances different options that activate equipment

in a smarter way. As a result, production
European industry machines could then be rapidly con-
figured according to different and even
Robot-like machines, more accurately known as mechatronic equipment, might conflicting conditions or performances.
be the answer to keeping European industry competitive. For example, hard steel requires a rigid
machine for roughing and cutting,
If Europe wants to reinvent itself as an The EU-funded Production dependent whereas aluminium requires high-speed
industrial powerhouse and counter the adaptive machine tool (Chameleon) machining using light, highly dynamic
migration of industry to less expensive project is currently investigating an equipment. A mechatronic machine
manufacturing countries, it must remain advanced approach to exploiting intel- could be programmed to handle both,
at the cutting edge of technology. One ligent devices that are integrated into saving on both space and production
way to achieve this is to upgrade equip- machine tools. The project team wants costs.
ment and machines used in industrial to equip machine tools with a variety of
production processes. The relatively active intelligent devices to create more In other words, a base mechanical struc-
recent emergence of mechatronic con- flexible configurations for production ture equipped with an assortment of
cepts, which combine active devices processes and increase performance. intelligent devices could be configured
with a certain degree of intelligence in as a different type of machine depend-
mechanical structures, enables industry Parameters for these devices could be ing on the selected gadgets and required
to improve industrial performance. set automatically and intuitively, with result. The machines resulting char-
acteristics and performance could be
adapted to different machining pro-
ada
cesses, creating the ultimate chameleon-
ces
like machine tool concept.
lik
Work is under way to develop the con-

W
cept of an intelligent head for machin-
ce
ing tools, as well as the whole structure
in
design of the machine and an intel-
d
ligent control system. Such a system
li
ccan only lead to smarter, cleaner and
lless expensive production techniques
that
t will reinforce Europes progres-
sive
s role in machining and industry.

under the theme Nanoscience, nanotechnologies, materials
and new production technologies.
stock

Baloncici, Shutter
offers > 6176

EVENTS
The following upcoming events were selected from the event diary of the
Directorate-General for Research and from the CORDIS event calendar.
For further information on past and upcoming events, please visit:
http://ec.europa.eu/research/events
EVENTS
http://cordis.europa.eu/events
Artificial intelligence in space: mobile web and social web spaces, There will also be significant possibilities
intelligence beyond planet earth as well as stakeholders from social for new cooperation initiatives. Young
science, computer science and cognitive scientists pursuing a multidisciplinary
A workshop entitled 'Artificial intelligence
psychology. career that bridges physics, chemistry,
in space: intelligence beyond planet earth'
biology and engineering will also attend.
will take place on 17 July 2011 in Barcelona, Topics are set to include:
Spain. - novel social interactions on mobile For further information, please visit:
devices; http://bit.ly/bpyxbC
An enduring part of research on artificial
- social mobile content sharing and
intelligence is understanding how to
distribution services;
simulate human behaviour in robots Workshop on service science and
- location awareness in social mobile
that operate in space. Because of this, systems
services;
methods rooted in artificial intelligence The fourth Institute of Electrical and
- context aware mobile services beyond
research are increasingly finding their Electronics Engineers (IEEE) international
location;
way into applications in areas related to workshop on service science and systems will
- social mobile search and social mobile
space engineering. be held in Munich, Germany from 18 to
browsing;
Co-organised by the advanced concepts - user evaluations of social mobile services; 22 July 2011.
team of the European Space Agency and - mobility, social networks and social
While the service sector forms a grow-
the artificial intelligence group of the Jet network analysis;
ing portion of world economy, it still lags
Propulsion Laboratory of the National - models of mobile social behaviour and
behind other industry sectors, such as
Aeronautics and Space Administration, mobile traces;
manufacturing, in terms of overall prod-
the event will look at the most recent - innovative social mobile applications.
uctivity. This workshop will look at how
applications and advances related to For further information, please visit: the internet is creating a new wave of
artificial intelligence and space. It will
http://www.thesocialmobileweb.org business and technical models, which
also review the current state of the
promise to boost productivity in the ser-
dialogue between the two domains and
Charge transfer in biosystems vice sector.
discuss future perspectives.
A conference on charge transfer in Service science is still in its infancy. Most
The workshop will be part of the 22nd biosystems will take place from 17 to 22 July momentum comes from traditional hard-
international joint conference on artifi- 2011 in Obergurgl, Austria. ware and software vendors who, while
cial intelligence. possessing tremendous knowledge and
For further information, please visit: Charge transfer in biological molecules is experience in computing, are some-
http://www.congrex.nl/11M10 an important topic because of its impli- what limited when it comes to service
cations in chemical reactions in living applications.
organisms and for the potential exploit- The workshop will be a forum for stake-
Third workshop on social mobile ation in nanotechnology.
web holders to identify relevant modern
The measurement and theoretical technologies that can help promote
The third workshop on social mobile web description of the phenomena have service cycles. It will also enable them
will be held from 17 to 21 July 2011 to examine novel service systems and
been traditionally developed and carried
in Barcelona, Spain. applications in a variety of service indus-
out by chemists with standard instru-
ments and tools. In the last couple of tries. The workshop will bring together
The mobile space on the internet is
decades, with the advent of nanotech- researchers and industry experts to share
evolving rapidly. With billions of users
nology and the investigation of nucleic research results and practical experience,
worldwide and advances in handset
acids and proteins in this context, inter- with a focus on tackling barriers towards
technology, the mobile web looks set to
est in charge transfer has risen in other reliability, interoperability, usability and
bring new opportunities and challenges.
fields, notably physics and engineering. productivity.
At the same time, people are increasingly
using social networking websites. This The workshop is the fourth in the series,
The conference will bring together
has meant that more and more users are but is being run under a different title, in
scientists active in the theoretical and
seeking novel ways of interacting with response to growing interests from par-
experimental investigation of charge
their friends and family. ticipants in the previous workshops.
transfer in biomolecules and complex
The workshop is aimed at researchers systems to assess the latest in the field For further information, please visit:
and practitioners interested in the in terms of methods and knowledge. http://compsac.cs.iastate.edu

