Projects
Palaeolithic ungulate hunting strategies in the eastern Iberian Peninsula through advanced proteomic profiling Recent zooarchaeological analyses have suggested that Neanderthals were skilled hunters. Yet, there is still a vivid debate on whether Middle Palaeolithic human groups were also capable of more effective, and diverse, sophisticated food-processing behaviours, in particular through specialised hunting. Traditionally, archaeologists have relied on the osteological analysis of bone assemblages to determine prey mortality patterns, where species variability, age and seasonality data are calculated. Although this approach has yielded a great deal of important information about the Pleistocene hominin hunting strategies, there is a considerable lack of...
Single Frequency Laser Inside a Crystal At a time when the climate emergency and an ever growing energy-demanding population are major issues facing the world, it is clearer than ever that new integrated sensing technologies are needed to: (1) locally adapt to climate change (by monitoring and preventing environmental catastrophes) and (2) globally mitigate it (by developing the future greener technologies which will require from advanced self-monitoring system integrated sensors).State-of-the-art heterogeneous silicon photonics or plasmonics cannot withstand real-world environments and must be carefully protected; this leading to the question: Will it be possible to foresee a nanophotonic technology capable of...
Biostimulants nanoencapsulation to increase yield under drought stress A biostimulant (BS) is understood as any compound, microorganism or mixture of them, with the exception of fertilizers and pesticides1. BSs are commonly ecofriendly substances and inert for the ecosystems, their utilization is widely reported in the literature as enhancing tolerance against stress or increasing yield in the field2. Regarding plant health, BSs are presented as a good alternative to achieve the yearly EU goals announced in the communication: “A Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system” 3. A good example of this way of thinking is...
Watching the risk factors: Artificial intelligence and the prevention of chronic conditions Digital healthcare may prevent poor health. Personalised early risk prediction by artificial intelligence can empower citizens to adopt healthier habits and a better lifestyle. This project aims at defining a general personalised early risk prediction model that will be used to support individual preventive measures as well as early intervention. New digital tools are designed to empower both citizens and patients. Furthermore, the impact of the new digital tools on health and care pathways are investigated. Three main scenarios are included: 1. Chronic sun damage and the fight...
Architecture for Unified Regional and Open digital ecosystems for Smart Communities and wider Rural Areas Large scale application Lower population and business density make it more challenging to develop private businesses and public services in rural areas, negatively impacting socio-economic indicators. Rural areas are key to solve climate change, food, biomass and energy challenges. Favourable climate for entrepreneurship is needed for better provision of jobs, basic services, including health and care, connectivity, smart transport, energy solutions and attractiveness as whole, overcoming digital divide between rural and urban areas. AURORAL focus on delivering a digital environment of interoperable services through platforms...
ERA-NET Urban Transformation Capacities The sense of urgency for a rapid sustainable transformation of our cities has never been greater. There is an increasing need to stake out pathways for such a transition, to reach acceptance of the need for transformation and enabling capacity building. The current approaches to target urban challenges and meet different international goals are often fragmented and incoherent as they are based on different ambitions and understandings of how cities and urban areas operate. Research and innovation contribute with evidence on how to address urban dilemmas, while supporting capacity building for urban transformation and turning wicked...
Multi-hazard and sYstemic framework for enhancing Risk-Informed mAnagement and Decision-making in the E.U. MYRIAD-EU’s vision is to catalyse the paradigm shift required to move towards a multi-risk, multi-sector, systemic approach to risk management. Our aim is that by the end of MYRIAD-EU policy-makers, decision-makers, and practitioners can develop forward-looking disaster risk management pathways that assess trade-offs and synergies across sectors, hazards, and scales. We will co-develop the first harmonised framework for multi-hazard, multi-sector, systemic risk management. It provides a set of practical guidelines for carrying out a multi-risk assessment, formalised in guidance protocols. We will develop a web-based dashboard for...
Technologies for Ocean Sensing TechOceanS will produce and demonstrate in multiple underwater vehicles, 9 new technologies enabling a step change in ocean biology, chemistry and plastic observation. The technologies include 5 sensors, two imaging systems, a sampler and a new image processing method using Artificial Intelligence (AI) that enables data compression and transmission of information about key variables from the remote ocean. All the systems are robust and submersible to >2000 m and collectively measure at least 63% (12/19) of priority Biogeochemical and Biology and Ecosystems “Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs)” and at least 53% (39/73) of these EOV’s sub-variables. The...
