Research*eu results supplement. No 21, January/February 2010.
Date: 2010-03-02
Institutions: CORDIS, Publications Office of the European Union
Subjects: research, research and development, research project, serial publication

European Commission

No 21  January/February 2010

ISSN 1830-8864

R E S U L T S   S U P P L E M E N T

(cid:2) Biology and medicine 5
(cid:2) Energy 16 
(cid:2) Environment 20
(cid:2) IT and telecommunications 26
(cid:2) Industrial technologies 35
(cid:2) Events 46

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In this issue

(cid:2) Tracing the evolution of elderly care 

in Germany, page 5

(cid:2) Providing Morepower to portable 

fuel cells, page 16

(cid:2) Estimating Europe's carbon dioxide 

fluxes, page 20

(cid:2) Sound approach to sense of presence, 
  page 26

(cid:2) Reducing water resistance in hopper 
  dredgers, page 35

 
 
 
 
 
 
EDITORIAL
The destruction of a nation

On 12 January, Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, was 
hit by a massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake that all but levelled its capital 
city, Port-au-Prince, and surrounding area. The situation was further 
aggravated by the fact that Port-au-Prince is home to 10 % of the country’s 
9 000 000 population. Furthermore, buildings in Haiti were never designed 
to withstand the impact of an earthquake. As part of the international 
rescue effort, EU Member States have played an important role in improving 
the plight of the Haitian population.

Apart from this crisis response, the EU has also been funding research into seismology and search 
and rescue projects for many years, notably under its research framework programmes. The results 
of these projects are expected to dramatically improve the predictability of natural disasters, as well 
as increase the chances of finding survivors after they have occurred.

In this issue of the results supplement, the section on biology and medicine opens up with the 
CARMA project. Researchers collaborating on this project have studied an issue of increasing 
concern in the EU, the care for its elderly population. One of their research fields was dedicated 
to the evolution of elderly care in Germany since the introduction of long-term care insurance.

The Morepower project headlines the energy section. Its aim was to develop a new type of portable 
fuel cell. In order to achieve this, researchers have identified new electrocatalyst materials that have 
the potential to substantially boost the performance of today’s portable fuel cells.

Climate change is the topic of the lead article in the environment section. The goal of the Camels 
project was to set up a system to help EU Member States accurately measure atmospheric transport 
and terrestrial carbon uptake. This is in line with one of the Kyoto Protocol's proposals on offsetting 
CO2 emissions.

The opening article of the IT and telecommunications section introduces a project with an unusual 
title: ‘Being there — without going’. Virtual reality however, its field of research, is very topical. 
Researchers in this project have studied the value of sound in enhancing the experience of virtual 
reality, something called the ‘sense of presence’.

The industrial technologies section starts with a contribution on the Effort project, whose main 
aim was to improve the design of ships to propel them with much greater efficiency. Using the tool 
of computational fluid dynamics, researchers expected their new designs to bring significant fuel 
savings as well as a reduction in pollution, noise and vibration.

As usual, the events section offers you a non-exhaustive list of forthcoming event announcements 
in the field of research.

We look forward to receiving your feedback on this issue and on the research*eu publications in 
general. Questions or suggestions can be sent to: research-eu-supplements@publications.europa.eu

The editorial team

More info on the technologies presented? Search CORDIS!

Where?
For the offers, access the Technology Marketplace: http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace 
and for ICT Results articles, access: http://cordis.europa.eu/ictresults

How?
For more details on offers, go to http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace, click on the search 
menu and select ‘offers’. Then key the number of the offer in the box ‘enter search term’. 
To read up on the project presented in the offer, click on ‘view related results’ at the 
end of the text and then scroll down for links to the project and to the programme which 
funded it. For more information on ICT Results, access the articles online using 
the URL provided at the end of the text.

You need to know more than CORDIS provides?
Please refer to the contact point given in the online version of the offers and the ICT Results. 

R E S U LT S   S U P P L E M E N T

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research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

 
TABLE OF CONTENTS

BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 

Tracing the evolution of elderly care in Germany 

German nursing under scrutiny 

Early departure from nursing in France 

At the backbone of disc problems 

Tagging DNA speeds up genome mapping 

Disease-matching software could save children 

Making feeding easier for a parasitic nematode 

Animal feed clean-up using new chemical assay 

Mapping milk production traits in dairy cattle 

New starter for designer cheese 

The door for organic opportunities opens wider 

Optimising plant cryopreservation 

Protein family p53 keep the cell under control 

‘Vive la différence’ in protein identity parade 

Combating iron overload 

Iron and atherosclerosis link 

Mapping for mastitis resistance 

Safer, more efficient plasmid DNA extraction 

Chemical counterfeit countermeasures 

Monitoring endocrine disruptors in humans and fish 

Endocrine disrupting chemicals and sticklebacks 

Microsporidia — biomolecular detection in bumblebees 

Identifying resistance to fungus in faba beans 

Locating faba bean resistance to disease 

ENERGY 

Providing Morepower to portable fuel cells 

Low-cost membranes to play key role in fuel cell development 

Resolving the operational challenges of microgrids 

Restoring microgrids to operation following blackouts 

Scientists set new record for solar cell efficiency 

The future for solar energy is Crystalclear 

The optimal potential of fuel blending 

ENVIRONMENT 

Estimating Europe’s carbon dioxide fluxes 

Improving estimates of surface emissivity over the poles 

Studying microbial biodiversity in Europe’s seas 

The role of biodiversity in the health of marine ecosystems 

Bringing the Atlantic bluefin tuna back from the brink 

Sensor system detects harmful environments for pipe organs 

Probing ocean sediments for methane hot spots 

An open forum for land use management 

Fighting desertification through policy integration 

Molecular markers in dark bush crickets 

Plasma catalysis for in-vehicle air quality 

Innovative approach to seismic hazard assessment 

Protecting Europe’s monuments against biofilms 

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 IT AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS 

Sound approach to sense of presence 

Exploiting man and machine in search and rescue operations 

Fixed olfactory receptors for electronic noses 

Mobile ad hoc networks: from theory to reality 

Wireless is getting personal 

Designing peer-to-peer networks to mimic nature 

Lift-off for the semantic Web 

Exploiting GIS for landslide risk management 

Next-generation internet to facilitate search and rescue 

European researchers usher in Telco 2.0 

Practical recipes for the simulation of quantum computations 

Fault-tolerant quantum computing 

Software that gets reduced, reused, recycled 

Object-oriented techniques for designing hardware 

Nature-inspired management of modern dynamic networks 

The self-managing, ‘unbreakable’ internet? 

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES 

Reducing water resistance in hopper dredgers 

Detecting damage in high-pressure composite tanks 

Cooperative cybercars, a question of priorities 

Monitoring access roads to Rome 

Eliminating engine knock in automobiles 

Vessel designs for high-speed freight transport 

Effective damping of vibration in aircraft rotor blades 

Investigating cavitation erosion in diesel engines 

Robots reach new levels of accuracy and adaptability 

European expertise in machining applications 

Dry lubricants for stamping dies 

Innovative technology for quiet punching 

Activated carbon leading the way in purification solutions 

Deactivating bacteria in water using sunlight 

Innovative compounds for optical sensors 

Optoelectronics to play key role in sensor development 

Nanocantilevers as molecular sensors 

Detecting the spring constant of nanoscale cantilevers 

Accurate measurement of current loss in superconductors 

Lead-free solder paste for electronic systems 

Test board for evaluating lead-free solder 

Electronic nose under test 

Sulphur traps reduce pollutant emissions 

Highly charged ion trapping and laser spectroscopy 

EVENTS 

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Tracing the evolution of elderly care in Germany

An extensive report has been derived as a result of a collaborative analysis of services 
and care facilities in Germany designed to help reintegrate the elderly.

BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 

The elderly population, a growing sector in Europe, is commonly 
at risk of marginalisation within society. In order to help improve 
the well-being of this population, the CARMA project undertook 
a combined effort which involved academic research institutions, 
social service providers and educational institutions. As such, cur-
rent social care services for the elderly were assessed in studies 
spanning coping skills and care arrangements.

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T h e   f i n d i n g s   w h i c h 
resulted  from  this  col-
laboration included the 
documentation  of  ser-
vices  for  reintegrating 
the elderly in Germany. 
This  repor t  offers  a 
summary  of  the  way 
in which home-based, 
semi-residential  and 
residential  care  facili-
ties  have  evo lved 
since  long-term  care 
insurance  was  intro-
duced.  Furthermore 

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it  exhibits  available  social  care  and  counselling  founded  by 
municipalities.

Although it was found that various types of health care facilities 
were expanded and modernised, problems were still present. One 
example of this regards access to various types of formal care, 
particularly for members in lower socio-economic classes. There is 
also regional disparity since the service offered is less developed 
in poor regions and in rural areas. Furthermore, there is a lack of 
adequate service for elderly patients suffering from psychological 
difficulties and mental illnesses such as dementia.

Although the report gives vast information on types of care ser-
vices and facilities in Germany, it can also be applied by national 
as well as international researchers concerned with elderly care. 
Additionally, the report is useful for social politicians and experts 
involved in care insurance, not only in Germany but in other Euro-
pean countries as well.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’ (Quality of life and management of living resources).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5282

affecting uptake in nursing are many and 
incentives, not merely financial, need to be 
worked out to stem dissatisfaction within 
the profession. The results of this compre-
hensive survey provide a sound basis for 
the strategic planning of a flexible, dynamic 
service to provide Europeans with the best 
possible health options.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’ 
(Quality of life and management of living resources).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5264

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German nursing under scrutiny

In order to avoid the prolonged negative consequences of a chronic nursing 
shortage, a far-reaching study of the profession was undertaken.

Throughout Europe there is a shortage of 
qualified nursing staff. In the wake of an age-
ing population, the ‘Next nurses’ exit study’ 
project aimed to analyse the exact reasons 
for these shortfalls in this demanding career. 
The countries that make up Europe are very 
varied and an individual country’s economic 
and social conditions can profoundly affect 
employment  statistics.  In  all,  therefore, 
eight countries were studied and analysed.

To analyse the situation in Germany, research-
ers at the University of Wuppertal collected 
data and analysed it in relation to the prevailing 
economic situation. Factors creating a unique 
socio-economic climate included financial con-
straints as a result of a diagnosis-related group 
reimbursement scheme occurring simultan-
eously with an increase in unemployment.

Data  from  over  6  000  questionnaires 
obtained from 75 health care institutions 

over a period of two years was analysed. Of 
these, around 200 were from leavers. The 
most significant results were obtained from 
those with intention to leave (ITL) and those 
who had actually left. As would be expected, 
the figures showed that a rapid decrease in 
other employment opportunities artificially 
lowered ITL. At the same time, fear about 
unemployment increased.

The main factor revealed by the survey 
to be responsible for wishing to leave 
the profession centred on promotion 
prospects. Second to this were health 
reasons,  in  particular  psychological 
health, private life conflicts and difficult 
work conditions.

Long-term planning in the health sec-
tor is crucial given the importance of the 
social needs of the population and the 
imminent increase in demand. Variables 

Frequent acronyms

ERA 
FP5/6/7 

European research area
Fifth/Sixth/Seventh Framework Programme of the 
European Community for research, technological 
development and demonstration activities

ICT 
IST 
R & D 
SMEs 

information and communication technologies
information society technologies
research and development
small and medium-sized enterprises

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

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Early departure from nursing in France

Reasons for early departure from the nursing profession in France were 
examined in order to find solutions to lessen this expanding trend.

The shortage of nursing labour in Europe is 
likely to worsen over time with a large portion 
of nursing staff to leave the profession well 
before retirement age. In light of this growing 
problem, the ‘Next nurses’ exit study’ project 
has  delved  into  the  causes  for  premature 
departure of nurses from health casework in 
primary and hospital care. Risk factors, risk 
groups and consequences of early departure 

were examined in eight European countries. 
One of these included France.

Since the occupational conditions in France 
vary  greatly,  five  different  regions  were 
selected for a longitudinal study spanning the 
north and south of the country. Sample insti-
tutions of various types were selected from 
both the private and the public sector. Over-

At the backbone of disc problems

Tissue changes in spinal discs may reflect the mechanical strains they have to 
bear. A cell phenotype has been observed in intervertebral discs under severe 
mechanical pressure that may form an integral part in pathology diagnosis.

Degeneration of intervertebral discs is asso-
ciated with severe back pain and chronic 
disability, particularly in the elderly. Not 
only does this mean a financial burden on 

European  health  services,  but  a  patient’s 
quality of life is severely downgraded. Rea-
sons for the deterioration are multifactorial 
and may have their roots in genetics, lifestyle 
and changes in mechanical environment.

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Histological  studies  are  one  means  of 
gauging the changes in the disc structure 
due to disease and strain. Disc cell fea-
tures like their morphology and cytoskel-
etal, or cellular scaffolding, composition 
may reflect changes in their surround-
ing  matrix.  A  classic  example  of  this 
phenomenon  is  that  the  presence  of 
increased  vimentin  content  in  the 
cytoskeleton is associated with greater 
weight-bearing regions of cartilage.

A major aim of the EU-funded project 
Eurodisc  was  to  examine  the  links 
between changes in the mechanical 
environment,  tissue  degeneration 
and associated pathologies. Specific-
ally, the project research team based 
at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt 
Orthopaedic and District Hospital 
in the United Kingdom examined 
the detailed morphology of human 

Tagging DNA speeds up genome mapping

After genome mapping, the task of assigning a function to a gene using mutant 
phenotypes can be an expensive and time-consuming task. As an answer to this 
problem, a high-throughput single nucleotide fine mapping technique has been 
developed to map mutations rapidly and accurately.

In  order  to  meet  the  rapidly  increasing 
demands  for  high-throughput  genomic 
sequencing, partners of the FLYSNP project 
based at Uppsala University in Sweden have 
developed a new technique, the tag-array 
minisequencing system (TAMS). This is a 
combination of the highly specific minise-
quencing method and a microarray format 

that permits multiple samples to be analysed 
simultaneously.

Genotype  analysis  is  achieved  using  an 
ingenious  method  of  tagging  the  single 
nucleotide  polymorphisms  (SNPs),  se-
quences that vary by one nucleotide only. 
To  achieve  this,  detection  primers  were 

all, it was found that the top three reasons for 
occupational dissatisfaction were psycholo-
gical support, staff handovers when shifts 
change and physical working conditions. In 
light of the findings, it is evident that better 
working conditions are needed to prevent 
mental and physical disorders in staff. Fur-
thermore team building and team support 
can play a vital role in reducing early exit.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’ 
(Quality of life and management of living resources).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5171

intervertebral  disc  cells  in  diseased  and 
non-diseased tissue.

Using confocal microscopy combined with 
labelling  of  the  cytoskeletal  elements,  the 
scientists challenged the traditionally held view 
that there are two main types of cell in the disc. 
These are chondrocytic oval cells found in the 
soft centre and fibrocytic cells (elongated and 
polar) present in the tough outer section.

Both fibrocytic and chondrocytic cells were 
found  in  all  intervertebral  disc  samples. 
However, a stellate form of cell was detected 
in both scoliotic and spondylolisthetic discs. 
This  cell  phenotype  is  characterised  by 
multiple, branching cytoplasmic processes 
extending into the matrix. Previous research 
has suggested these extensions may ‘sense’ 
mechanical strain.

As this cell type is most probably associ-
ated with areas bearing abnormal load, the 
researchers recommended that the stellate 
structure  be  included  in  spinal  disc  cell 
phenotypes. These findings may contribute 
to the identification of genetic markers and 
early diagnosis for appropriate treatment.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’ 
(Quality of life and management of living resources).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5252

designed to anneal directly upstream and 
adjacent  to  the  polymorphic  sequence 
under  scrutiny.  These  primers  are  then 
extended  with  fluorescently  labelled 
nucleotides  that  are  complementary  to 
the nucleotide at the SNP site. The tags 
then hybridise onto their corresponding 
cTag on the microarray thereby allowing 
genotyping of the SNP.

This tag-array minisequencing technique is 
simple, low-cost and yet can analyse up to 
200 SNP positions in 80 samples simultan-

continued on page 7

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Disease-matching software could save children

By matching children with rare or life-threatening diseases and modelling 
potential disease progression, researchers hope to find new routes forward.

Software tools are being developed that can 
search and compare patient data at hospi-
tals  across  Europe  to  find  children  with 
closely matched conditions. The doctors 
can then study how the matched patients 
at other hospitals were treated and whether 
that treatment was successful. The infor-
mation will greatly improve doctors’ abil-
ity to choose the right path for their own 
patient.

The  tools  being  developed  within  the 
‘Health-e-child’ project can compare a vast 
range of structured and unstructured data, 
including genetic and clinical data, as well as 
images from CAT and MRI scans and other 
records.

The ‘Health-e-child’ system, protected by 
high security, links anonymised databases of 
patient information at hospitals in Genoa, 
London, Paris and Rome. There are plans to 
extend the network to 25 hospitals.

‘Health-e-child’ researchers are working on 
tools for three complex paediatric diseases 
with at least partly unknown causes: heart 
diseases resulting from an overload of the 
right ventricle, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, 
and brain tumours (gliomas).

The EU-funded project has tackled funda-
mental data sharing infrastructural problems 
as well as ethical and data protection ques-

tions, data analysis and data mining issues. 
Both  disease-specific  and  cross-disease 
tools have been developed.

For  unstructured  data  such  as  images, 
the  ‘Health-e-child’  project  has  created 
tools that translate visual information into 
machine-readable (and therefore machine-
comparable)  language.  The  project’s  3D 
registration tool for MRI scans, and its MRI 
‘erosion scoring’ system for juvenile idio-
matic arthritis have been recognised as im-
portant advances in their fields.

‘Health-e-child’’s  CaseReasoner  tool  en-
ables clinicians to search thousands of dis-
ease diagnoses, treatments and outcomes to 
find a child similar to their own patients. 
The  clinicians  set  the  search  parameters 
themselves. In the case of heart patients, cli-
nicians could include factors they consider 
important,  such  as  genetic  markers,  the 
age of the child, the heart rate — even the 
amount of exercise the child takes.

The results can be displayed as a ‘network’ 
with cohorts of patients with similar diag-
noses clustered together and colour-graded 
accorded to the level of similarity. Clinicians 
can then dive into the detailed data on any 
of the patients or clusters to better under-
stand their diagnoses and the success of the 
procedures the patients have been through.

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The CaseReasoner could 
also be used to search out 
the procedures that have 
been most successful, giv-
ing the clinician insights 
into  the  optimal  path 
forward.

The  Aition  tool,  being 
developed  by  ‘Health-
e-child’  researchers  at 
the University of Ath-
ens, seeks to go further. 
Aition will use seman-
tic  tools  to  search 
medical literature and 

interviews with clinicians as well as patient 
data. Drawing on well-established causal-
probability algorithms, Aition will suggest 
probable  disease  development.  Doctors 
using Aition will then be able to test their 
hypotheses on optimal treatment.