EVENTS
EVENTS
Multidisciplinary approach Users perceive the internet increasingly ideas and obtain feedback from the rest
to designing intelligent as a social medium that fosters inter- of the workshop attendees. Each partici-
environments action among people, sharing of experi- pant will give a 10 to 15 minute presen-
ences and knowledge, group activities, tation, followed by 10 to 15 minutes of
A conference entitled 'Multidisciplinary
community formation and evolution. discussions.
approach to designing intelligent
This has led to a rising prominence of
environments' will take place from 25 to For further information, please visit:
SNAM in academia, politics, homeland
26 July 2011 in Nottingham, UK. http://ecoop11.comp.lancs.ac.uk/?q=calls/doctoral
security and business. This follows the
Intelligent environments are interactive pattern of known entities that have
spaces with embedded systems and informa- evolved into networks in which actors are European conference on
tion and communication technologies (ICTs) increasingly dependent on their struc- artificial life twentieth
which are designed to bring computation into tural embedding. anniversary Back to the origins
the physical world. The term also describes The event will be an interdisciplinary of life
physical environments in which ICT and venue bringing together practitioners The European conference on artificial life
sensor systems disappear as they become and researchers from a variety of SNAM twentieth anniversary Back to the origins
embedded into physical objects, infrastruc- fields to promote collaboration and the of life will be held from 8 to 12 August 2011
tures, and the surroundings in which we live, exchange of ideas and practices. It is in Paris, France.
travel and work. intended to address important aspects
with a specific focus on the emerging Over the past two decades, biological
This workshop seeks to set up an intel-
trends and industry needs associated knowledge has grown at an unprec-
ligent environment where participants
with social networking analysis and edented rate, giving rise to new disci-
will be able to understand each other
mining. plines such as systems biology. During
without regard to background, culture,
the same period, highly speculative ideas
professional language or field of exper-
For further information, please visit: have matured, and entire conferences
tise. To achieve this, creative art (along
http://asonam2011.im.nuk.edu.tw and journals are now devoted to them.
with the more conventional methods,
Examples include synthesising artificial
such as academic writings), will be used
cells, simulating large-scale biological
as a means of communication to deliver Doctoral symposium
networks, storing and making intelligent
scientific achievements related to the
A doctoral symposium entitled Twenty-fifth use of an exponentially growing amount
topic of intelligent environments to a
European conference on object-oriented of data (e.g., microarrays), exploiting
wide audience.
programming will be held from 25 to 29 July biological substrates for computation
For further information, please visit: 2011 in Lancaster, UK. and control, and deploying bio-inspired
http://privatewww.essex.ac.uk/~yvkova/SciT11/ engineering.
The event programme will centre around
Scit_home.htm a doctoral symposium and a PhD stu- The event will leverage the remarkable
dents workshop. Both will enable early development of biological modelling
Conference on advances in and late-stage PhD students to present and extend the topics of artificial life to
social networks analysis and their research and get detailed feedback the fundamental properties of living
mining and advice. organisms: their multiscale pattern-form-
ing morphodynamics, their autopoiesis,
A conference on advances in social networks The goal of the doctoral symposium ses-
robustness, capacity to self-repair, cogni-
analysis and mining will be held from 25 to sion is to provide PhD students with use-
tive capacities, and co-adaptation at all
27 July 2011 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. ful feedback towards the successful com-
levels, including ecological ones.
pletion of their dissertation research. The
In recent years, social network research experience is meant to mimic a mini- The European conference on artificial life
has advanced significantly. The devel- defence interview. Aside from the actual is a biennial event that alternates with
opment of sophisticated techniques feedback, this helps the student gain the US-based A life' conference series.
for social network analysis and mining familiarity with the style and mechanics
(SNAM) has been highly influenced by of such an interview. For further information, please visit:
online social websites, email logs and http://www.ecal11.org
The second session is addressed primarily
instant messaging systems, which are to PhD students in the early stages of
widely analysed using graph theory and their doctoral work. The goal is to allow
machine learning techniques. participants to present their research