New Approach to Underwater Technologies for Innovative, Low-cost Ocean obServation NAUTILOS will fill in existing marine observation and modelling gaps through the development of a new generation of cost-effective sensors and samplers for physical (salinity, temperature), chemical (inorganic carbon, nutrients, oxygen), and biological (phytoplankton, zooplankton, marine mammals) essential ocean variables, in addition to micro-/nano-plastics, to improve our understanding of environmental change and anthropogenic impacts related to aquaculture, fisheries, and marine litter. Newly developed marine technologies will be integrated with different observing platforms and deployed through the use of novel approaches in a broad range of key environmental settings (e.g. from...
Land-Based Solutions for Plastics in the Sea There are 5,250 billion plastic particles floating on the surface on the world's seas and oceans, equivalent to 268,940 metric tons of waste. These fragments move with the currents before washing up on beaches, islands, coral atolls or one of the five great ocean gyres. Because MP cannot be removed form oceans, proactive action regarding research on plastic alternatives and strategies to prevent plastic entering the environment should be taken promptly. Despite the research increasing, there is still a lack of suitable and validated analytical methods for detection and quantification of small micro-...
ReAlising DynamIc vAlue chaiNs for underuTilised crops RADIANT implements a suite of strategic and fully inclusive multi-actor engagement methods to co-develop solutions and tools to ensure that agrobiodiversity in the form of underutilised crops (UCs) is realised via Dynamic Value Chains (DVCs). RADIANT characterises DVCs as ’a system-state where open information sharing among all value-chain actors allows resilient adaptation to disruptions and sustainable economic development’. RADIANT adopts a ‘Theory of Change’ approach, where desired system-level states, such as crop diversification, environmental and agrobiodiversity preservation, and fair economic development are monitored and mapped to identify and implement the necessary transformation avenues....
RAPID DISCOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT OF ENZYMES FOR NOVEL AND GREENER CONSUMER PRODUCTS The application of enzymes in industrial processes is increasingly important to achieve the EU’s sustainability goals and strengthen the bioeconomy, replacing oil-based chemistry. However, enzymes still find hurdles for their industrial application: low success rates of discovery and engineering; tedious and expensive methods to explore diversity; and limited activity/stability in the final application. RADICALZ assembles an interdisciplinary and intersectoral consortium to deliver faster, more versatile and more affordable tools for enzyme discovery and engineering, enabling the development of novel enzymes, new formulations and ingredients for more environment-friendly and...
COntrolling and progressively Minimizing the Burden of Animal Trypanosomosis Animal trypanosomosis (AT) is caused by parasites transmitted by tsetse and other blood-sucking flies. The disease is a scourge for livestock keepers in Africa , affects humans and could spread to Europe . COMBAT aims to reduce the AT burden in Africa using the concept of progressive control pathway (PCP) . The PCP is an innovative, risk-based approach to disease reduction or elimination through successive, achievable steps. A consortium of excellence, with European and African research institutes, national veterinary authorities from across Africa, and leading international organizations guarantees successful project implementation...
The Recycling of waste heat through the Application of Nanofluidic ChannelS: Advances in the Conversion of Thermal to Electrical energy Increasing energy consumption, the depletion of natural resources, climate change and decreasing air quality are among the biggest economic and social challenges that we face today. At the same time, waste heat energy discharged into the atmosphere is one of the largest sources of clean, fuel-free and inexpensive energies available, with 70 % of all energy generated on a daily basis being lost as waste heat. Although technologies for converting waste heat into electrical energy have been around for a...
deMonstration of smArt and flExible solutions for a decarboniSed energy future in Mayotte and other European islAnds Aiming at decarbonising the energy systems of geographical islands, MAESHA will deploy the necessary flexibility, storage and energy management solutions for a large penetration of Renewable Energies. Cutting-edge technical systems will be developed and installed, supported by efficient modelling tools and adapted local markets and business frameworks. A community-based approach will be adopted to ensure the constant consideration of local populations’ best interests throughout the project.Putting together 10 SMEs, 3 industrial partners, 2 universities and 6 public organisations from 9 countries, MAESHA gathers...