Other  ‘Health-e-child’  researchers  have 
combined  a  heart  modelling  tool  called 
CardioWiz  with  MRI  scan  measurement 
software from Siemens, according to Sie-
mens Healthcare’s Martin Huber, technical 
leader of the ‘Health-e-child’ project.

The combination can rapidly generate ani-
mated 3D models of a particular patient’s 
heart. The patient’s doctors can play with 
the models and simulate the effects of heart 
surgery or drug treatments to see how the 
heart would respond.

The lack of research into child disease adds 
to the significance of ‘Health-e-child’, says 
Jörg  Freund,  from  Siemens  Healthcare 
and  ‘Health-e-child’  project  coordinator. 
Because the numbers of children suffering 
from these diseases are small, there is lit-
tle incentive for commercial companies to 
research them. Some pharmaceutical com-
panies  calculate  drug  doses  for  children 
simply on weight — treating the child as a 
mini-adult. This fails to take account of im-
portant differences between children and 
adults. The most obvious difference is that 
children are growing.

Research  on  children  can  give  important 
insights into the role of genetics in disease. En-
vironmental factors can be less important in 
child diseases, simply because there has usu-
ally not been time in the child’s short life for 
the environment to have had much effect.

Following  their  successes,  the  ‘Health-e-
child’  researchers  are  publishing  an  ex-
ploitation plan mapping out how ‘Health-e-
child’’s partners will take it forward.

This is the second of a two-part ‘Health-
e-child’ special feature on ICT Results.

Promoted through the ICT Results service.

http://cordis.europa.eu/ictresults/index.cfm?section=news&tpl=
article&ID=90998

continued from page 6  ‘Tagging DNA speeds up genome mapping’

eously. The reduced cost is due to the paral-
lel analysis and the small reaction volumes 
required. To analyse the large amount of 
information produced, software developed 
by  the  bioinformatics  group  IMP/IMBA 
translates the data into the genotype and 
presents the output in user-friendly graph 
format.

Dissemination of the technique and its appli-
cations in human genome research were a 
high priority for FLYSNP and the department 
of medical science, Medsci at Uppsala Univer-
sity. A practical approach included courses on 
TAMS offered both for visitors to the univer-
sity and graduates. Globally, the comprehen-
sive project website at http://flysnp.imp.ac.at 

provides full details of the TAMS technique 
together with links to the drosophila genome 
databases FlyBase and DrosDel.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’ 
(Quality of life and management of living resources).

Collaboration sought: information exchange/training.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5253

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Making feeding easier for a parasitic nematode

The biochemical relationships between plant parasitic nematodes 
and their host crops have been investigated to form the basis for research 
into developing sustainable resistance mechanisms.

The relationship between parasite and host 
is  closely  woven  and  many  evolutionary 
adaptations are evident as a means to ensure 
the survival of both of the members of the 
partnership. Biochemical links between root 
knot and cyst nematodes and their hosts, the 
tomato and potato promote their coexistence. 
One classic example is that the nematode 
recruits plant proteins to degrade the cell 
walls and create modified structures within 
the plant for its very own feeding area.

Scientists working for the project Nonema 
aimed to turn the tables against the nematodes 
and harness these proteins as the basis of resist-
ance to the parasite. They chose the expansins 
to investigate, a group of genes encoding pro-
teins that reduce the enormous tensile strength 
of the cellulose cell wall. By loosening the links 
between the cellulose microfibrils, the cell wall 
yields to an increased pressure from within 

the cell. The overall result is that giant feeding 
cells are produced by repeated nuclear division 
without cell cleavage.

The strong relationship between the host 
and  the  parasite  is  demonstrated  by  the 
properties of the expansin gene. Immunolo-
calisation techniques using polyclonal anti-
bodies verified the link between expansins 
and the feeding site. The physical presence 
of the nematode was found to activate two 
of the identified expansin genes which it 
then hijacks to create the feeding area that 
is equipped with its own vascular tissue.

Further  comprehensive  details  on  the 
Nonema project can be found at the website 
http://nonema.uni-kiel.de. Information on 
resistance to nematodes relevant for all inter-
ested parties can be accessed. This includes 
nematode life history on video, publications, 

Animal feed clean-up using new chemical assay

Consumer concern regarding antibiotic additives in livestock feed is growing. 
To keep in line with European limits for these growth promoters, a highly 
reliable chemical assay has been developed by scientists based in Belgium.

Due to fears surrounding the use of antibiot-
ics as growth promoters in the meat indus-
try, some, including tylosin and avoparcin, 
have been banned from incorporation into 
animal feeds. However, the lack of effective 
assay methods meant authorities could not 

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adequately police the ban. To help enforce 
the  regulations,  the  ‘Feedstuffs-radius’ 
project aimed to develop more specific tests 
that would also be not susceptible to feed 
component interference.

An  unequivocal  means  of  detection  and 
quantification based on liquid chromatog-
raphy–mass  spectrometry  (LC–MS)  was 
developed by scientists at Ghent University 
in  Belgium.  The  overall  aim  was  for  this 
technique to be used in a confirmatory cap-
acity after other robust and highly specific 
assays. The team developed a series of pro-
cedures including the exact means of extrac-
tion, purification and elution and an end-
capped column of high-purity silica. The 
method has been published in the analytic 
chemistry journal, Analytica Chimica Acta.

Mapping milk production traits in dairy cattle

Studies into the genetic makeup of cattle have increased understanding of how 
traits affecting milk production are inherited. This information was gained through 
mapping the position of quantitative trait loci (QTL) on the bovine genome.

Scientists from the Hebrew University of 
Jerusalem developed a map of QTL affect-
ing the percentage of protein in the milk 
of Israeli Holstein dairy cattle. Quantita-
tive trait loci are stretches of DNA that are 

closely linked to the genes which under-
lie the trait being studied. The research-
ers, working through the auspices of the 
Bovmas project examined four traits. These 
included  milk  and  protein  yield,  milk 

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biotechnology and related links. Develop-
ing resistance mechanisms is preferable to 
soil sterilisation with the attendant cost and 
damage to the environment. Data from this 
research can also be used to form the basis 
to improve genetic resistance of the many 
other crops affected by nematodes.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’ 
(Quality of life and management of living resources).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5231

The process was fully validated for pig, poultry 
and cattle feed within Ghent University accord-
ing to the standards set by the European Com-
mission for the testing of residues in animal 
products. Concentrations detectable were half 
the advanced determined food residue limit. 
More credibility for the method was gained 
in  a  collaborative  trial  conducted  in  seven 
European countries involving 11 participants.

The mass spectrometry method developed 
by partners of ‘Feedstuffs-radius’ project has 
proved to be a highly reliable method spe-
cifically designed for five banned antibacte-
rial growth promoters. Moreover, it is able 
to distinguish between cross-contamination 
at the mill and, for this purpose, the scen-
ario whereby the substance has been added 
deliberately to the animal food.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’
 (Quality of life and management of living resources).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

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somatic  cell  count  (MSCC)  and  female 
fertility.

The Bovmas scientists carried out a series 
of QTL mapping studies using female prog-
eny from selected sires and selective DNA 
pooling techniques based on milk samples. 
The research team employed genetic mark-
ers, which acted as landmarks on the bovine 

continued on page 9

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New starter for designer cheese

Research by a EU-funded project promises to take the uncertainty out 
of soft cheese manufacture. Use of a new routine to make designer starter packs 
delivers the desired cheese according to manufacturer’s requirements.

Smear cheeses are unique in that the surface 
bacteria and yeasts help to give the cheese 
many of its properties including surface col-
our, taste and texture. Normal practice is to 
transfer the microbial mixture from an exist-
ing batch of cheeses to the next. This how-
ever carries the inherent risk of contamin-
ation, a very serious issue particularly when 
invaders such as listeria are concerned.

To  avoid  this  situation,  the  EU-funded 
project SMEAR devised a method to concoct 
and test improved starters for application to 
the surface of the cheese. In particular, the 
aim was to provide better controlled pro-
duction of red smear cheese, an important 
sector in the European market.

Action of the starter microflora makes use 
of their biochemical properties and the prin-
ciples of intermicrobial competition and in-
hibition. Central to the starter ingredients list 

are the yeasts that acidify the cheese. A delay 
in acidification can lead to increases in bac-
teria like Escherichia coli (E. coli). The role of 
the bacterial component is to encourage the 
characteristic red glow of the cheese, promote 
good sensory properties and inhibit moulds.

The  project  team  based  at  Nizo  Food 
Research in the Netherlands put together a 
trial routine composed of essential steps to 
ensure better process control. The method 
also serves as a platform on which to base 
the development of new starters. The smear 
mixture was to consist of five selected species, 
the identity of which depended on the type of 
cheese and the production environment.

Steps  incorporated  into  the  new  routine 
include  identification  of  the  all  important 
microflora  together  with  their  biochemi-
cal properties. At this stage, other selected 
microbes can be added to give further refine-

ment. After the application of pilot scale ex-
periments for cheese production, the final 
blueprint can be applied to the manufacturer.

The  outcome  of  this  research  is  signifi-
cant for both the small and large cheese-
making  concerns.  It  means  safer  cheese 
and increased consumer confidence. Fur-
thermore, better controlled cheese-making 
means less losses and more income for the 
manufacturer.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’ 
(Quality of life and management of living resources).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support; 
available for consultancy.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5265

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The door for organic opportunities opens wider

A particularly in-depth survey of organic marketing initiatives has been conducted 
throughout Europe. Analysis of the data will pave the way towards maximum 
utilisation of employment and business opportunities in this dynamic market.

European regulations reinforcing produc-
tion methods in line with conservation of 
the environment and maintenance of the 
countryside are having an impact. As regards 
the organic products market, one effect is 
that they have resulted in an expansion of 
the supply base. In order for all actors in the 
organic food production market to take full 
advantage of the changing agricultural scene 
in Europe, the EU-funded project Omiard 
aimed to develop successful marketing strat-
egies. Consortium members achieved this 
through an in-depth examination of organic 
marketing initiatives (OMIs) at all levels.

Partners at the Institut national de la recher-
che agronomique in Haute-Garonne, France, 
obtained a uniquely comprehensive insight 
into  OMIs.  By  interviewing  managers  as 

well as external experts, the team collated 
valuable data for use in drawing up guide-
lines for all levels of the organic produce 
market.  Altogether  67  case  studies  from 
35 European regions were analysed, allow-
ing for the huge diversity in market condi-
tions within Europe.

The evaluation of the data showed that fac-
tors  internal  to  organic  businesses  were 
much more likely to determine success than 
external  determinants.  A  clear  strategic 
plan based on economic foundations rather 
than environmental considerations tended 
to result in success for the enterprise. Per-
haps not surprisingly, the downside to this 
approach was that aspects like regional net-
working, found to be a key success factor, 
could be neglected.

Overall, the most critical points were judged 
to be minimisation of logistics costs, such as 
transport and warehousing, and improving 
the supply of goods both in terms of qual-
ity and correct quantity. Because the supply 
base has been increased, modifications to 
improve the supply links and networking 
along the chain were recommended.

The expansion of more traditional organic 
methods is good news for rural areas with 
problems like population decline. Organic 
production  is  more  labour-intensive  and 
therefore particularly valuable in lagging 
peripheral areas of Europe. In the process, 
large areas of natural outstanding beauty 
supporting complex animal and plant com-
munities can be conserved.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’ 
(Quality of life and management of living resources).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5243

continued from page 8  ‘Mapping milk production traits in dairy cattle’

genome, resulting in the first complete map 
of the percent protein quantitative trait. The 
project’s findings showed that the cumula-
tive  genetic  variation  can  be  explained 
through the mapping of QTLs.

Genes responsible for genetic variation in 
traits affecting milk production in the Israeli 

Holstein dairy cattle population can be ac-
curately  mapped  and  cloned.  The  results 
can also provide the basis for a cost-effec-
tive marker assisted selection (MAS) pro-
gramme, where a marker indicates the pres-
ence of a particular trait. The application of 
the findings by cattle breeders will result in 
rapid improvements in milk production and 

quality to the benefit of dairy farmers and 
the rural economy.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’ 
(Quality of life and management of living resources).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5254

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Optimising plant cryopreservation

Plants not only provide abundant food; they are also the source of many 
compounds used in pharmaceuticals and crop protection. The EU-funded 
Crymcept project used cryopreservation techniques to help protect and 
maintain biodiversity so that species do not become lost to future generations.

European  scientists  investigated  proced-
ures  for  preserving  collections  of  plant 
germplasm and the genetic resources which 
they contain. Within the framework of the 
Crymcept, they used cryopreservation for 
the long-term storage and preservation of 
germplasm material, which involved keep-
ing plant cells or whole tissue at ultra-low 
temperatures.  The  technique  halted  all 
biological  activity,  including  degradative 
reactions that lead to cell death. This was 
achieved by subjecting the plant material to 
osmotic or evaporative dehydration prior to 
cooling.

Crymcept  project  partners  at  the  Insti-
tut de recherche pour le devéloppment in 
Montpellier,  France,  studied  the  thermal 
behaviour of water. This study was under-
taken using differential scanning calorim-
etry  (DSC)  which  provided  the  essential 
means  to  determine  the  best  procedures 
for cryopreservation. Through the use of 

DSC the researchers ascertained the opti-
mal exposure duration to plant vitrification 
solution 2 which lowers water content, and 
furthermore alters the freezing behaviour of 
remaining water. They were also able to pre-
dict the optimal duration of desiccation over 
silica gel and drying in a sterile cabinet.

For  all  three  processes  DSC 
was  used  to  minimise  the 
risk of damaging ice crystals 
formed in plant samples when 
prepared for cryopreservation. 
On the other hand, knowledge 
of  the  water  behaviour  can 
reduce the number of trial-and-
error tests needed for develop-
ing cryopreservation procedures 
for new plant germplasm types. 
By reducing the time required for 
the optimisation of new cryopre-
servation protocols, the introduc-
tion of new endangered species in 

Protein family p53 keep the cell under control

Cures for cancer can be found by unravelling the complex biochemical 
webs and pathways of the cell. To this end, scientists have investigated the 
effects of a key family of cell regulators, the p53 family.

In the fight against cancer, whether a cell 
progresses towards programmed cell death, 
otherwise known as apoptosis, can be the 
key to tumour control. Accordingly, the EU-
funded Impaled project focused its research 
on  one  of  the  main  directors  of  apop-
totic pathways, the p53 family of proteins. 
The objective was to identify the causes of 
tumour resistance to apoptosis despite con-
ventional treatments such as radiation and 
chemotherapy.

Cell cycle regulators like the p53 family have 
the potential to impact heavily on multiple 
targets.  The  p53  protein  exists  as  several 
different isoforms, the first one discovered 
being  p73.  Over-expression  studies  can 
yield a wealth of information about a pro-
tein’s role in cell development.

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Project partners at EiRx Therapeutics Ltd 
in  Ireland  investigated  the  consequences 
when  members  of 
the p53 family were 
overproduced.  Cell 
types  used  in  the 
expression  stud-
ies were the classic 
lines including the 
immortal HeLa cell 
line. The qualitative 
real time polymer-
ase chain reaction 
(QPCR) was used 
to  amplify  and 
quant if y  DNA 
sequences.  The 
scientists  then 
employed micro-
array  analysis 
t o   a s c e r t a i n 

cryobanks of plant genetic resources will be 
accelerated. The conservation of plant spe-
cies is essential for maintaining biodiversity 
and to the long-term success of the Euro-
pean agricultural and pharmaceutical indus-
tries and plant breeding programmes.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’
 (Quality of life and management of living resources).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5284

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whether the relevant genes were switched 
on or off.

The  results  of  the  study  showed  that  the 
number  of  p53  affected  genes  was  enor-
mous. In a trial running for a day, cluster 
analysis showed that p53 members (exclud-
ing p73) were found to regulate a staggering 
1 145 genes. By itself and tested for the same 
amount of time, p73 was observed to control 
the expression of another 175 genes.

Among its many functions, p53 can induce 
apoptosis through many different pathways. 
Functional studies performed during the 
trials however showed that contrary to ex-
pectations, some members of the p73 group 
were anti-apoptotic and protected cells from 
cell cycle arrest.

The identification of the pathways and the 
gene targets involved in p53 control could 
lead  researchers  down  the  path  to  novel 
cancer therapies. Moreover, the phenome-
non of therapy resistant tumour cells could 
be explained through the altered action of 
regulatory proteins like p53.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’ 
(Quality of life and management of living resources).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5273

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‘Vive la différence’ in protein identity parade

The differential expression of proteins in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients could be part 
of the key to its cure. Researchers from an EU-funded project have developed a 
novel method to separate proteins from a CF cell prior to peptide sequencing.

The  monogenic  disease  cystic  fibrosis  is 
normally characterised by the dysfunction 
of the key protein cystic fibrosis transmem-
brane conductance regulator (CFTR). The 
variation in severity of the disease in dif-
ferent individuals is due, to a large extent, 
to the role of the protein in many different 
pathways. As a result, the expression of the 
disease varies according to other genotypic 
and environmental factors.

The  complexity  of  protein-protein  inter-
action presented by CF makes it ideal for 
analysis by proteomics studies. An in-depth 
knowledge of the structure and function of 
the proteins involved in the molecular cas-
cades could direct the research pathways 
to tailor-made therapy for each individual 
patient.

ProteoSys AG, a company based in Germany, 
are experts in proteomics-based research. 
As partners in the Europrocf project, one 
of their main aims was to adapt the analysis 
of proteins from cells of CF patients with 
the same mutation but presenting differ-

ent phenotypes using an adapted version of 
high performance two-dimensional (2D) gel 
analysis.

The resulting method incorporates the labelling 
of two or more samples of protein with radioac-
tive iodine isotopes. This has been incorporated 
into  the  ProteoTopeTM 
platform. A differential dis-
play of proteins is achieved 
including  their  splicing 
variants and resultant post-
translational isoforms for pro-
teomic analysis.

The  differentially  labelled 
proteins  are  mixed  and  se-
parated  while  together  in 
the sample by 2D polyacry-
lamide  gel  electrophoresis 
(2D-PAGE).  Basically,  this 
can  be  achieved  as  the  ratio 
of  the  separated  radioactive 
signal  intensity  coming  from 
each  radio-isotope  can  be 
determined.

Combating iron overload

Iron, the component of supplements and fortified food, causes adverse effects 
both in excess and deficient supply. Research into the biochemistry of overload 
can lead to the development of more effective therapies for this condition.

There are two main genetic diseases that 
result in chronic iron overload — thalas-
saemia and hereditary haemochromatosis. 
These disorders lead to a variety of condi-
tions including liver cirrhosis and cancer 
and  cardiac  atherosclerosis.  The  ‘Nutri-
ent iron toxicity’ project aimed to identify 
the mechanisms behind iron toxicity and 
develop effective therapies to prevent the 
effects of iron overload.

Project partners at the Swiss Federal Insti-
tute of Technology investigated the pre-
cise molecular mechanisms of iron toxic-
ity. The basis of the harmful action of iron 
occurs when, in the second valency state, 
it reacts with hydrogen peroxide. This in 
turn yields reactive radicals that are dam-
aging to cell structures.