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ISSN 1831-9947

Interview with Dr Anu Reinart of EstSpacE

In our IT and telecommunications section, we see how European research is attempting

Specials icon: iStockphoto.com/Tom Nulens

2 research*eu results magazine No 3 June 2011

Boosting plant biotechnology research in Bulgaria 7

EU-funded scientists sequence fungal disease genome 7

Psychological interventions key for keeping depression at bay 8

EU works to fill gaps in regenerative medicine 9

Researchers unravel DNAs protection against UV light 10

Cell modifiers to aid autoimmune disease treatment 10

Association studies can explain cell stress response 11

Fortifying nutrition for children and women in Africa 12

Targeting new malaria counter measures 12

Wind turbines examined to improve technology 15

The search for better offshore wind turbines 15

Throwing light on converting solar energy into hydrogen 16

BEE writes the book on biomass assessment 16

Second-generation ethanol to be more sustainable 17

Energy experts create new smart metering standards 17

Energy framework to tackle security of supply problems 18

ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY Vital groundwork for R & D cooperation 19

For the good of the greater region 19

Montenegro plans its future of research 20

Recap, recount and reaping success 20

Europe boosts expertise for the University of Sofia 21

EU helps Bulgarian institute aim for global excellence 22

EU research cooperates with southeast Asia 22

A better grasp of pollution 23

Civil society, where next? 24

Engaging the public in the climate change debate 25

Rocky shore biodiversity 25

Women shaping science 26

Good practice database to support women in research 27

Making science cool 27

research*eu results magazine No 3 June 2011 3

Central Europe embraces ICT 29

Grid computing links Europe and China 30

EU research connects with Latin America 30

IT technology to build new EU-Brazil partnership 31

Improved weather forecasts 32

EU creates tsunami early warning system 32

Europeans target better web access for people with disabilities 33

Beyond the X-ray 34

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES Estonia reaches for the stars 35

Interview: Working together to reach beyond the stars 36

All eyes on the skies 39

A Russian doll of science and technology 39

Appetite for innovation 40

Innovative bio-packaging that can replace plastics 41

Hunting space neutrinos below ground 42

Optical alternative to silicon for future electronics 43

Keeping up to date on nanotechnology safety 43

Europe in the laser limelight 44

Robotic machinery advances European industry 45

EVENTS Artificial intelligence in space: intelligence beyond planet earth 46

Third workshop on social mobile web

Charge transfer in biosystems

Workshop on service science and systems

Multidisciplinary approach to designing intelligent environments 47

Conference on advances in social networks analysis and mining

European conference on artificial life twentieth anniversary Back to the

ERA European Research Area ICT information and communication technologies

4 research*eu results magazine No 3 June 2011