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Nitrogen oxide (NO) is 
known to inhibit redox 
cycling  by  slowing  the 
rate  of  oxidation.  NO 
forms complexes with 
iron  (II)  dithiocar-
bamate and its concen-
tration  can  be  moni-
tored  using  electron 
paramagnetic  reso-
nance (EPR).

The  researchers  in-
vestigated  whether 
these iron dithiocar-
bamate  complexes 
could  still  enable 
redox cycling. Meas-

Differential  patterns  of  proteins  present 
in diseases like CF have an impact on the 
drug discovery process. Furthermore, the 
ProteoTopeTM platform can be applied to 
other areas of proteomic interest including 
cancer research.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’ 
(Quality of life and management of living resources).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5274

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urements using cyclic voltammetry revealed 
that the complexes could indeed allow effi-
cient redox cycling. Furthermore, NO inhib-
ited production of the free radicals.

Another detrimental effect of iron is that it 
also catalyses the decomposition of nitro-
sothiols that play a role in the modulation of 
vascular tension. The team investigated the 
mechanism of s-nitrosothiol degradation by 
monitoring the EPR and optical features of 
the complexes formed during the decay.

The scientists also researched the action of 
chelating agents that bind to the iron for its 
removal. They tested different concentra-
tions of chelating agents, in particular CP20 
(deferiprone, used to treat thalassaemia), 
to complex the iron for its removal. How-
ever, at very low concentrations of iron and 
excess agent, the iron is not fully bound to 
the chelator.

The molecular mechanics of iron metabolism 
can  aid  in  the  development  of  diagnostic 
tests. Furthermore, it can be used to test and 
improve the action of novel chelators.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’ 
(Quality of life and management of living resources).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5279

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Iron and atherosclerosis link

Iron overload, whether acquired in the diet or through a genetic predisposition, 
can be the cause of organ damage. European researchers have focused on 
finding out how excess iron may be one of the causes of atherosclerosis.

Partners in the EU-funded ‘Nutrient iron tox-
icity’ project aimed to elucidate the role of iron 
in toxicity and to develop appropriate chelat-
ing agents for effective therapy. In particular, 
the role of iron in inflammatory processes 
such as atherosclerosis was a main focus.

Previous research has pointed the finger at 
monocytic action as the main instigator of 
atherosclerosis. The crux of the research by 
project partners at the Universitair Medisch 
Centrum  in  Utrecht  was  to  see  if  there 
was  a  link  between  iron  surplus  and  the 
interactions of monocytes at the vascular 
endothelium.

The action of monocytes revolves around 
two main phenomena, rolling and diaped-
esis. Rolling is the initial attachment occur-
ring before stable adhesion of monocytes 
to the endothelial layer of capillaries. After 
this, diapedesis can occur when the white 
cell  can  squeeze  between  the  cells  of  the 
capillary lining across to the site of tissue 
inflammation.

To  ascertain  the  extent  of  monocyte-
endothelial interaction, the team measured 
rolling using a physiological flow model and 
diapedesis by an in vitro migration assay. 
Surface  proteins involved and radicals at 
the inflammatory site were measured using 
flow cytommetry. The activity of monocytes 
at different iron levels and the effect of iron-
loading  monocytes  were  recorded  in  the 
trials.

O v e r a l l ,  
i r o n -
enhanced monocyte 
adhesion.  Moreover 
increased  adhesion 
was  evident  when 
using  iron-loaded 
monocytes.  Evidence 
suggested  that  iron 
affected  a  range  of 
endothelial  receptors 
and also encouraged the 
accumulation of oxygen-
derived radicals, a pre-
cursor to inflammation.

Mapping for mastitis resistance

Faced with costly treatments and reduced prices for milk, the farmer pays 
a high price for outbreaks of mastitis. Mapping of relevant quantitative trait 
genes will mean that sustainable resistance mechanisms against the disease 
could be incorporated into dairy herd populations.

The milk industry is a valuable component 
of the European agricultural economy as 
it  accounts  for  almost  a  fifth  of  the  total 
income  from  production.  Mastitis  is  the 
most  common  cause  of  illness  in  dairy 
herds. It can have devastating effects on the 
cows themselves not to mention the farmer’s 
income as milk production may be seriously 
affected through culling or at best, a halt in 
milking.

Control measures such as improved hus-
bandry and vaccination programmes can 
make big inroads into tackling the disease. 
As for a genetic approach, the heritability of 
the disease is low and selection for resist-
ance traits is difficult. Consequently, breed-
ing programmes that incorporated mastitis 
resistance have largely been absent.

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However,  data  from 
n or t h e r n   Eu ro p e a n 
countries had amassed 
on genetic resistance in 
Nordic  populations  of 
cattle.  Consequently, 
the EU-funded ‘Mastitis 
resist ance’  projec t 
aimed  to  fine  map 
the  loci  involved  in 
variation  for  masti-
tis  resistance.  This 
way,  breeding  pro-
grammes  for  intro-
gression  of  quanti-
tiative  trait  loci  for 
mastitis  resistance 
can be designed.

The  results  of  the  research  point  to  an 
immunomodulatory role for iron in inflam-
mation leading to diseases like atherosclero-
sis. On a positive note, the scientists found 
that chelation therapy reduced both iron-
induced adhesion and diapedisis.

Funded under the FP5 programme EESD 
(Energy, environment and sustainable development).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5257

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As part of this initiative, scientists at the Ros-
lin Institute in Scotland focused on the bovine 
chromosome nine (Bos taurus 9 — BTA9). 
The mapping of microsatellite and expressed 
sequence tag (EST) markers was an exten-
sion of work done previously at the same la-
boratory. Under the auspices of the ‘Mastitis 
resistance’  project  another  100  markers 
were added to chromosome BTA9.

The radiation hybrid (RH) mapping tech-
nique, suitable for fine mapping due to its 
accuracy in placing markers over short dis-
tances was used. As a first step, the markers 
were clustered into linkage groups. These 
linkage groups were then identified using 
the genetic mapping software Carthagene 
specially developed for RH mapping.

The use of breeding programmes as an extra 
weapon in the fight against mastitis means 
sustainable resistance mechanisms against 
the disease. This will help to strengthen a 
health-orientated animal production sys-
tem. Furthermore, it can stem the increasing 
levels of antibiotic resistance resulting from 
repeated doses administered in an attempt 
to control the disease.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’ 
(Quality of life and management of living resources).

Collaboration sought: information exchange/training.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5242

12

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Safer, more efficient plasmid DNA extraction

A novel method for the isolation of plasmid DNA provides 
an alternative to the use of solvent purification systems for screening 
genes found in aquaculture sites for antimicrobial resistance.

Antimicrobials  are  natural  or  synthetic 
drugs which inhibit or kill bacteria, making 
them unique when it comes to controlling 
deadly infectious diseases. Following their 
success in human medicine, antimicrobials 
are also used for the treatment of bacterial 
diseases in animals and plants.

This is particularly the case in south-east 
Asia  where  the  aquaculture  industry  is  a 
predominant segment of livestock produc-
tion. To date there has been little informa-
tion available on the type and amount of 
antimicrobial use in fish farms; hence, the 
assessment of possible health risks remains 
a challenge. One such potential risk is the 
development of antimicrobial resistant bac-
teria caused by the release of antimicrobials 
into the environment, compromising human 
health as well as future productivity.

In light of this, the Asiaresist project exam-
ined  the  probability  of  the  incidence  of 
transferable antimicrobial resistance genes 
in south-east Asian aquaculture. The aim 

was to pinpoint critical control points (CCP) 
at which fish farmers can utilise monitoring 
systems to avert or eradicate safety hazards 
posed to food and the environment.

As part of these efforts, a method for the 
mini-preparation  of  plasmid  DNA  from 
bacteria  found  in  aquaculture  sites  was 
improved.  This  small-scale  isolation  of 
plasmid DNA relied on alkaline lysis and 
permitted the extrac-
tion of high molecular 
weight plasmid DNA. 
Plasmid DNA consists 
of a ring of DNA that 
is not in a chromosome 
but is capable of auto-
nomous  replication.  It 
is  often  used  to  purify 
a  sp ecif ic  s equence 
because it can be easily 
purified  away  from  the 
rest of the genome. Con-
sequently the use of com-
mercial DNA purification 

Chemical counterfeit countermeasures

Coming up with a foolproof way of beating pharmaceutical patent 
pirating has up to now proved difficult. In response, researchers 
have developed a tagging method based on metabolisable molecules 
to protect against counterfeit chemical products.

Counterfeiting  and  patent  abuse  are  big 
business  in  the  pharmaceutical  industry. 
Together, they pose a big threat, both com-
mercially and financially for the producer in 
Europe. Not only that, but consumer safety 
may be put in jeopardy, particularly with the 
advent of internet pharmacies.

In order to prevent piracy and counterfeit-
ing, isotopic techniques can be used to deter-
mine whether a molecule has been produced 
according to the patented process. In addition, 

chromatographic protocols can be applied to 
detect impurities and their sources.

However, there are broadly two ways the 
counterfeiter can circumvent these controls. 
Firstly, if the pathways and organisms are 
very similar, they may be isotopically indis-
tinguishable from the patented route. Also, 
when impurities hail from the feedstock or 
culture medium, an inconsistent impurity 
profile may result.

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columns and hazardous solvents could be 
avoided.

Given these features, the method provides 
an  efficient  and  cost-effective  means  to 
screen for plasmid DNA. Furthermore it is 
suitable for other bacterial groups having 
different bacterial growth conditions.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘INCO 2’ 
(Confirming the international role of Community research).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

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Researchers  in  the  appropriately  named 
EU-funded  Counterpharm  project  have 
developed a protocol whereby these ‘loop-
holes’ can be closed. Basically, the product 
can be tagged by introducing a small known 
amount of ferulic acid at the feedstock stage. 
As  a  precursor  to  vanillin  it  will  then  be 
metabolised to produce the synthetic fla-
vouring normally used to replace natural 
vanilla.

This applied biotransformation process has 
been  tested  in  a  paracetamol  production 
trial and was confirmed as a unique trace-
able tag. Not only does it serve as a recov-
erable metabolisable chemical tag but it is 
a cheap alternative to the use of expensive 
isotope-based tracers.

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Perfumes, agrochemicals and cosmetics can 
also be tagged with a manufacturer’s chem-
ical signature. As such, this anti-counterfeit 
method will help make possible the elim-
ination of product fraud to safeguard the 
rights of both consumers and industry.

Funded under the FP5 programme Growth 
(Competitive and sustainable growth).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support; 
information exchange/training; available for consultancy.

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research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

13

 
 
 
 
 
 
I

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Monitoring endocrine disruptors 
in humans and fish

The results of an investigation into the presence of endocrine disrupting chemicals 
in humans and fish have been united in a single, highly valuable database.

The health threat associated with endocrine 
disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is real. Unfor-
tunately, to date only a very limited amount 
of data about actual EDC concentrations in 
human tissues has been collected. Seeking 

to address this shortfall, the ‘Life quality’ 
programme funded the EDEN project.

The University of Granada in Spain, a mem-
ber of the EDEN consortium, oversaw the 
sampling of tissues from both human 
and  fish  populations.  They  looked 
at a wide range of EDCs, including 
chlorinated compounds, biphenyls, 
dioxins  and  furans,  steroids  and 
phytoestrogens.

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The study initially focused on Span-
ish females affected by breast can-
cer  that  had  recently  been  oper-
ated upon. Multiple samples were 
obtained over an 18-month period. 
Comparison with control groups 

Endocrine disrupting chemicals 
and sticklebacks

A standard operating procedure developed in the United Kingdom will 
help standardise the way in which researchers test the impacts of endocrine 
disrupting chemicals on fish.

Over  20  leading  research  institutes  spread 
throughout 10 European countries participated 
in the EDEN project. One of the objectives of 
EDEN was to harmonise endocrine disrupting 
chemical (EDC) research across Europe. A key 
deliverable was a standard operating procedure 
(SOP) for testing the response of the stickle-
back species of fish to EDCs.

The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and 
Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) in the United 
Kingdom was responsible for the creation 
of the SOP together with other members of 

the EDEN consortium. Once the SOP was 
established, CEFAS also played a central role 
in its application to evaluate the risk associ-
ated with a number of EDCs.

Partners working at CEFAS cultivated the 
sticklebacks, contaminated their host water 
with oestrogens and subsequently removed 
their heart and kidneys. CEFAS then meas-
ured the amount of vitellogenin and spiggin, 
two molecular markers of oestrogenic EDC 
exposure, in these tissues. Finally, the host 
water was submitted to CEFAS for deter-

Microsporidia — biomolecular detection 
in bumblebees

Europe is the world leader for breeding bumblebee colonies and supplying 
them to farmers for the pollination of crops. This success has been protected 
by a new genetic technique that can quickly and effectively identify 
the infection of colonies by parasites.

revealed a relatively high frequency of detect-
able levels of the aforementioned EDCs.

The  next  phase  involved  tissue  collec-
tion from young children and subsequent 
analysis. Remarkably, the University of Gra-
nada found that the weight-corrected cumu-
lative levels of EDCs in children were often 
as  high  as  those  of  adults.  One  potential 
pathway for early EDC exposure is breast-
feeding. It was suggested that supplemental 
data should be collected in order to fully 
examine the role of breastfeeding as well as 
other possible mechanisms.

Finally, the adipose tissues of fish were ana-
lysed for the same EDCs. These results, as well 
as those for the human tissues, were combined 
into a single database, which represents a sig-
nificant body of EDC tissue research.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’ 
(Quality of life and management of living resources).

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 4943

mination of the initial oestrogen concentra-
tions. In this way the toxicity of oestradiol 
(E2), ethinyl oestradiol (EE2), oestrone (E1) 
and nonylphenol (NP), was evaluated.

Supplementary tests were carried out which 
demonstrated  the  validity  of  the  SOP.  In 
addition, CEFAS was able to define the radi-
oimmunoassay curves and extraction proto-
cols needed to derive exposure rates for E2, 
EE2 and E1. Peer review journals published 
the results of many of the experiments per-
formed during EDEN including research 
involving the stickleback.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’ 
(Quality of life and management of living resources).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support; 
information exchange/training.

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The use of bumblebee colonies for the pol-
lination of crops is an extremely important 
and environmentally friendly agricultural 
activity. However, the wellbeing and diver-
sity of these pollinators can be threatened if 
parasites are introduced when the bees are 
transported to new geographical locations. 
The microsporidian parasite Nosema bombi 

(N. bombi) has been identified in bumble-
bees and was the subject of a detailed study 
by the ‘Pollinator parasites’ project.

The parasite can enter a colony through a 
number of different routes, including the 
introduction of queens taken from the wild 
for breeding purposes. Infection can also 

occur when bumblebees return from polli-
nating crops. An additional route is through 
the feeding of colonies with material con-

continued on page 15

14

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

 
 
 
 
 
 
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Identifying resistance to fungus in faba beans

Faba beans were analysed and their sources of resistance to the fungus 
Ascochyta fabae were identified and characterised. The aim was to improve 
the crop’s resistance to disease.

There is an increasing awareness for the need 
to  develop  sustainable  farming  systems  in 
Europe. The reintroduction of legume crops 
can promote diversity and reduce reliance on 
chemical fertilisers and pesticides. The Eufaba 
project was a European initiative which com-
bined marker assisted selection and conven-
tional breeding methods to create enhanced 
faba bean genotypes. A key element of the 
project was the improvement of plant health by 
reducing a crop’s susceptibility to pathogens.

Scientists working at the University of Cordoba 
randomly selected 484 faba bean accessions 
and screened them for resistance to the fungus, 

Ascochyta fabae. The researchers then chose 
those plants with the least damaged leaves and 
a pod scale value of two or less, which was the 
limit for resistance. Once the best plants were 
selected they were used to form the basis of the 
Eufaba-Ascochyta-ring test.

During the first and second year the 20 best 
genotypes  were  selected  and  evaluated 
under different environmental conditions. 
It was found that three quarters of the geno-
types maintained a good level of resistance, 
with the fungus scoring lower than 10 % on 
leaves. They were also tested against differ-
ent isolates of the pathogen.

Locating faba bean resistance to disease

Gene mapping was carried out for faba bean (Vicia faba) to identify desirable 
breeding and quality characteristics. This information was used to improve 
crop health through increased resistance to plant pathogens and parasites.

Work was undertaken to address the lack 
of plant protein produced within the EU. 
A joint European initiative was established 
to improve faba bean genotypes. Scientists 
sought to develop those genotypes which 
possessed characteristics important to sus-
tainable  agriculture.  This  was  achieved 
through a combination of marker assisted 
selection and conventional plant breeding 
techniques.

Researchers from the Eufaba project devel-
oped  molecular  maps  for  the  faba  bean. 
They  were  used  to  locate  the  genes  and 
quantitative trait loci (QTLs) which control 
resistance to the parasitic plant, broomrape, 
and the fungus, Ascochyta fabae. Research-
ers also studied the stability of QTLs across a 
range of locations and genetic backgrounds 
in  order  to  identify  and  develop  specific 
biomarkers. The markers were then used for 
gene pyramiding, where two or more genes 

can be selected at a time, and for carrying 
out rapid screening.

The first step involved two existing popu-
lations of faba bean, which were segregated 
for broomrape and Ascochyta resistance. A 
linkage map and a molecular map were then 
created. The information was used to outline 
a genetic map for utilisation as a reference 
in QTL analysis. The map 
comprised random ampli-
fication  of  polymorphic 
DNA  (RAPD)  markers, 
microsatellites,  seed  pro-
tein  genes,  and  expressed 
sequence tags (ESTs) from 
the  model  plant  Medicago 
truncatula.

Resistance to broomrape was 
evaluated using recombinant 
inbred  lines  (RILs)  derived 

Researchers  detected  differences  in  the 
aggressiveness of the isolate between crop 
areas. As a result new sources of resistance 
to  Ascochyta  fabae  were  sought  in  each 
area. Scientists also observed a degree of 
interaction between the genotype resist-
ance and the isolate, suggesting the exist-
ence of pathogenic variability in the rela-
tionship between the fungus and its host. 
The Eufaba project also developed a tech-
nique, based on fluorescent microscopy, for 
viewing the development of Ascochyta faba 
within the plant.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’ 
(Quality of life and management of living resources).

Collaboration sought: information exchange/training.

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from populations from two different years 
and  locations.  This  enabled  researchers 
to  detect  the  QTLs  which  controlled  the 
trait. The QTLs associated with resistance 
to  Ascochyta  blight  were  then  identified 
through the use of composite interval map-
ping (CIM) analysis.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’ 
(Quality of life and management of living resources).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support; 
licence agreement; information exchange/training.

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continued from page 14  ‘Microsporidia — biomolecular detection in bumblebees’

taminated by microsporidia spores. Infec-
tion by N. bombi has a negative impact on 
the development and vitality of colonies and 
their ability to carry out pollination, and on 
the rearing of new queens. Because there 
is no known cure for the disease, infected 
colonies  are  destroyed  to  avoid  further 
contamination.

The research team recommended that bum-
blebee colonies should be examined every 
four  weeks  for  any  signs  of  N.  bombi  or 

other parasites and diseases. This enables 
the early detection of any infection, thereby 
preventing a major outbreak. The scientists 
from the ‘Pollinator parasites’ project devel-
oped a genomic tool for the detection of N. 
bombi based on the polymerase chain reac-
tion (PCR).

The PCR tool produced multiple copies of 
fragments of the microsporidium’s ribos-
omal RNA (rRNA). This method was su-
perior  to  the  conventional  technique  of 

using a light microscope when spores can be 
overlooked or misidentified. The use of mo-
lecular detection provided an analytical tech-
nique that was fast, accurate, cost-effective 
and capable of identifying all the develop-
mental stages of N. bombi.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’ 
(Quality of life and management of living resources).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

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research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

15

 
 
 
 
ENERGY
Providing Morepower to portable fuel cells

New electrocatalyst materials identified during the Morepower project have the 
potential to substantially boost the performance of today’s portable fuel cells.

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Fuel cells have been touted to replace fuel tanks filled with fossil 
fuels in the not so distant future. Turning this dream into reality 
will require considerable advances in fuel cell technology. Experts 
from nine organisations spread throughout Europe gathered in 
the framework of the Morepower project with the intention of 
making significant progress toward improving efficiency.

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The partners focussed on direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), which 
are appropriate for portable applications due to their relatively high 
power density. The challenge was to construct a DMFC capable of 
operating at low atmospheric temperatures and pressures. 

Emphasis was placed on optimising the selection of electrocatalyst 
materials for the anode and cathode. Experiments revealed that cat-
alysts constructed from platinum and ruthenium delivered the best 
oxidation activity for methanol at the anode. Additional gains were 
made possible by the use of carbon support.

With respect to the cathode, the goal was to increase oxygen 
reduction activity. Tests with a number of different materials were 
performed. The best results were achieved with a combination of 
platinum and iron. By paying special attention to the catalyst’s 
morphological properties, the scientists involved in Morepower 
were  also  able  to  limit  the  loss  of  methanol  to  the  crossover 
phenomenon.

During  the  project,  colloidal  preparation  procedures  were 
employed to produce both the anode and cathode catalysts. In-
corporating the new catalysts into DMFCs promises to open up a 
new range of applications where portability is required.

Funded under the FP6 thematic area Sustdev
 (Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems).

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5315

ing the crossover rate of methanol. These 
improvements  enable  more  power  to  be 
packed into a smaller space making DMFCs 
suitable as an energy source for stand-alone 
units such as auxiliary power units and se-
curity devices. Furthermore, DMFCs have 
no moving parts which render them more 
reliable and cheaper to maintain than con-
ventional electricity generators.

Funded under the FP6 thematic area Sustdev 
(Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems).

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Low-cost membranes to play key role 
in fuel cell development

The success of portable fuel cells in niche applications can open the market for 
the fuel cell industry in Europe. Research by the Morepower project promises 
to improve the performance of compact fuel cells with potential use in weather 
stations, medical devices and gas sensors.

The EU is committed to a sustainable future 
for Europe and has funded research into en-
vironmentally friendly means of supplying 
power. One such initiative is the Morepower 
project,  which  has  developed  a  compact 
portable  power  source  that  can  produce 
electricity from chemical energy.

The direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is 
expected to take a leading role in replacing 
conventional fossil fuel-based power sys-
tems with more sustainable forms of energy 
supply. The cell uses methanol as fuel, a sta-
ble, energy-dense liquid that can be simply 
and cheaply produced on a large scale from 
biological material. Unlike fossil fuels, the 
only waste products produced are CO2 and 
water.

Researchers  from  the  consortium  devel-
oped  a  cost-effective,  low-temperature 
transportable  device,  which  represents  a 
major research challenge requiring a highly 

innovative approach. In addition, they in-
vestigated new low-cost proton-exchange 
membranes  containing  large  numbers  of 
proton-exchange  sites  and  an  extensive 
cross-linked core structure.

Modifications  were  made  to  mem-
branes to limit permeability to metha-
nol while maintaining proton conduc-
tivity. Laboratory test findings showed 
similar results for the different novel 
membranes  with  a  maximum  power 
density of around 85 mW/cm2. This com-
pared well to the target of 100 mW/cm2 
set by the project. The Morepower team 
also carried out studies into multilayer 
membrane electrode assemblies which 
were manufactured by project partners 
on a micro-pilot scale.

The benefits of an enhanced membrane 
material  include  better  proton  conduc-
tivity and thermal stability while reduc-

16

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

 
 
 
were also put in place to stop the storage 
devices from flooding the network in case 
of frequency deviation.

The  team  from  INESC  Porto  devised  a 
number of scenarios to assess the new con-
trol measures. Factors such as load and gen-
eration were varied while both forced and 
intentional islanding were implemented. The 
simulation results indicate that microgrids 
are viable when the measures are applied.

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Funded under the FP5 programme EESD 
(Energy, environment and sustainable development).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

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ware tool addressing fast transients were 
essential during this phase of the project.

Funded under the FP5 programme EESD 
(Energy, environment and sustainable development).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

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Resolving the operational challenges 
of microgrids

Researchers with the Power Systems Unit of INESC Porto developed 
and tested a number of control measures designed to resolve specific problems 
associated with the operation of microgrids.

Microgrids entail the connection of mul-
tiple,  smaller  energy  producers  to  the 
energy  distribution  network.  Microgrids 
are critical for the adoption of renewable 
energy sources (RES) and can contribute 
to increasing energy production, efficiency 
and reliability while reducing greenhouse 
gas emissions.

Microgrids  are  not  without  their  chal-
lenges, especially the issue of load-following 
which seeks to match energy production as 
closely as possible to energy demand. The 
Microgrids project received funding from 
the EESD programme to investigate solu-
tions  to  load-following  and  other  oper-
ational concerns.

Scientists  with  the  Power  Systems  Unit 
employed computer-based simulations to 
facilitate the development of control strat-
egies. The set-up included several micro-
sources  connected  to  a  low  voltage  (LV) 
network that could be operated either in an 
interconnected or autonomous mode.

Experiments carried out during the three-
year project indicated two viable options 

for controlling inverters, one of the most 
critical system components in microgrids. 
The solutions involved the use of inverters 
controlling active and reactive power (PQ) 
control and voltage source inverter (VSI) 
control logic.

In  addition,  various  approaches  to  the 
issue of energy storage, a prerequisite for 
islanded operation, were studied in detail. 
The answer was to use a VSI to provide ref-
erence  voltage  informa-
tion  in  the  absence 
of the main network, 
although this required 
synchronisation.  If 
two  or  more  invert-
ers  were  used,  the 
synchronisation issue 
could be eliminated.

Storage devices are sus-
ceptible  to  overload-
ing following islanding, 
thus  it  was  necessary 
to  create  a  load  shed-
ding scheme. Additional 
load-frequency controls 

Restoring microgrids to operation 
following blackouts

Concerns regarding how to successfully restart microgrids following power 
failures have been put to rest thanks to a new black start function devised 
by electrical engineers with INESC Porto in Portugal.

Following  blackouts,  special  procedures 
known as black starts must be implemented 
to  quickly  and  safely  restore  power.  This 
includes the restart of low-voltage (LV) net-
works connected to the main grid that did 
not manage to switch to an islanded mode 
of operation during the blackout.

Experts  with  the  Power  Systems  Unit  of 
INESC Porto have developed a black start 
mechanism designed especially for micro-
grids, LV networks containing several small 
sources usually based on renewables. The 
research was supported by the EESD pro-
gramme in the context of the Microgrids 
project.

The  step-by-step  process  relies  on  the 
main components of the microgrid con-
trol and communication systems, namely 
the microgrid central controller (MGCC), 

microsource controller (MC) and load con-
troller (LC). The process of bootstrapping 
the network entails connect-
ing  sources  and  loads  while 
regulating  voltage  and  fre-
quency. In order to deal with 
the  slow  response  of  some  of 
the  microsources,  the  INESC 
team recommended the inclu-
sion of energy storage facilities 
to shorten the time required to 
restore the network.

The performance of the black start 
mechanism as well as a procedure 
defined to reconnect to medium 
voltage (MV) networks was evalu-
ated during the Microgrids project. 
Computer simulations using a plat-
form  based  in  MatLab/Simulink, 
combined with a specialised soft-

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

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Scientists set new record for solar cell efficiency

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in 
Germany announced that they have succeeded in improving the efficiency of solar 
cells, which are designed to convert available light into electricity. The quantum 
electronic phenomenon called the photovoltaic (PV) effect makes this possible.

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Spectacular success has been reported by 
the Fullspectrum project team in that the 
effectiveness of III-V semiconductor multi-
junction solar cells, used in PV concentra-
tor technology for solar power stations, has 
been increased by 2.1 % to 39.7 % — a new 
European  record.  The  work  was  funded 
to the tune of EUR 8.34 million under the 
Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) Full-
spectrum project.

The project’s short-term objectives included 
the  development  of  multi-junction  (MJ) 
solar cells with very high efficiency, while 
long-term goals included the evaluation of 
intermediate band (IB) solar cells as a revo-
lutionary high-efficiency concept. Accord-
ing to the researchers, the IB cell is based 
on the presence of electrons at three energy 
levels  and  in  the  electron  pumping  with 
two photons, contrary to two levels and one 
photon.

Project leader Dr Frank Dimroth explained 
that the team succeeded in improving the 
contact structures of the solar cells. ‘As a 
result, using the same semiconductor struc-
tures, we now achieve the higher efficiency 
when converting sunlight into electricity,’ 
he said.

When  light  strikes  the  cell,  some  of  the 
light is absorbed within the semiconduc-
tor material. Essentially, the energy of the 
absorbed light is transferred to the semicon-
ductor. According to the research team, the 
optimal efficiency of MJ solar cells must be 
secured between 300 and 600 suns in order 

to be used in PV concentrator systems. In 
other words, there must be a sunlight con-
centration factor of 300 to 600.

The metallisation of the front side of the 
solar  cells  yields  different  concentration 
factors.  In  the  front  grid,  the  current  is 
conducted through a network of thin wires 
from the middle of the solar cell to the edge 
where a 50 micrometre gold wire picks it up, 
the research team explained.

The structure of this metal network is im-
portant, they said, adding that this is par-
ticularly true when the structure is under 
concentrated  sunlight.  The  metal  wires 
should have the capacity to transport the 
sizeable currents produced under concen-
trated sunlight; low resistance is needed for 
this to pan out.

On the flip side, the wires need to be tiny 
so as to ensure that the sunlight does not 
penetrate through the metal. As a result, 
the metal-covered cell area is not an option 
when contemplating which element to use 
in electrical conversion.

The  Fraunhofer  ISE  researchers  started 
working  on  the  theoretical  calculation 
of  optimal  contact  structures  in  2006. 
The  team  succeeded  in  reaching  a  solar 
cell efficiency of 37.6 % in July 2008. The 
team’s findings represent a great step for-
ward  in  the  development  of  more  cost-
efficient applications for these types of cells in 
terrestrial applications.

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‘We  are  very  pleased  to  have  advanced 
a  further  decisive  step  in  such  a  short 
amount  of  time,’  remarked  Dr  Andreas 
Bett,  Department  Head  at  Fraunhofer 
ISE. ‘Highest conversion efficiencies help 
the young technology to become market-
competitive and to further sink the costs of 
generating electricity from the Sun for the 
future.’

The research team explained that they have 
been working on MJ solar cells with high-
est efficiencies for over a decade. However, 
high material and production costs restrict 
their use to PV systems and space applica-
tions only.

While  no  practical  high-efficiency  cells 
based on this concept have yet been gener-
ated, their experimental results have been 
fruitful and researchers the world over are 
keen to carry out studies on this concept, 
the project partners said.

A  key  component  of  Fullspectrum  was 
its  cooperative  research  nature,  fuelling 
research  and  creating  programmes  in 
various countries, including Japan and the 
United States. The EU is a leader in cooper-
ative research, a trend triggered primarily by 
the need to integrate European scientists.

Funded under the FP6 thematic area Sustdev 
(Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems).

http://cordis.europa.eu/news>search>fullspectrum 30122

For further information about the Fullspectrum project, please visit:
http://www.fullspectrum-eu.org

18

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

 
 
 
 
The future for solar energy is Crystalclear

European scientists have achieved world firsts in the photovoltaic (PV) field, 
making energy production using the Sun more efficient and sustainable. Could 
this be what the EU needs to meet its 2020 sustainable energy targets?

Europe’s long-standing commitment to solar 
energy has resulted in a narrowing of the gap 
between performance in the laboratory and 
energy efficiency in the latest PV installations 
which convert the Sun’s energy into power.

The timing could not be better as EU energy 
policy targets for 2020 — a 20 % reduction in 
greenhouse gas emissions with the same per-
centage increase in the use of renewable energy 
sources — are looming on the horizon.

Determined to build on Europe’s already 
strong track record in PV research, part-
ners in the EU-funded Crystalclear project 
set their sights on ways to mainstream this 
promising, but economically still immature 
technology. But to do this, the 16 partners 
from leading companies and research or-
ganisations across Europe realised that new 
materials  and  more  efficient  production 
methods would be necessary.

the cost of electricity currently paid by the 
consumer, a situation called ‘grid parity’.

The  Crystalclear  scientists  screened  new 
sources of high-purity silicon, or so-called 
feedstock, in search of solar grade (rather 
than electronic grade) silicon, which has an 
optimised cost/performance ratio for use in 
PV cells. The solar grade silicon was crystal-
lised and cut into wafers, which in turn were 
processed into cells. The performance of the 
cells is the key indicator of the quality and 
usefulness of the feedstock.

The  team  produced  super-thin  wafers  — 
half the usual thickness — weighing in at just 
120 micrometres to reduce the consumption of 
silicon and thus the cost of cells. Crystalclear 
developed special cutting processes — where 
wafers are literally ‘sawn’ off a large crystal 
ingot  —  with  reduced  kerf  losses,  further 
reducing net silicon consumption and cost.

With  the  help  of  EUR  16  million  in  EU 
funding, they developed exactly that, cutting 
the unit costs to produce a PV module from 
more than EUR 2 per watt-peak to EUR 1 by 
improving the conversion efficiency — how 
much power is produced at a given inten-
sity of sunlight — to a world-record value 
of over 16 %, by reducing the consumption 
of materials and by introducing elegant new 
designs of solar cells and modules. At this 
cost and efficiency, PV moves even closer to 

Module design and manufacturing was also 
an important feature. Rear-contact cells were 
used to achieve potentially higher efficiency by 
moving all or part of the contact grids to the 
rear of the device. This resulted in less shadow 
on the front of the cell but also enabled a new 
module assembly process, based on gluing 
rather than the usual soldering for electrical 
interconnection of cells. This assembly process 
was a perfect fit ultra-thin cell, avoiding mech-
anical stresses and breakage.

The optimal potential of fuel blending

Emission of toxic metals from industrial combustion plants can be reduced 
through the use of a modified fuel blending strategy.

In line with supporting EU policy to lessen 
CO2 emission, the use of fossil fuels in the 
field of heat and power production has been 
reduced. Biofuels are thus being exploited as 
viable power generation alternatives. How-
ever their use has a negative impact when 
it comes to combustion conditions, leading 
to the volatilisation of elements and particle 
formation. Examples include toxic metals 
(ToMes) such as lead, chromium, cadmium 
and particularly mercury which are altered 
within compounds they have formed due to 
oxidation, reduction and sorption.

In  light  of  this,  the  Tomered  project  has 
pinpointed behavioural changes that occur 
in the course of ToMe emission during the 
(co-) firing of bio fuel/coal fuel blends. Fur-
thermore the means for creating and ana-
lysing ways to lessen these emissions with 

fuel blending and the use of low-cost sorb-
ents and multi-pollutant cleaning systems 
was sought.

The answer to this pursuit lies in primary 
m e a s u re s   s u ch   a s 
the  utilisation  of  fuel 
blends with low ToMe 
emission;  thus,  major 
process  modifications 
and  additional  equip-
ment can be eliminated. 
The  fuel  blends  were 
evaluated for interactions 
and in turn the results of 
those tests were used for 
fuel blending protocols.

This fuel blending strategy 
has  promising  potential 

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

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Although PV solar modules are by defin-
ition a fully renewable energy technology, 
an  important  measure  of  their  environ-
mental sustainability comes down to the 
amount of energy used during manufac-
ture and the recyclability of components. 
The Crystalclear team fulfilled the objec-
tive to reduce the energy input by a fac-
tor of two and successfully demonstrated 
recovery and recycling of silicon and cells 
from modules.

Thanks to European solar energy research, 
the EU may now have the edge both in indus-
trial applications and on the electricity mar-
kets as it moves ever closer to grid parity. And 
looking to the future, EU energy policy tar-
gets could well move a step closer to reality.

Funded under the FP6 thematic area Sustdev 
(Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems).

For further information about the Crystalclear project, 
please visit: 
the European Commission's research site: 
http://tinyurl.com/y8nycqa
and the project's site: 
http://www.ipcrystalclear.info

thanks to being cost-efficient as well as versa-
tile with respect to its applicability with various 
fuels such as coal and biomass/waste.

Funded under the FP5 programme EESD 
(Energy, environment and sustainable development).

Collaboration sought: information exchange/training.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5245

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19

 
 
 
 
ENVIRONMENT
Estimating Europe’s carbon dioxide fluxes

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today. The Kyoto Protocol attempted to address 
the problem by trying to maintain greenhouse gases at a level where they cannot disrupt the climate. The 
Camels project was established to help EU Member States meet their obligations under the Kyoto agreement.

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The treaty allowed some countries to partially offset their CO2 
emissions against carbon accumulated as a result of changes in 
land use and forest management. However, the reporting of CO2 
sources and sinks must be transparent and verifiable in order for 
the system to work.

The ‘Carbon assimilation and modelling of the European land 
surface’ (Camels) project measured atmospheric transport and 
terrestrial carbon uptake. The information was used to optimise 
parameters on the stand scale. In addition, consistent uncer-
tainty bounds on carbon fluxes were produced. The parameter 

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Improving estimates of surface 
emissivity over the poles

Scientists at the University of Bremen in Germany 
successfully demonstrated that satellite data can be 
used to determine critical atmospheric parameters 
when surface measurements are unavailable.

values were applied to the prototype carbon cycle data assimi-
lation system (CCDAS).

The  CCDAS  was  based  on  the  biosphere  energy-transfer  and 
hydrology (BETHY) ecosystem model. The BETHY model used 
information from satellites to determine optimised values for 
water status, seasonal changes and total plant cover. The BETHY 
model was improved by combining the data with atmospheric 
CO2  concentration  observations.  The  prototype  CCDAS  and 
optimised BETHY model were used to gain greater insight into 
the processes behind the current terrestrial carbon sinks. This 
was achieved while isolating the contribution from direct land 
management.

Results indicated that changes in terrestrial CO2 fluxes were mainly 
due to the El Niño southern oscillation. However, long-term CO2 flux 
indicated a large uptake over the northern hemisphere and tropical 
regions. This was partly compensated for by the high levels of back-
ground CO2 originating from changes in land use. The researchers 
found that the European terrestrial sink, excluding Russia, was about 
a third of the regions fossil fuel emissions. The findings by the Cam-
els team showed that climate change does not respect international 
borders and must be tackled at a global level.

Funded under the FP5 programme EESD (Energy, environment and sustainable development).

Collaboration sought: information exchange/training.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5263

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It has been predicted that the effects of climate 
change may be felt the most at the Earth’s poles. 
Unfortunately, both current and historical me-
teorological data for these remote regions is 
extremely limited. This has provided signifi-
cant motivation to exploit Earth observation 
(EO) data collected by satellites.

Atmospheric  physicists  with  the  Univer-
sity of Bremen coordinated a multinational 
research  effort  aimed  at  delivering  new 
EO products for polar regions. During the 
project, entitled Iomasa, a novel algorithm 
was developed to produce estimates of sur-
face emissivity from advanced microwave 
sounding unit (AMSU) radiometers aboard 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-
istration satellites.

The first step involved initiating a radiative 
transfer model with upper air data from the 

European  Centre 
for  Medium-range 
Weather  Forecasts. 
The predicted atmos-
pheric  brig htness 
temperature was then 
compared against the 
actual brightness tem-
perature  recorded  by 
the AMSU, after which 
the  surface  emissiv-
ity  could  be  properly 
determined.

Surface  emissivity  is 
an important component governing the 
Earth’s energy balance. Therefore, more 
accurate  estimates  of  this  critical  vari-
able,  particularly  over  the  poles,  could 
help improve the performance of global 
climate models.

Funded under the FP5 programme EESD 
(Energy, environment and sustainable development).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5269

20

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

 
 
 
 
Studying microbial biodiversity in Europe’s seas

Scientists involved in the Basics research project developed a new theory explaining 
why some species of marine microorganism flourish while others flounder.

Despite their microscopic size, microorgan-
isms are known to play an important role in 
the cycling of nutrients, such as carbon and 
sulphur, in the world’s oceans. The health of 
marine ecosystems is also strongly depend-
ent upon functions performed by these tiny 
inhabitants.

The EESD Programme funded a group of 
universities and research institutes spread 
across Europe to study levels of biodiversity 
in marine microbial communities. In add-
ition to collecting data regarding the dif-
ferent  types  and  relative  populations  of 

microorganisms, an effort was also made 
to  understand  the  factors  governing 
biodiversity.

The research was led by experienced marine 
microbiologists with the University of Ber-
gen  in  Norway.  To  their  surprise,  they 
discovered that traditional theory, which 
favours smaller species due to their ability 
to better capture limited nutrients in the sea 
environment, does not always hold true.

In fact, it became apparent that osmotrophs, 
species that absorb their food across cell 

The role of biodiversity in the health 
of marine ecosystems

A better understanding of how microorganisms help keep marine ecosystems 
healthy is imperative in light of the way human interference is altering the 
environment, often for the worse.

Single-celled microorganisms such as bac-
teria and Archaea play an important part 
in the cycling of carbon and sulphur in the 
oceans. The role of species biodiversity in 
this and other marine ecosystem processes is 
not well understood. Several leading research 
institutes combined forces during the Basics 
project to shed some light on these matters.

One of the participants, the Centre national de 
la recherche scientifique (CNRS), spent one and 
a half years exploring the Bay of Villefranche 
off the southern coast of France. They found 
considerably high levels of biodiversity. In fact, 
nearly 30 different phylotypes were identified.

Cluster analysis, a powerful statistical tool, 
was used to group the phylotypes according 
to chronological criteria. The marine micro-
biologists with CNRS discovered that there 
was a varied reaction to external factors such 
as phytoplankton blooms and Saharan dust 
episodes. In addition, the phylotypes were fur-
ther differentiated with respect to their posi-
tion in relation to the thermocline, the lower 
boundary of the mixed layer of the ocean.

Finally, artificial neural networks (ANNs) 
were  employed  in  an  attempt  to  estab-
lish relationships between phylotypes and 
marine ecosystem functions. The research-

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membranes rather than digesting it, could 
obtain a competitive advantage in certain 
conditions. They found that large bacteria 
benefited from carbon-rich environments 
while excess silicon facilitated the growth of 
diatoms. Furthermore, increased size helped 
reduce the threat from predators such as 
microzooplankton.

This research may provide important insight 
into how these microorganisms will fare as 
the  composition  of  the  Earth’s  oceans  is 
modified by global climate change.

Funded under the FP5 programme EESD 
(Energy, environment and sustainable development).

Collaboration sought: information exchange/training.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5235

ers at CNRS concluded that the non-linear 
nature  of  the  ANN  results  reflected  the 
inherent complexity of the system. While 
evidence of important links was uncovered, 
further research has been recommended by 
the Basics participants.

Funded under the FP5 programme EESD
 (Energy, environment and sustainable development).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5268

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Bringing the Atlantic bluefin tuna back 
from the brink

Scientists in the United Kingdom discovered that maximum sustainable yield 
may not be the ‘silver bullet’ it is portrayed to be with respect to restoring fish 
stocks on the brink of extinction.

Steps must be taken to help stocks of Atlantic 
bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), which have 
been severely depleted by overfishing, recover. 
Much attention has recently been focused on 
management practices based on maximum 
sustainable yield (MSY). It is not clear, how-
ever, whether this method will produce the 
desired result given the inherent complexity 
of the ecosystem in which the tuna reside.

Looking to address this issue, the ‘Life qual-
ity’ programme funded the FEMS research 
project, the aim of which was to evaluate the 

suitability of an MSY-based approach. Scien-
tists with the Centre for Environment, Fish-
eries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) in 
the United Kingdom led the investigation.

Stock assessment methods are an essential tool 
in such exercises, thus it was first necessary to 
compare the accuracy of several different tech-
niques. Subsequently, the strategy proposed by 
the International Commission for the Conser-
vation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) as well as 
the ‘Adaptive framework for virtual population 
analysis’ (ADAPT-VPA) were put to the test.

The CEFAS scientists found that reference 
points based on fish mortality (F) outper-
formed their counterparts based on biomass 
or yield. Furthermore, reliable insight could 
be obtained from F-based reference points 
when  the  catch  had  been  perturbed  by  a 
change in carrying capacity. Regardless, no 
single approach proved infallible.

The members of the FEMS research consor-
tium believe the key lies within improving 
our understanding of the dynamic processes 
driving the stock cycle as well as a range of 
fishing industry parameters.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Life quality’ 
(Quality of life and management of living resources).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5227

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

21

 
 
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Sensor system detects harmful 
environments for pipe organs

The organ belongs to the core of European culture, 
reflecting a diverse history of traditions and stylistic 
periods. The European heritage of the organ is 
preserved in more than 10 000 historical instruments 
throughout the continent. A major threat to this 
heritage stems from harmful indoor environments.

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The  EU-funded  Sensorgan  project  has 
looked at ways to monitor the deterioration 
of organs, thereby helping to preserve them. 
An organ is a complex instrument contain-
ing  wooden  parts  like  the  bellows,  wind 
conductors, windchests and metal parts like 
the sounding pipes. Changes in the indoor 
climate through, for example, the installa-
tion of a new heating system or the restor-
ation of a church can cause serious damage 
to the instrument.

A  humidity  decrease  can  cause  cracks 
in  the  wooden  parts  causing  key  action 
malfunction or leakage in the windchest 
containing the valve mechanisms. Dam-
age of this nature renders the instrument 
unplayable,  and  major  and  expensive 
repair  work  has  to  be  performed,  often 
resulting in the replacement and loss of 
historical materials. Unfortunately this is 
a frequent problem.

Organic acids, in combination with con-
densation, create pipe corrosion (lead and 
lead-tin alloys) in many of Europe’s histor-
ical organs and the number of instruments 
affected  by  corrosion  seems  to  be  grow-
ing. The aggressiveness of this corrosion is 
a major environmental threat against this 
acoustic heritage.

Corrosion starts inside the pipe foot and 
moves  gradually  upwards  to  the  mouth 

(cid:2)(cid:3)

area.  If  nothing  is 
done,  there  will  be 
cracks  and  finally 
holes in the pipe foot 
wall. If the corrosion 
reaches  the  mouth, 
the sound properties will gradually change 
and finally the pipe will be silent. This is of 
course a very serious situation because the 
sound quality of the ancient instrument will 
be changed causing the loss of this aspect of 
acoustic cultural heritage forever.

The  objectives  of  the  Sensorgan  project 
were  to  make  available  new  instrumen-
tation  for  monitoring  and  detection  of 
harmful environments for organs through 
the development of sensors for real-time 
measurement.

The system developed by Sensorgan con-
tains three different sensors to detect:
(cid:2)(cid:3)

levels of organic acids harmful to organ 
pipes  using  piezoelectric  quartz  crystal 
(PQC) technology. When an electric field 
is applied to PQCs, they start to vibrate. 
Monitoring changes in their characteris-
tic resonant frequency such as those from 
corrosion  provides  important  feedback 
about  the  level  of  organic  acids  which 
causes damage.
environments damaging to wooden parts 
of organs through an acoustic emission 
(AE) sensor. The sound emitted when a 

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(cid:2)(cid:3)

microcrack is developed can be detected 
by the AE sensor, thereby providing early 
warning of the emergence of cracks in the 
wood.
possible dew formation both inside and 
outside the organ pipes. The change in the 
reflectivity of optical fibre in contact with 
organ pipes was exploited to determine 
when water or ice crystals are formed on 
their surface.

These sensors constitute a powerful tool 
for the detection of harmful environments 
and the assessment of measures to impede 
them. They were installed in the historical 
organ in the Minor Basilica of St Andrew 
the Apostle in Olkusz, Poland, 60 km east 
of  Cracow.  One  of  the  oldest  organs  in 
Poland, it has been in use since 1611. Not 
much  written  documentation  from  this 
time has survived, leaving the organ as a 
rare link to the true sounds of the Renais-
sance and Baroque periods. However, like 
many cultural heritage artefacts, its age is 
beginning to show. The need for preserva-
tion has prompted many European scien-
tists into action.

During the Sensorgan project, physicist Lukasz 
Bratasz from the Polish Academy of Sciences’ 
Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry 
visited this particular organ on a monthly 
basis. He used special sensors to monitor the 
micro-acoustic emissions from the cracks in 
the wooden structure. The inside of the organ 
is very sensitive to changes in its environment, 
be it climatic, biological, chemical or physical. 
During a church service in winter, it is not 
unlikely for the temperature to rise from 0 to 
20° C, due to human activity. Lukasz is of the 
opinion that the organ in St Andrew the Apos-
tle is in quite good condition, but requires con-
tinued monitoring.

Research has shown how the most dangerous 
environmental changes are those that occur 
very quickly, for example through the use of air 
conditioning systems. However, drastic changes 

continued on page 23

22

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

 
 
 
 
Probing ocean sediments for methane hot spots

To reduce the cost and improve the quality of methane measurements 
on the ocean floor, scientists with the National Environmental Research 
Institute (NERI) in Denmark turned to sound waves.

There  is  concern  that  changes  resulting 
from  global  warming  could  lead  to  the 
release  of  large  amounts  of  methane,  an 
important greenhouse gas, from the Earth’s 
oceans. Global mapping of the oceans’ me-
thane reserves is a daunting task, but thanks 
to  research  supported  by  the  EESD  pro-
gramme, it may become feasible.

The  project,  entitled  Metrol,  brought 
together a number of leading research insti-
tutes, including NERI. The team at NERI 
borrowed from a technique used in seismic 
surveys. It takes advantage of the fact that 
the methane gas bubbles contained in ocean 
floor sediments reflect sound waves.

The  method  proved  capable  of  deliver-
ing  highly  resolved  measurements  of  the 
methane  saturation  depth.  Compared  to 
conventional sediment sampling, the new 
approach was not only more accurate but 
also required less time and money to per-
form. In addition, by exploiting the high 
statistical correlation between the two vari-
ables, it was also possible to produce esti-
mates of methane net oxidation from the 
methane saturation depth.

The NERI researchers propose the use of the 
new technique to map methane deposits, 
in particular to identify regions with rela-
tively high methane concentrations. Such 

An open forum for land use management

The application of democratic principles in the decision-making process 
towards sustainable development may offer solutions to the problem of land 
degradation and desertification in the Mediterranean.

Sustainable  development  and  the  prob-
lem of desertification was the main focus 
of ‘Medaction 4’ which was comprised of 
four projects constituting a programme of 
integrated multidisciplinary research. Four 
modules were created which spanned the 
issues of land management, scenario gen-

eration and policy formulation both locally 
and across the Mediterranean. The four tar-
get areas were in Greece, Spain, Italy and 
Portugal.

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Stakeholders, meaning those who have an 
interest  in  or  are  directly  affected  by  the 
issues  discussed,  were 
responsible for produc-
ing  these  scenarios  on 
regional as well as local 
levels. Stakeholders hold 
the  role  of  specialists 
and  play  a  major  role 
in the decision-making 
process; therefore, their 
participation is consid-
ered vital in achieving 
a democratic balance 
in  policy-making. 
Moreover they chan-
n e l   c o m mu n i c a -
tion  between  the 
general  public  and 

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information will be especially valuable to 
scientists studying the effects of the oxygen 
depletion associated with these so-called hot 
spots on the local ecosystem.

Funded under the FP5 programme EESD 
(Energy, environment and sustainable development).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5239

experts which allows an open forum for the 
exchange of ideas.

Under these auspices, objectives were cre-
ated  for  the  ‘Medaction  4’  stakeholder 
workshops. These included enhancing local 
public perception of land degradation and 
desertification, assisting broader implemen-
tation  and  dissemination  of  the  research 
results and offering the foundation for long-
term stakeholder involvement in decision-
making.

Stakeholder groups comprised of 15-20 per-
sons were formed in each of the target areas 
which increased involvement and supported 
feedback. The individuals spanned a broad 
spectrum. They included community mem-
bers, representatives of non-governmental 
organisations, farmers, journalists, students 
and  free  thinkers/artists.  After  the  first 
series of workshops, a second series was cre-
ated for backcasting, that is, using the initial 
material produced in a more thorough and 
structured manner.

Funded under the FP5 programme EESD
 (Energy, environment and sustainable development).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5262

continued from page 22  ‘Sensor system detects harmful environments for pipe organs’

in temperature and humidity are at their most 
threatening  when  the  material  is  exposed 
openly to interact with the environment.

The data collected from all the sensors will 
continue to be analysed, microclimatic fac-
tors creating harmful environments stud-
ied, and conclusions drawn up for publica-
tions, mitigative strategies and to support 

the Committee for European Standardiza-
tion (CEN).

The efforts of the Sensorgan project to rescue 
these age-old instruments must be considered 
of utmost importance to the EU. Looking at the 
overwhelmingly rich organ heritage in eastern 
European countries (more than 1 000 historical 
organs in Croatia alone and more than 4 000 

in Poland) gives an indication of the need for 
measures to safeguard these as an important 
part of European life and identity.

Funded under the FP6 cross-cutting activity
‘Research for policy support’. 

For further information about the Sensorgan project, please visit:
http://ec.europa.eu/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=37
http://goart.gu.se/cgi-bin/senslev1/sensorgan.taf

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

23

 
 
 
 
nomic, social, regional development, envir-
onmental and transport policies together 
with a number of other topics were included 
in the study.

The  aim  of  the  recommendations  was  to 
optimise existing policies and to drive the 
development of future policies. They tar-
get  common  European  policy  as  well  as 
National Action Programmes in four EU 
Member  States  which  face  a  high  risk  of 
desertification: Greece, Spain, Italy and Por-
tugal. The focus was on procedural aspects, 
including guidance concerning successful 
policy integration through the use of spe-
cific policy instruments.

The recommendations are of value not only 
to  policymakers,  but  also  to  other  stake-
holders, such as non-governmental organ-
isations and the academic as well as profes-
sional communities. The approach applied 
during the project and its results may also 
have  implications  for  other  multifaceted 
policy issues like climate change.

Funded under the FP5 programme EESD 
(Energy, environment and sustainable development).

Collaboration sought: information exchange/training.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5230

The molecular markers were used to monitor 
cricket populations in two landscape study 
sites in Belgium and Switzerland. By inves-
tigating the relationship between indicator 
species and landscape structure and land 
use  intensity  the  Greenveins  project  can 
develop tools for assessing biodiversity in 
agricultural systems. These tools can con-
tribute to the monitoring of biodiversity in 
the EU and help in policy development and 
spatial planning.

Funded under the FP5 programme EESD 
(Energy, environment and sustainable development).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5250

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Fighting desertification through 
policy integration

Investigators involved in the ‘Medaction 4’ project have published a set of 
recommendations designed to improve Europe’s approach to policy-making 
where desertification is concerned.

Chronic mismanagement of land and water 
resources has intensified the rate of deser-
tification worldwide. Climate change and 
a growing population threaten to further 
exacerbate the loss of arable land and bio-
diversity. Now more than ever, it is impera-

tive that effective policies be put in place to 
tackle desertification.

The EESD programme supported important 
research  in  this  field.  Extensive  analysis 
of  existing  policy  at  both  European  and 
national  levels  cul-
minated in a number 
of  recommenda-
tions and guidelines 
to  better  integrate 
elements related to 
desertification.

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The  work  was  led 
by  scientists  with 
the Department of 
Geography at the 
University of the 
Aegean in Greece. 
Due to the com-
plex  nature  of 
the  issue,  eco-

Molecular markers in dark bush crickets

Molecular markers were identified for the dark bush cricket (Pholidoptera 
griseoaptera) to help determine the vulnerability of populations of indicator 
species in agricultural systems. The work was part of the Greenveins project, 
which studied the biodiversity of European farmland.

Agricultural landscapes cover more than half 
the surface area of the EU. However, the level 
of knowledge regarding their biodiversity 
has  been  relatively  limited  until  recently. 
An EU-funded project, Greenveins, investi-
gated the relationship between the structure 
of the European landscape, the intensity of 
use of agricultural land, and biodiversity. It 
was already known that biodiversity declines 
when  land  use  intensity  is  increased  and 
there is a loss of semi-natural elements such 
as hedges, woodlands and ponds.

The  results  from  this  study  were  used  to 
determine the vulnerability of biodiversity 
in agricultural landscape. The Greenveins 
project  collected  information  on  plants, 
songbirds  and  insects  from  26  landscape 
test sites (LTS) in seven countries in north-
western Europe. Researchers investigated 
metapopulations of nine indicator species, 
including P. griseoaptera. A metapopulation 
comprises populations of the same species 
spatially separated over the landscape.

Using metapopulations the scientists could 
therefore study how such populations are 

affected by changes in landscape and land 
use.  The  results  also  revealed  how  bio-
diversity can become vulnerable, and these 
findings could be used to develop policies 
that  support  sustainable  biodiversity  in 
agricultural systems. Data on metapopu-
lations  was  obtained  through  use  of  the 
capture-recapture technique and through 
the employment of genetic analysis.

Population geneticists studied P. griseoaptera 
in  order  to  identify  novel  microsatellite 
markers.  These  are  re-
petitive stretches of short 
sequences of DNA which 
can be used for tracking 
the inheritance of genes. 
The scientists employed 
12  microsatellite  loci, 
which contained as many 
as  37  alleles  per  locus. 
These molecular markers 
can be used to investigate 
how  landscape  structure 
and land use intensity can 
affect  genetic  diversity  in 
P. griseoaptera.

24

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

 
 
 
 
Plasma catalysis for in-vehicle air quality

Interior air pollution originating from the outdoor environment, interior 
materials, human activities and air conditioning systems can have an effect 
on drivers and their passengers. Poor air quality inside a vehicle can result in 
fatigue and eye problems for the occupants, even if they are in good health.

The aim of the Cleanrcab project was to pro-
vide a comfortable and safe environment for 
drivers and their passengers. This was achieved 
through the development of an innovative 
and effective air quality management system 
for within vehicles. The work is of particular 
benefit to children, the elderly and asthmatics, 
who are the groups most vulnerable to pollu-
tion when being transported.

The Cleanrcab consortium comprised nine 
partners from four EU Member States plus 
Switzerland and included industrial groups, 
SMEs, universities and research institutes. 
The  research  team  developed  a  system 
which purifies the air by breaking down gas-
eous pollutants using an innovative plasma 
catalysis process.

Scientists investigated the efficiency of the 
plasma catalyst device in removing toluene 
and  observed  that  an  increase  in  energy 
improved its efficiency. Furthermore, the 
system could become even more efficient 
with the addition of the catalyst manganese 
oxide supported on activated carbon.

The Cleanrcab team found that concentra-
tions of toluene as high as seven parts per 
million (ppm) could be completely removed 
with  an  energy  density  of  only  15  joules 
per litre (J/L). Researchers carried out ex-
periments which revealed that the plasma 
efficiency in the removal of volatile organic 
compounds  (VOC)  increased  when  the 
VOC concentration decreased. Therefore, 
the amount of energy required outside the 

Innovative approach to seismic 
hazard assessment

Some regions will always be prone to earthquakes. The hope is that scientific 
study can shed light on how to limit the loss of human life associated with these 
natural disasters.

laboratory under real conditions would be 
expected to be lower.

The results indicated that for the plasma cata-
lyst system to work most efficiently it should be 
installed in the largest vehicles, such as trucks 
buses and trains. This is because more energy is 
available in a heavy vehicle than compared to a 
car and constraints are less severe regarding the 
size and energy consumption of the system.

Funded under the FP5 programme Growth 
(Competitive and sustainable growth).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support; 
information exchange/training; private-public partnership.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5277

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models were combined with those designed 
to predict ground motion.

The results of the simulations were remark-
ably  consistent  with  the  type  of  earth-
quakes that have been observed to date in 
the region. This held true not only for the 
slip characteristics of the events, but also for 
their distribution in time and space. Finally, 
with respect to surface rupturing, the revised 
models were able to successfully reproduce 
important differences between young faults 
and their more mature counterparts.

expertise to better address the impact of com-
plex geometry on surface rupturing in seismic 
modelling. Another important contribution 
entailed the use of realistic heterogeneity in 
the treatment of rate and state friction.

Extensive surface rupturing triggered by two 
severe earthquakes in western Turkey in 1999 
caused significant damage and cost thousands 
of lives. A multinational team, supported by 
the EESD programme, visited the site to col-
lect data with the aim of improving seismic 
hazard assessment in the region.

Geophysicists with the Swiss Federal Insti-
tute  of  Technology  Zurich  participated  in 
the project, entitled Relief. They applied their 

A fresh evaluation of the threat of further 
significant earthquakes affecting this region, 
namely the nearby capital Istanbul, was per-
formed with the updated models. It marked 
the  first  time  ever  that  earthquake  cycle 

Funded under the FP5 programme EESD 
(Energy, environment and sustainable development).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5280

Protecting Europe’s monuments 
against biofilms

Participants in the Biodam project have discovered a viable alternative 
to traditional methods of removing dangerous microorganisms from Europe’s 
treasured monuments.

Buildings, statues and other monuments 
spread throughout Europe form an inte-
gral part of the region’s cultural heritage. 
Preserving  this  inheritance  for  future 
generations  requires  a  dedicated  effort. 
One of the threats comes in the form of 
tiny microorganisms that merge with one 
another to form biofilms on the surface of 
the structure. Over time, the biofilm can 
degrade  and  damage  the  original  stone 
substrate.

Geomicrobiologists  with  the  University  of 
Oldenburg in Germany led a research project 
entitled Biodam, the aim of which was to inves-
tigate safe methods of eliminating biofilms. 
Following laboratory-based experiments, the 
effectiveness of a range of measures was evalu-
ated in the field. Several different sites were 
selected in Germany, Scotland and Spain.

permeabilisers, pigment and polysaccharide 
inhibitors as well as photosensitisers. Data 
collected during the trials addressed both 
biofilm and climate parameters.

The analysis that followed indicated that 
by combining the non-biocide treatments, 
it  was  possible  to  limit  biocide  applica-
tion  while  still  successfully  controlling 
the biofilm. Further to these encouraging 
results,  the  University  of  Oldenburg  and 
its partners have copyrighted the Biodam 
methodology.

Funded under the FP5 programme EESD 
(Energy, environment and sustainable development).

The approach entailed a polyphasic treat-
ment  plan,  which  incorporated  biocides, 

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5246

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

25

 
 
IT AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS 
Sound approach to sense of presence

For virtual reality to be at its most effective, the feeling of actually being there for the user is of paramount 
importance. Researchers have investigated the value of sound in enhancing this phenomenon — sense of presence.

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The rise in demand for interactivity in games, cultural activities 
and medicine has created a need to increase the sense of being 
there, without being there. Producing this so-called sense of pres-
ence has led to the development of interdisciplinary research 
combining cognitive and haptic perception with advanced com-
munications and multimedia design.

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The  objective  of  the  EU-funded  project  aptly  entitled ‘Being 
there — without going’ (Benogo), was to develop new 3D cam-
era technologies that 
would  allow  real-
time  visualisation 
in  locations  for  a 
moving  observer. 
Also  tackled  was 
the  concept  of 
sense of presence, 
a  combination  of 
embodiment  and 
presence and how 
it arises.

How  real  the  ex-
perience is to the 
user depends on 
certain  factors 
in  the  photo-
graphic  envir-
onment such as 
texture,  move-
ment  and,  all 
i m p o r t a n t l y, 

sound. At Aalborg University in Denmark researchers investigated 
how sound augmented the sense of presence, its level of import-
ance and in what way it enhanced this elusive notion.

Acoustic  environments  (multichannel  surround  sound)  were 
designed to supplement images projected by several means. 
These included head-mounted displays (HMDs) and large screens, 
in one case taking the form of a six-sided cave.

Three main aspects reflecting the importance of sound in a visual 
environment were monitored — perception of distance, mem-
ory and sense of presence itself. To locate an object, visual cues 
proved more effective. However, memory was prompted more 
effectively by sound stimuli than visual cues.

Sandals equipped with pressure-sensitive sensors, a footsteps 
synthesiser, provided a source of sound from the subjects them-
selves. The interactive sound produced while navigating the vir-
tual environment significantly enhanced the sense of presence.

Applications for photorealistic 3D visualisations with an opti-
mised sensation of presence would seem to be limitless. For the 
hospitalised and elderly, escape from dull reality can be realised. 
Still in the medical field, virtual surgery can be made more effec-
tive. Leisure and education, in theory, can be equally enjoyed in 
the virtual world.

Funded under the FP5 programme IST (User-friendly information society).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5261

Exploiting man and machine
in search and rescue operations

Search and rescue operations stand to benefit from an innovative approach to 
sharing information between emergency workers and robots working side by 
side in what is often a difficult setting.

Coordinating the interaction between human 
and non-human entities in a common envir-
onment presents a number of challenges. Yet 
much could be gained from combining the 
diverse capabilities of man and machine. This 
was the objective of Pelote, a pioneering RTD 
project funded by the IST programme.

plan was stored in digital format. Informa-
tion concerning fire exits, sprinkler installa-
tions and the location of toxic and flamma-
ble materials is then added as separate layers 
over the ground plan. Each user in the system 
can access the specific data they require from 
a centralised database at any given time.

Informatics specialists with the University 
of Würzburg in Germany, a participant in 
the Pelote project, developed a new con-
cept for knowledge-sharing. The applica-
tion involved search and rescue missions 
in buildings on fire. The aim was to move 
beyond current static fire rescue maps that 
frequently contain too much information 
and present them in a coherent fashion.

The solution was a new prototype search and 
rescue map (SRM). The building’s ground 

Knowledge can also be shared 
directly between humans and 
robots taking part in the res-
cue exercise. The experience 
acquired during Pelote revealed 
that the most important vari-
ables were an entity’s status (for 
example, busy, free, in need of 
assistance), its position on the 
SRM and its intended path. In 
the  case  of  missing  entities,  it 
was possible to determine their 

location  through  triangulation  when  the 
distance to known entities was available.

The SRM database could be housed at local 
search and rescue centres and individual 
SRMs  retrieved  in  emergency  situations. 
Further tests of this approach are planned 
in the context of the Pelote project.

Funded under the FP5 programme IST 
(User-friendly information society).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5258

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trodes, the sensing action was monitored by 
electrochemical  impedance  spectroscopy 
(EIS). The results showed that EIS was a 
suitable technique for monitoring the for-
mation of the immobilisation layer. It was 
also capable of monitoring the concentra-
tion of immobilised ORs.

The work undertaken by the ‘Spot-nosed’ 
project enabled new portable instruments to 
be developed based on electronic biochemi-
cal sensors. These devices can play a signifi-
cant role in health care by testing for the pres-
ence of disease processes in a patient’s urine, 
blood and pus. Such instruments are also in-
valuable to the food industry for determining 
the quality of food and beverages and to the 
police for detecting drugs and explosives.

Funded under the FP5 programme IST 
(User-friendly information society).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5027

See also page 44 
(Electronic nose under test)

nodes. These modifications also addressed 
the problem of unequal allocation of channel 
resources to each node.

The hardware/software platform, designed 
for experiments with the implementation 
of an enhanced 802.11 MAC card in real-
istic scenarios has also opened the way for 
a variety of new research directions. These 
include the design of shared memory com-
ponents allowing the exchange of network 
information for all network layers, including 
the routing and transport layer.

Funded under the FP5 programme IST 
(User-friendly information society).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5259

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Fixed olfactory receptors for electronic noses

Electronic ‘noses’ have been developed by European scientists that can enable 
doctors, public health officials and police to detect and diagnose problems 
by their smell. The sniffer device was made up of a layer of natural proteins 
immobilised on a microelectrode.

The ‘Single protein nanobiosensor grid array’ 
(Spot-nosed) project developed a detector 
based  on  nanobiosensors  that  can  mimic 

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sensitive animal noses. The work was funded 
under the European Commission’s ‘Future 
and emerging technologies’ initiative. The 
system was capable of measuring odorant 
molecules at much lower concentrations than 
can be detected by humans. It comprised a 
layer  of  olfactory  receptor  (OR)  proteins 
from rats placed on a gold microelectrode 
and then mounted on a computer chip. The 
system measured the reaction when the ORs 
come in contact with the odorant molecules.

Scientists from Crelymo at the École cent-
rale de Lyon, France, developed a method 
for fixing ORs onto the measuring chip. This 
new technique used a mixed self-assembled 
monolayer (SAM), which was a one mol-
ecule thick film that assembled itself at the 
interface with the bare gold. Following the 
immobilisation of ORs onto the gold elec-

Mobile ad hoc networks: from theory to reality

Self-organising wireless networks are one of the hottest topics in the area 
of ubiquitous computing. The Mobileman project has devoted a lot of effort 
in supporting these new computing environments with information and 
communication technology everywhere, for everyone, at all times.

Mobile  ad  hoc  networks  are  a  collection 
of mobile nodes connected together over 
a wireless medium. These nodes can self-
organise  into  arbitrary  and  temporary 
network  topologies,  allowing  people  and 
devices to interwork in areas with no pre-
existing communication infrastructure.

While WiFi technology is ubiquitous, users 
seldom operate 802.11 wireless cards in ad 
hoc mode. This seems to be due to a gap 
between  what  end-users  might  find  use-
ful  and  what  technical  issues  research  is 
addressing. Indeed, research largely con-
centrates on the optimisation of lower-layer 
protocols in unrealistic scenarios.

Little attention is devoted to the quality of ser-
vice (QoS) that ad hoc networks provide to end 
users in realistic scenarios. The Mobileman 
project aimed to reduce this gap by a research 
plan that combined theoretical analysis with ex-
perience gained with real ad hoc networks.

Emphasis was placed on characterising key 
networking features, such as the maximum 
communication distance between a small 
number  of  nodes  and  the  interactions 
between simultaneously transmitting nodes. 
Besides the effect of environmental param-
eters, the effect of technology-dependent 
parameters was also analysed.

Measurements under varying environment 
humidity and data transmission rate were 
used to revise formulations reported in com-
puter networking handbooks and to define 
a  more  accurate 
channel  model 
for  802.11  wire-
less  cards.  With 
the use of a more 
realistic  channel 
model, well-known 
hidden and exposed 
node problems were 
addressed.

A key facet of the research entailed an exten-
sive measurement study, as popular simula-
tion and analytical approximations may lead 
to inaccurate results. To understand the po-
tentialities of this technology, the depend-
ence of the communication range on several 
parameters was analysed.

A  variety  of  exten-
sions  to  the  802.11 
medium access con-
trol (MAC) protocol 
were  investigated  to 
cope with the lack of 
coordination  among 

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

27

 
 
 
 
 
 
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Wireless is getting personal

The future generation of mobile and wireless communications will not only 
be user-centric, but will also enable access to personalised services anywhere, 
anytime. Research on short-range wireless systems targeted the technological 
breakthroughs necessary to realise this ubiquitous access network.

While mobile communications networks 
will inevitably take time to reach their full 
potential, the attention of the Pacwoman 
project consortium has already turned to 
the longer term. Future broadband mobile 
technology will not just be about higher 
data transfer rates or public networks. The 
evolution of the so-called third generation 
(3G) networks must put user needs centre 
stage.

Pacwoman’s  research  on  ultra-wideband 
(UWB) radio technology followed this user-
centric approach and aimed to pave the way 
for advanced network design concepts. The 
UWB radio technology is considered as an 
emerging technology with a multitude of 
potential applications. The main applica-
tions are personal area networks (PANs) to 
link one person’s digital devices together, 
or  local  area  net-
works (LANs) to link 
devices in a room.

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This technology pro-
vides for data trans-
fer rates as high as a 
gigabit per second, 
but is also suitable 
for  the  emerging 
body  area  net-
works  (BANs), 
requiring low data 
transfer rates. The 
UWB  propaga-
tion  channel  is, 
however,  highly 
dependent  on 
the  type  of  the 
transmitter  and 

Designing peer-to-peer networks to mimic nature

A novel algorithm created during the BISON project significantly reduces the 
amount of time required to perform searches on peer-to-peer (P2P) networks.

The  Technical  University  of  Dresden  in 
Germany  received  funding  from  the  IST 
programme to apply lessons learned from 
biological  systems  to  computer  applica-
tions. They set their sights on P2P networks, 
which offer a number of advantages over 
client-server architectures, but are limited in 
terms of speed and robustness.

An  innovative  search  algorithm  was 
designed based on behaviour observed in 

immune systems in nature. The software 
engineers with the Technical University of 
Dresden  replicated  the  proliferation  and 
mutation  response,  which  enabled  faster 
transmission of message packets associated 
with the query.

In addition, the peers comprising the P2P 
network were encouraged to form clusters 
around common types of data. This allowed 
the network to develop a memory over time, 

Lift-off for the semantic Web

Researchers from the EU-funded Wonderweb project have made a major 
contribution to the development of the semantic Web. They have created the 
technical structures and supporting tools required by real world applications 
such as e-commerce.

The World Wide Web has become a stand-
ard feature of daily life. Researchers from 
the Wonderweb project predict that the lat-
est development to the Web, known as the 

semantic Web, will be just as revolution-
ary and successful. At present data stored 
on the Web is primarily for use by humans. 
However, the aim of the semantic Web is to 

receiver antennas, and more importantly 
on the operating conditions. For example, 
the presence of a human body in the prox-
imity  of  the  UWB  antennas  can  dramat-
ically change the characteristics of the radio 
channel.

Engineers at the Centre suisse d’électronique 
et de microtechnique SA investigated the 
potential of imprinting information on the 
transmitted signal using various modulation 
techniques.  Based  on  the  UWB  device 
specifications set by the Federal Commu-
nications Commission (FCC), a novel solu-
tion was proposed for low to medium data 
transfer rates (not exceeding 5 Mbit/s). This 
was based on fast on-off keying (OOK), the 
simplest technique of binary modulation.

The motivation for this approach was the 
availability of off-the-shelf hardware and soft-
ware, making it relatively easy to implement. 
Furthermore, a new technology — referred to 
as frequency domain UWB — was employed 
to eliminate the need for synchronisation 
between transmitter and receiver. A scaled-
down  prototype  of  UWB  transmitter  and 
receiver has been designed and is intended 
for medical tele-monitoring at home and live 
transmission of webcam video.

Funded under the FP5 programme IST 
(User-friendly information society).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5228

which was subsequently exploited to further 
reduce the amount of time necessary to exe-
cute queries.

The new software, which has been protected 
by  copyright,  has  been  published  to  the 
website of the project. It is accompanied by 
a report composed by the Technical Univer-
sity of Dresden that describes the theoretical 
background behind the design in detail.

Funded under the FP5 programme IST
 (User-friendly information society).

Collaboration sought: information exchange/training.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5240

provide data that can also be processed by 
machines. This can enable a whole spec-
trum of intelligent services, providing users 
with  much  more  sophisticated  searching 
and browsing capabilities.

Central to this advance in the Web’s poten-
tial is the development of ontologies. Ontol-
ogies are metadata and provide a control-

continued on page 29

28

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

 
 
 
 
Exploiting GIS for landslide risk management

A special geographic information system (GIS) developed to facilitate landslide 
prediction in Hungary could be adapted to other regions.

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Landslides can result in the loss 
of human life and the destruction 
of property. Warning citizens in 
advance  could  help  save  lives. 
The EESD programme aimed to 
do just that when it funded the 
OASYS project.

The  OASYS  research  consor-
tium  included  organisations 
from Europe as well as China, 
regions that both suffer from 
landslides.  One  of  the  Euro-
pean  partners,  the  Geodetic 
and  Geophysical  Research 
Institute (GGRI) of the Hun-
garian Academy of Sciences, 
implemented a GIS.

Landslide research involves 
a number of different disci-

Next-generation internet to facilitate 
search and rescue

Search and rescue missions in beautiful yet complex terrain such as England’s 
Lake District stand to benefit from advanced mobile internet technology 
validated during the 6NET project.

The  rise  of  the  internet  and  the  mobile 
phone has brought about significant changes 
in the way in which humans share informa-
tion and communicate with one another. 
Not surprisingly, improving mobile access 
is one of the principal focuses of the next 
generation internet, known as IPv6.

the United Kingdom. It involved search and 
rescue (SAR) missions in England’s Lake Dis-
trict. The objective was to successfully con-
nect multiple users dispersed in a remote 
mountainous environment with each other as 
well as with their home base and other organ-
isations participating in the SAR operations.

Well  over  30  academic  institutions  and 
major  industrial  players  joined  forces  to 
deploy and test IPv6 infrastructure to major 
cities  across  Europe  during  6NET.  The 
project received substantial funding from 
the  IST  Programme.  Several  application 
trials were arranged in order to demonstrate 
the feasibility and added value of IPv6.

One such trial was supervised by computer 
scientists with the University of Lancaster in 

The  solution  was  to  implement  nested 
mobile networks using mobile IPv6 and the 
network mobility (NEMO) protocol. Soft-
ware was also developed to track the net-
work topology associated with the various 
members of the SAR team in the field. The 
challenges identified during the 6NET trials 
that must be overcome prior to more wide-
spread adoption of the technology include 
issues related to battery and wireless inter-
face technologies.

plines and GIS provides a means of combin-
ing, viewing and analysing different types 
of data on a single platform. The geometric 
nature of GIS also lends itself to geodetic de-
formation monitoring, one of the primary 
components  incorporated  by  the  GGRI 
scientists.

The core of the GIS is comprised of four dif-
ferent topographic maps covering an area 
of approximately 100 km2 in Hungary. This 
is complemented by other maps that were 
carefully transformed into the same raster 
data format. The result of GGRI’s efforts is 
extremely high resolution, in the order of 
one centimetre. This ensures that the GIS 
is capable of detecting early warning signals 
occurring on very small spatial scales.

Funded under the FP5 programme EESD 
(Energy, environment and sustainable development).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support; 
information exchange/training; private-public partnership; 
available for consultancy.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5026

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Funded under the FP5 programme IST 
(User-friendly information society).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5275

continued from page 28  ‘Lift-off   for the semantic Web’

led set of terms, each one with a precisely 
defined meaning which can be processed by 
machine. The use of ontologies is intended 
to  allow  human  beings  and  machines  to 
communicate more effectively. The result 
will enable content-based access and inter-
operability raising communication across 
the Web to a new level.

The  Wonderweb  researchers  developed 
the extraction tool OntoLiFT which semi-
automatically  extracts  lightweight  ontol-
ogies from legacy resources such as XML. 
Schema  languages  document  type  defin-
ition (DTD) and XML schema (W3C) were 
included. Focussing on the most important 
languages means that these existing infor-

mation systems can still serve a vital role in 
web services.

Funded under the FP5 programme IST 
(User-friendly information society).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

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research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

29

 
 
 
 
 
 
change culture and society, like SMS and 
blogging have done before.

The  EU-funded  OPUCE  project,  led  by 
Telefónica I+D, has completed the technical 
platform, and feedback from users has been 
positive. Now they are concentrating efforts 
on  creating  commercial  models  that  will 
make the OPUCE platform a reality.

‘We are looking at a variety of scenarios. 
One that interests us very much is revenue 
sharing, where the creator, whether it is a 
user or an SME, and the network share rev-
enue  generated  by  new  services.  We  like 
this scenario. Everybody wins,’ reveals Leon 
Martin.

Other options are also under consideration, 
for  example  a  free  and  premium  model, 
where some user-created services are offered 
for  free,  and  some  are  charged  for.  Tele-
com companies are also looking at a move 
beyond network traffic generated revenues. 
They want to become part of the value chain 
— something that has been hugely difficult 
for them to do in the past; they were essen-
tially used as a pipe.

‘The  OPUCE  platform  was  conceived  to 
allow networks to become part of the value 
chain,’ Leon Martin notes. Time will tell, 
but sooner rather than later. Leon Martin 
believes the era or Telco 2.0 will begin to 
go live this year, as the telecom players start 
deploying OPUCE functionality across their 
networks.

Promoted through the ICT Results service.

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article&ID=90430

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European researchers usher in Telco 2.0

European researchers have created a platform that allows users with 
no special expertise to generate telecom plus internet services. The backers 
hope the platform will pave the way for the Telco 2.0 era.

open garden, says Alberto Leon Martin, the 
project’s coordinator. ‘Users access the front 
end via the web, but the back end is still con-
trolled and kept secure by the network oper-
ator,’ he explains.

It  is  an  apparent  paradox;  a  system  that 
appears  both  open  and  secret.  OPUCE 
resolved the paradox by using application 
programming interfaces (APIs). This is a 
standard  web  technology  that  provides  a 
‘socket’ for services to plug in to, like select-
ing a particular map, for example. The map 
API is plugged into other APIs that deliver, 
for example, real estate listings for a par-
ticular area.

OPUCE has added telecom services to these 
internet-based  APIs,  and  by  combining 
them in interesting ways, users can create 
all sorts of compelling services.

‘In  the  past,  the  internet  has  been  about 
user-generated content: photos on Flickr, 
videos on YouTube and blogs everywhere. 
OPUCE is about enabling user-generated 
services,’ explains Leon Martin.

This is a huge shift, and could have an enor-
mous  impact  on  information  technology 
generally. Users are, as a mass, enormously 
creative, adaptable, dynamic and imagina-
tive. It is impossible to predict what new ser-
vices will emerge, but there is every prob-
ability that some of them will be ‘killer apps’, 
those pieces of software that are so appeal-
ing, useful and simple that they completely 

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This year could be the date when, finally, we 
enter into the era of converged internet and 
telecom services. Call it Telco 2.0.

It is well due. Up to now, the promise of 
converged telecom and internet services has 
remained just that, a promise. Those solu-
tions that do work seamlessly are very effec-
tive, like the Blackberry, but they require 
proprietary software and special devices. 
This is hardly the promised happy marriage 
of two telecom worlds.

That is about to change. European research-
ers  have  created  a  service  development 
platform, called OPUCE, which makes two 
important breakthroughs. First, it offers a 
way to create converged Telco-internet ser-
vices from scratch or using already created 
basic services; second, it is so simple to use 
that non-experts — regular surfers with no 
programming skills — can create their own 
compelling services, reportedly in minutes.

OPUCE allows users to create converged 
services by combining internet technologies 
like instant messaging, email, maps, photo 
albums and directories with Telco services, 
such as SMS, MMS, voicemail and so on.

It may sound a bit vague, but the real-world 
applications enabled by the OPUCE plat-
form are specific, unique and very compel-
ling. They work just like mash-ups; small, 
software driven services on the internet that 
combine data from two or more sources to 
create exciting new information. The classic 
example online is services that combine, for 
example, Google maps with real estate list-
ings; users can instantly see where there are 
new houses for sale.

Now imagine that service delivered auto-
matically to your mobile phone whenever a 
house in an area you are interested in hits 
the market. Or perhaps you are looking for a 
new job, and when listings you want to apply 
for get published online alerts are automat-
ically forwarded to your phone using what-
ever channel — voice, SMS, MMS.

But the second innovation from the OPUCE 
team is even more revolutionary. These are 
not services that users must wait for some-
one to develop; these are services that users 
can set up themselves, in minutes.

This is a huge paradigm shift, particularly in 
the telecom world. Up to now the telecom 
network was a walled, even secret, garden. 
But  the  OPUCE  platform  moves  it  to  an 

30

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

 
 
 
 
Practical recipes for the simulation 
of quantum computations

A library of numerical codes that can simulate quantum computers during 
information processing has been designed to help optimise the operability of 
the next generation of quantum computers.

By taking advantage of nuclear magnetic reso-
nance, scientists have been successful in coax-
ing molecules in ordinary liquids to serve as 
an extraordinary type of computer. This phys-
ical realisation of a quantum computer with a 
small number of quantum bits (qubits) implies 
that this will soon be available for the experi-
mental implementation of simple algorithms.

The  main  problem  for  the  operability  of 
such a computer with ten or an even larger 
number of qubits is related to effects appear-
ing during information processing. Almost 
any interaction a quantum system has with 
its  environment  —  say,  an  atom  collid-
ing with another atom — would cause the 
superposition of quantum-mechanical states 
to collapse into a single definitive state.

This phenomenon, known as decoherence, 
makes further quantum calculation impossible. 
An efficient way to test decoherence effects is 
to create numerical codes capable of model-
ling imperfections in quantum information 
processing and to simulate simple algorithms 

with a few tens of qubits. This was the precise 
objective of the research project Ediqip.

The  research  groups  participating  in  the 
project had developed efficient algorithms 
for physical problems of classical and quan-
tum chaos, as well as error correcting codes. 
The  first  numerical  simulations  of  these 
algorithms had been reported by each group 
before the beginning of the Ediqip project. 
Because  of  their  rich  dynamics,  existing 
together with newly developed algorithms, 
they were ideal for the investigation into 
decoherence.

At  the  Université  Paul  Sabatier  in  France 
a comprehensive suite of numerical codes 
was created to simulate these quantum algo-
rithms.  The  Quantware  library  can  give 
insight into the physics of decoherence in 
the direct context of these algorithms and 
determine their accuracy in realistic condi-
tions close to experimental setups. Also it will 
make possible the testing of quantum error 
correcting codes in numerical simulations.

Fault-tolerant quantum computing

Researchers in the field of quantum information processing are now beginning 
to explore the possibilities of basic quantum circuits. However, one ubiquitous 
question that needs to be addressed is how to improve their computational 
accuracy given the available resources.

Current developments in quantum phys-
ics  demonstrate  in  an  impressive  way  its 
technological potential. In quantum compu-
tation the weird logic of the quantum world 
can be exploited for solving complex com-
putational problems more efficiently than 
any other means.

However, the realisation of the quantum com-
puter remains a challenge, since they are prone 
to errors. Consequently, the Ediqip project 
received funding from the IST programme to 
address the influence of random noise errors 
and static imperfections in quantum gates.

Logic gates operating on quantum bits, the 
quantum analogue of classical bits of infor-
mation,  are  easily  affected  by  their  inter-
actions with an uncontrollable environment. 
The accuracy of quantum computations is 
further influenced by the presence of residual 
static couplings between quantum bits.

To protect quantum information process-
ing  against  such  undesirable  influences, 

powerful methods of error correction have 
been  developed  over  the  past  few  years. 
These have concentrated predominantly on 
decoherence caused by parasitic couplings 
of a quantum information processor with its 
environment.

The  error  correction  method  which  was 
developed  by  Ediqip  project  partners  is 
more general, in the sense that it can also 
correct errors originating 
from  coupling  between 
quantum  bits.  It  is  based 
on  the  repeated  random 
application of Pauli opera-
tors to all the quantum bits 
to be processed.

The  resulting  random 
changes together with appro-
priate compensating changes 
of  the  quantum  logic  gates 
slow down the rapid decay of 
the gates’ fidelity. As a result, 
this Pauli random error cor-

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

The Quantware library is freely open under 
http://www.quantware.ups-tlse.fr. It gives 
quantum numerical recipes to simulate real-
istic quantum computations in the presence 
of static imperfections, noisy errors in quan-
tum gates and dissipative decoherence. The 
Ediqip project partners hope that it will help 
experimentalists to improve the reliability of 
quantum information processing.

Funded under the FP5 programme IST 
(User-friendly information society).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

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rection  (PAREC)  method  significantly 
increases the maximum time scale of reli-
able quantum computations.

Furthermore, in contrast to conventional 
error  correcting  methods  which  exploit 
redundancy, the PAREC method does not 
require  any  extra  qubits  as  the  available 
qubits are used in an optimal way.

Funded under the FP5 programme IST 
(User-friendly information society).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5272

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31

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
clearly, early on by going out and getting 
some available services. That validates the 
approach early on, and that is a very radi-
cal change from what has happened before,’ 
Sawyer notes.

The primary goal of the SeCSE project was 
to create methods, tools and techniques for 
system integrators and service providers and 
to support the cost-effective development 
and use of dependable services and service-
centric applications.

SeCSE focused on four key areas for engin-
eering software systems: specification, dis-
covery, design, and management. For each 
of these areas, SeCSE developed new tech-
niques and tools, mainly in Java, a platform-
independent programming language.

‘Technically, the real biggie was defining the 
real needs [at the start]. We were trying to 
develop technologies for emerging needs, 
but we worked closely with industrial part-
ners and were able to identify quickly any 
design dead-ends,’ Sawyer reveals.

These tools and techniques were integrated 
to provide a SeCSE development environ-
ment. Even better, based on visionary scen-
arios led by the Fiat Research Centre, SeCSE 
developed domain-specific applications. It 
is a significant validation of both SeCSE’s 
vision and execution.

Exploitation is primarily appearing through 
the planned products of SeCSE’s commercial 
partners, though the potential of the tech-
nology was demonstrated in some compel-
ling applications in the automotive sector.

Promoted through the ICT Results service.

http://cordis.europa.eu/ictresults/index.cfm?section=news&tpl=
article&ID=90929

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Software that gets reduced, reused, recycled

Service-centric software engineering is the latest paradigm in computing, 
and European researchers have developed a platform they believe will launch 
the concept into the business world.

vice, for example, a map with all the houses 
for sale in your town.

Now European researchers have developed a 
platform that offers service-centric software 
engineering for industrial-strength applica-
tions. And industry is very interested. ‘This 
is very much the computing model of the 
moment,’  says  Peter  Sawyer,  a  researcher 
with the SeCSE project. ‘It is creating a lot 
of excitement in web applications, and com-
panies are interested in it for business appli-
cations, but up to now they have held off the 
technology because there was no integrated 
development environment. That is the gap 
we tried to fill.’

SeCSE, pronounced sexy, is a major inte-
grated project over four years with 14 partners 
and a budget of more than EUR 15 million. 
It  created  a  service-centric  development 
platform  that  spans  the  entire  software 
lifecycle from design to deployment. The 
platform uses Java to create software that 
integrates services from different providers 
regardless of the underlying operating sys-
tems or programming languages.

It is a powerful, liberating paradigm and the 
Gartner  group  predicts  that  this  service-
centric development will see some signifi-
cant deployment for business applications. 
This is just a prediction, but it indicates the 
promise of service-centric applications. The 
technique will represent a very significant 
slice of software development expenditure 
in future.

‘With this approach, you can have a devel-
oper set out a design and then test it, very 

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Currently it takes a long time to develop 
applications, it costs a lot of money, and if 
it fails you must either start again or limp 
along  with  a  poorly  performing  system. 
Worse, development is so lengthy that, by 
the  time  you  are  finished  with  one  large 
project,  technology  may  have  moved  on, 
and you have to start again.

There is another way. Service-centric soft-
ware  engineering  defines  every  action  a 
computer  program  can  take  as  a  service. 
Want to print a document? That is one ser-
vice.  Type  a  document?  That  is  another. 
By  combining  many  services,  you  can 
develop very complex, very sophisticated 
applications.

And once the task is complete, the services 
disappear. When a new function appears, a 
better way of doing something, you do not 
have to get into complex integration or rede-
velopment, you simply exchange one service 
for another.

It  has  a  lot  of  advantages.  You  can  reuse 
bits of code in many different applications, 
so you do not have to constantly reinvent 
the  wheel.  Application  development  also 
becomes  more  competitive,  because  if 
one service charges too much, or does not 
work very well, customers simply choose 
another.

Up  to  now,  services  have  been  deployed 
on a relatively small scale, for fairly simple 
mash-ups by leading-edge web developers. 
A mash-up takes one data set, like Google 
maps, and plugs it into another dataset, like 
estate agent listings, and creates a new ser-

32

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

 
 
 
 
 
 
Object-oriented techniques 
for designing hardware

Managing the steadily increasing complexity of embedded systems 
is among the most serious challenges in the area of electronic design 
automation today. One of the major problems in the existing design 
process, the step from the initial specification to the first implementation, 
has been addressed by the Odette project.

The spread of embedded systems compris-
ing hardware and software components has 
been on the rise for the past few years and is 
still increasing. Today they have an impact 
on many areas of daily life, from the work-
place to leisure time. At the same time, the 
requirements for these systems are steadily 
growing, along with their complexity.

The current technology based on integrated 
circuits with several hundred million tran-
sistors on a single chip is able to meet most 
of these requirements. However, the state-
of-the-art  methods  of  hardware  design 
cannot keep pace with technology’s rapid 
advance. In light of this, the Odette project 
was funded by the Fifth Framework Pro-
gramme (FP5) to develop an object-oriented 
hardware design methodology.

This new design methodology allows the 
hardware design community to take advan-
tage of the object-oriented paradigm and 
follow its success in the software community. 
The SystemC™ language subset and model-
ling techniques defined during the Odette 
project  enable  the  use  of  object-oriented 
and other useful features in the synthesis of 

hardware designs directly from object-
oriented specifications.

More  importantly,  the  possibility  of 
describing hardware by means of object-
oriented C++ constructs makes the step 
from a C++-based system specification 
to a first hardware model for simulation 
a much easier task. Furthermore, it en-
ables a simple transformation of system 
parts from hardware to software and vice 
versa.

After system modelling and model test-
ing is successfully finished, the designer 
must decide which parts to implement in 
hardware and software. Due to the inherent 
complexity of this task, it is common prac-
tice to perform partitioning manually. After 
partitioning it is essential to perform some 
architectural exploration of the hardware/
software system, with significant impact on 
the design cost and time-to-market.

The  design  approach  proposed  by  the 
Odette project avoids some of the major dis-
advantages of the design flow by modelling 
the whole hardware and software system 

Nature-inspired management of modern 
dynamic networks

Modern computer and communication networks are becoming increasingly 
large, heterogeneous and dynamic. Traditional network management practices 
fail to deal efficiently with this increased complexity. The EU-funded project 
BISON addresses this problem by drawing inspiration from nature.

Being able to transfer information between 
sources and destinations is the prime func-
tion of a communication network. At first 
glance,  finding  paths  for  the  data  flow 
through the network may seem to be a triv-
ial task. However, when the network load 
and topology are continuously changing, 
this becomes a true challenge.

The multitude of services offered with, to 
some degree, conflicting requirements has 
invited  new  approaches  relative  to  those 
used  in  traditional  communication  net-
works and the internet. One such approach 
is  the  use  of  swarm  intelligence,  where 
mobile agents explore, map and manage the 
network in a manner similar to the way ants 
explore their environment.

When a path is found, the agent returns 
on the reverse path and leaves markings, 
resembling the pheromones left by ants 
during trail development. The strength 
of the markings depends on the quality 
of the path found. Subsequently, agents 
searching  for  a  path  select  their  next 
move  based  on  the  current  markings 
distribution.

Swarm  intelligence  was  implemented  on 
internet protocol (IP) software routers as 
a ‘proof of concept’ to gain experience of 
technical issues that are hard to predict with 
simulations. AntPing is a working prototype 
implementation that visualises how agents 
are searching and updating paths. The ani-
mation is live, showing how agents are mov-

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using one description language. The design 
is incrementally refined in small sections 
to allow the designer to implement design 
changes easily and verify the model. Docu-
mentation and the additional class library 
that is needed for applying this design meth-
odology is freely available at the project’s 
website: http://odette.offis.de

Funded under the FP5 programme IST 
(User-friendly information society).

Collaboration sought: information exchange/training.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5283

ing or being dropped in the network because 
the ‘time-to-live’ has expired.

In addition, changes in current and histor-
ical values of each virtual path are plotted as 
a function of time. The AntPing implemen-
tation has moderate hardware and software 
requirements, which makes demonstrations 
inexpensive and portable. Users are allowed 
to unplug and re-plug cables between nodes 
or the power supply to the nodes, and thus 
introduce some network dynamics.

Although  swarm  intelligence  has  been 
applied to  a small,  10-node network and 
has coped well with different network man-
agement challenges, additional insights are 
required into scalability issues. The BISON 
project  partners  are  looking  further  into 
these issues.

Funded under the FP5 programme IST 
(User-friendly information society).

Collaboration sought: information exchange/training.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5208

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

33

 
 
 
 
The self-managing, ‘unbreakable’ internet?

High-powered internet applications typically need teams of experts 
to maintain them. Not any more, say European researchers who have 
built a system to create applications that manage and fix themselves.

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Part of the internet’s potential lies in its abil-
ity to link hundreds, thousands, or even mil-
lions of devices. Whether a user is down-
loading a video from a peer-to-peer service, 
performing scientific research on a grid, or 
using ‘cloud computing’ to manage a busi-
ness, programs that let many devices and 
applications work together are crucial.

The problem, says Peter Van Roy, coord-
inator of the EU-funded Selfman project, 
is that it’s getting harder to keep those sys-
tems working. ‘The central challenge when 
you build big internet applications is how to 
keep them running without having to tweak 
and manage them all the time,’ he says.

The Selfman team set out three years ago 
to solve that problem by finding out how 
to build programs that take care of them-
selves in the rough-and-tumble internet en-
vironment. ‘We wanted to make big inter-
net applications easy,’ Van Roy says, ‘so that 
all the management problems you normally 
have are handled by the system itself.’ The 
payoff, he says, will be huge. ‘It will take the 
internet to the next level.’

The  Selfman  researchers  identified  four 
vital functions for a distributed application 
to manage itself — self-configuring, -tuning, 
-healing and -protecting. Software is contin-
ually being patched, updated or replaced. 
For a distributed system to configure itself, 
it needs to keep track of all its components, 
update them as needed, and make sure that 
all parts of the system can still talk to each 
other.

‘Our system can ask a component, 
what version are you? Who are you 
talking to? It can then replace an old 
version with a new one as needed,’ 
says Van Roy. Self-tuning means that 
the  system  can  instantly  adjust  to 
changing  loads  and  to  components 
leaving or joining the network. ‘Sup-
pose one node is getting overloaded,’ 
says Van Roy. ‘Our load-balancing algo-
rithm allocates new nodes close to that 
hotspot. It spreads the heat to the other 
nodes and the hotspot cools down.’

The internet is an unpredictable envir-
onment. Routers crash, cables get cut, 
parts of the system overload and grind to a 
stop, and components come and go. ‘With 
Selfman,’ Van Roy says, ‘each node stores 
some of the data and each piece of data is 
replicated a certain number of times. If a 
node  crashes,  the  other  nodes  detect  the 
crash, find a new node and give it the miss-
ing data. The system heals itself.’

One of the biggest problems Selfman tack-
led was self defence. The researchers dis-
covered  that  a  system’s  security  depends 
on its topology — how nodes are linked to 
each other. They found that ‘small world’ 
networks — in which most nodes are not 
directly linked, but in which any node can 
communicate with another in a few steps — 
were the safest.

‘With a small world network, it’s easier to 
detect,  isolate,  and  eject  bad  nodes,’  says 
Van Roy. ‘The  security 
service  observes  the 
system’s  behaviour.  If 
it  notices  that  certain 
parts  of  the  network 
are acting abnormally, 
it takes action.’

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The  Selfman  team 
found  that  building 
these  advanced  cap-
abilities  into  useful 
applications required 
a  highly  structured 
a p p r o a c h .   T h e 
foundation  of  each 
application  is  a 
structured  overlay 
network.  That’s  a 
program  —  itself 
replicated  across 
the  network  — 
that keeps track of 
all the nodes and 

connections between them, and can decide 
when and how to fix problems.

The next level is a replicated storage system. 
It makes sure that each node has access to 
the same data, and that data are always rep-
licated to ensure they do not disappear.

The third level houses Selfman’s transac-
tional problem-solver. It relies on a sophis-
ticated algorithm called Paxos to provide a 
systematic way of reaching consensus among 
any number of fallible components. Van Roy 
uses the analogy of a transfer between two 
bank accounts. ‘If you want to reduce one 
bank account by EUR 100 and add that 100 to 
another, you want both or nothing,’ he says. 
‘Each node must see the same data.’

‘Getting all this fluid behaviour — where 
even if nodes are crashing or new nodes are 
coming in or the network has problems it 
never blocks the system — was a big tech-
nical problem,’ says Van Ray. ‘We needed 
Paxos to get it to work.’

The Selfman architecture and components 
have been used to build some impressive 
applications. These include a prize-winning 
distributed Wikipedia that can handle far 
more  queries  than  the  current  version,  a 
commercially successful media streaming 
service, and a graphics program that lets 
multiple users collaborate on a design.

Van Roy believes that Selfman opens the 
door  to  a  host  of  high-powered,  flexible, 
and  ‘unbreakable’  internet  applications. 
‘Right now we’re just scratching the surface,’ 
he says.

Promoted through the ICT Results service.

http://cordis.europa.eu/ictresults/index.cfm?section=news&tpl=
article&ID=90892

34

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

 
 
 
 
 
 
INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES

Reducing water resistance in hopper dredgers

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used by the EU-funded Effort project to design ships to be propelled with much 
greater efficiency. This could result in a significant saving of fuel and a reduction in pollution, noise and vibration.

Naval architects have traditionally predicted the flow of water 
around a ship’s hull and the inflow to the propeller using hydro-
dynamic tests on a scale model in a towing tank. Researchers 
from the Effort project used CFD to achieve reduced resist-
ance and improved propeller inflow and propulsive efficiency. 
This  technique  also 
helped to reduce the 
level of vibration and 
cavitation.

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The  use  of  validated 
full-scale  CFD  can 
result in reduced time 
and costs during the 
design  phase  which 
can  contribute  to 
the  increased  com-
petitiveness of Euro-
pean  shipbuilding. 
Europe  specialises 
i n   h i g h - q u a l i t y 
vessels,  including 
high-speed  fer-
ries,  cruise  liners, 
container  ships 
and  dredgers.  A 
team of research-
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project carried out extensive flow measurements onboard a hop-
per dredger.

The transom of a vessel forms the horizontal surface at its stern. 
The immersion of the transom in the water is a common feature 
among hopper dredgers and affects resistance to water flow. In 
order to avoid immersion the stern can be stretched so that the 
transom is above the waterline. However, this would require the 
craft’s length to be dramatically increased. A second solution is 
to curve the transom upward but this may result in flow sepa-
rating from the hull thereby increasing resistance. Furthermore, 
water separated from the hull and entering the propeller plane 
will increase vibration.

The  water  flow  and  resistance  of  the  transom  stern  and  the 
extended, curved stern were compared. The wake field predicted 
by CFD was not affected by the extended stern replacing the 
transom stern. The change to the transom also created a minor 
difference in pressure from the propeller plane to the transom. 
Calculations at full scale for shallow water conditions showed a 
slight effect on the axial flow. The results achieved by the Effort 
team will lead to further investigations into improvements to the 
stern using CFD.

Funded under the FP5 programme Growth (Competitive and sustainable growth).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5278

itate the use of natural gas and hydrogen for 
vehicles operating using alternative fuels and 
fuel cells. This will result in lower emissions, 
as well as energy savings due to the decrease 
in vehicle weight, since composite tanks are 
significantly lighter than metal ones.

Funded under the FP5 programme Growth 
(Competitive and sustainable growth).

Collaboration sought: information exchange/training.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5229

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Detecting damage in high-pressure 
composite tanks

A new and extremely reliable non-destructive evaluation technique for certifying 
the integrity of composite tanks was developed by an EU-funded consortium. 
The tanks were used for on-vehicle storage of natural gas or hydrogen.

Proposed methods of inspection for com-
posite  tanks  are  highly  labour-intensive, 
requiring the use of expensive equipment to 
carry out off-vehicle inspection and pressure 
testing. However, a new approach developed 
through an EU-funded project can quickly 
and easily evaluate the structural integrity of 
a tank during refuelling.

The ZEM project developed a monitoring 
system based on fibre optic sensors for high-
pressure tanks made from composite ma-
terials. Sensors embedded in the composite 
material can provide a simple but detailed 
evaluation  of  the  structural  integrity  of 
the tank. The monitoring system is able to 
detect faults or critical conditions at a very 
early stage.

The  consortium  successfully  developed 
and tested algorithms for detecting damage 
which could reduce the burst pressure of the 
tank below a warning threshold. Research-
ers predicted that damage to the tank would 

result in greater flexibility and overall de-
formation. An additional important feature 
that required monitoring was the symme-
try of the strain field of the tank, which was 
expected to change in the case of damage.

Analysis showed that the sensor 
layout could detect any cutting 
and impact damage to the com-
posite tank that would decrease 
the burst pressure. Defects were 
identified well before the burst 
pressure was reached, enabling 
a swift response to any damage 
that might threaten the integrity 
of the tank.

The ZEM project’s development 
of fibre optic sensor technology 
for structural monitoring will en-
able Europe to compete with the 
United States in this relatively new 
field. The technology will help to 
improve health and safety and facil-

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

35

 
 
 
 
 
Cooperative cybercars, a question of priorities

European researchers have developed new control systems that let driverless 
vehicles communicate and cooperate with each other. Could fleets of high 
throughput rapid transit systems soon be cruising our cities?

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Many metro and tram systems effectively 
run automatically nowadays. Still, it is reas-
suring to see the driver in the cab, knowing 
someone is there to take over in an emer-
gency or to override the computer’s con-
trols if necessary. But European researchers 
in the Cybercars2 project have now dem-
onstrated that vehicles can be left to them-
selves much more. If allowed to ‘talk’ to 
each other, automated vehicles can organ-
ise themselves well enough to get around 
efficiently and safely.

Two earlier EU-funded projects, Cybercars 
and Cybermove, developed the sense and 
control systems by which unmanned road-
based vehicles, called cybercars, could safely 
navigate the streets.

Now the follow-on Cybercars2 project, has 
added a communication layer to the system 
and data analysis software so that vehicles 
can  exchange  data  and  coordinate  their 
movements.

These results from this latest project will 
drive  forward  the  development  of  high-
throughput, efficient automated transporta-
tion systems (as opposed to single vehicles) 
that could be deployed in traffic-free zones.

A number of the consortium’s partners have 
been involved in basic research to develop 
the rules by which the flow of traffic is gov-
erned. What happens, for instance, when 
two automated vehicles arrive at an inter-

section at the same time? Who takes pri-
ority and who decides to go first? Should a 
car stop at the junction and give way, or just 
slow down until the other car has passed, 
then speed up again?

The early days of the project saw research-
ers creating software to simulate all the pos-
sible manoeuvres and scenarios that a fleet 
of automated vehicles might encounter. The 
scientists then used the simulator to explore 
a wide range of situations. They looked at 
the behaviour of vehicles and tested differ-
ent rules and prioritisation strategies that 
vehicles could follow to negotiate compli-
cated situations.

The  simulator  software  allowed  the 
researchers to test millions of negotiations 
and  draw  up  mathematical  rules,  known 
as algorithms, that would control how the 
cybercars negotiated and navigated junc-
tions, traffic lights, merges and emergency 
situations in utmost safety.

The project also developed new techniques 
to handle the enormous volume of data that 
cybercars might have available to analyse — 
imagine how much information would fill 
the airwaves at a city centre terminus where 
a  hundred  automated  vehicles  might  be 
moving around in close proximity.

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The researchers adopted a technique called 
data  mining,  which  uses  complex  math-
ematical analyses of data to find patterns 
and trends. In a typ-
ical  data  search  you 
have  to  know  what 
you are looking for, 
then  a  computer 
can  rapidly  churn 
through  the  data 
to  find  what  you 
want. For example, 
it might reveal that 
vehicles are always 
late when it rains 
on  Mondays  and 
Fridays,  but  not 
m i d - w e e k   — 
something  that 
you would prob-
ably  never  have 
thought  to  look 
for.

T h e   C y b e r -
cars2 data min-
ing  allows  the 
cybercar  con-

trol systems to cope with the enormous vol-
ume of transient data and identify which 
elements are the most important or critical 
to its safe manoeuvring.

One of the biggest breakthroughs in Cyber-
cars2 is the replacement of the traditional 
‘block system’ to control traffic flows with 
techniques that let vehicles follow each other 
at extremely close quarters.

‘The software developed by the predecessor 
Cybercars project was for moving vehicles 
independently  at  fairly  large  distances,’ 
explains Michel Parent of INRIA, coordin-
ator of Cybercars2. ‘We used the same block 
system as railways, where a vehicle cannot 
proceed until the one in front has cleared 
a section.

‘But  block  technology  only  allows  a  low 
throughput.  The  communication  and 
decision-making modules we have devel-
oped help to increase the efficiency of an 
automated  service  through  coordination 
which will adjust the speed of vehicles as 
they approach junctions so they can cross 
without having to stop.’

If  the  stunt-like four-way crossings don’t 
impress you (which they might not at the 
current speeds of about 5 km/h), then per-
haps  the  ‘platooning  capabilities’  of  the 
Cybercars2 test vehicles might at least raise 
an eyebrow.

Platooning  lets  cars  drive  close  behind 
one another, almost as if they are coupled 
together. As they are communicating and 
cooperating with each other, if the car at 
the front has to stop, the one behind also 
applies its brakes in an instant. Safe stop-
ping distances for cooperative cybercars 
could be less than a metre, depending on 
the speed.

The  Cybercars2  research  has  developed 
real-time controls that bring the distance 
between  vehicles  down  to  0.3  seconds. 
Imagine  travelling  at  40  km/h,  but  only 
three metres behind the vehicle in front!

‘This is an order of magnitude better than 
what  exists  for  existing  automated  sys-
tems,’ says Parent, who remarks that the 
automated transit system being installed 
at Heathrow Airport has a spacing of six 
seconds.

But could you trust a ride in such a dare-
devil machine? Safety is evidently the ul-
timate  limiting  factor  to  the  uptake  of 
automated  transport  systems,  and  these 
cybercars are developed with safety first. For 
example, the software is designed to handle 

continued on page 37

36

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

 
 
 
Monitoring access roads to Rome

A full-scale operation of automatic access control systems in Rome has been 
implemented as a means of safeguarding the city’s historical centre.

The tranquil preservation of European cities 
has become increasingly challenging given 
the  demands  of  modern  daily  rhythms. 
Monitoring and controlling the flow of auto-
mobile traffic is a major step toward main-
taining a pleasant historical centre for local 
citizens and tourists alike.

In  light  of  this,  the  Miracles  project  has 
installed the limited traffic zone (LTZ) in 
Rome, Italy. The LTZ constitutes a system 
of electronic gates which operate on access 
roads to Rome’s centre. Optical detection 

is possible via the vehicle plates with the 
use of automatic plate number recognition 
(APNR) techniques. These techniques are 
also able to gauge whether or not a vehicle 
is licensed to enter and enforce the rules 
accordingly.

Consequently, vehicles are pinpointed by 
swapping  information  via  radio  between 
the  gate  (road  side  unit  —  RSU)  and  a 
mechanism known as on-board unit (OBU) 
located inside the vehicle. The LTZ in the 
historic city centre of Rome prohibits ve-

Eliminating engine knock in automobiles

Faced with increasingly stringent emission standards, Europe’s car 
producers are constantly striving to improve fuel economy and engine 
performance. This was the aim of numerous engine tests and computer 
simulations performed during the Minknock project.

hicles on week days, during working hours 
and afternoon on Saturdays.

Since results were positive, an additional 
service known as the Trastevere LTZ sub-
system was later implemented. With signs 
put  up  close  to  the  gate,  this  subsystem’s 
key function is that it is able to assist users 
regarding the conditions of the gate. The 
implementation  of  additional  electronic 
gates was planned.

Funded under the FP5 programme Growth 
(Competitive and sustainable growth).

Collaboration sought: information exchange/training.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 4990

heat transfer, turbulence and other phenom-
ena in order to optimise agreement between 
the model results and experimental data.

Funded under the FP5 programme EESD
 (Energy, environment and sustainable development).

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European car manufacturers have established 
a strong reputation in one of the world’s most 
competitive industries. In order to maintain a 
leading position in the 21st century, the focus 
must shift to building fuel-efficient, environ-
mentally-friendly vehicles.

One way to achieve this is to reduce engine 
knock,  which  causes  increased  fuel  con-
sumption and emissions of air pollutants 
and greenhouse gases. The participants in 
the Minknock project, which included car 
producers,  fuel  companies  and  research 
institutes, set out to do just that.

Engineers with Ford Werke AG in Germany 
began by testing a production engine with 
several different types of fuel over a wide 
range of operating conditions. They found 
that performance depended on the research 
and motor octane numbers (RON and MON 
respectively), but other factors such as the 

stoichiometric air-fuel ratio also played an 
important role.

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

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In  addition,  the  relationship 
between  each  fuel  octane  rating 
and knock sensitivity was investi-
gated,  as  well  as  the  link  to  spark 
advance. Ultimately, it was shown 
that an index proposed by Shell in-
corporating  both  RON  and  MON 
was the most appropriate for predict-
ing knock sensitivity.

The engine tests were complemented 
by extensive simulations using com-
putational fluid dynamics (CFD) mod-
els.  Specifically,  the  STAR-CD,  FIRE 
and  Shell  auto-ignition  models  were 
applied, in some cases in combination 
with an extended coherent flame model 
(ECFM).  The  Ford  engineers  experi-
mented with various parameterisations of 

continued from page 36  ‘Cooperative cybercars, a question of priorities’

a loss in communication between vehicles. 
If the communication network breaks down, 
the vehicles revert to ‘line of sight’ proced-
ures; they will not cross intersections, for 
example, unless they visually detect that the 
coast is clear.

Indeed, the first applications of Cybercars2 
technology could well be found in somewhat 
normal looking cars. Part of the Cybercars2 
project  involved  the  building  of  several 
‘dual-mode’ vehicles that could be switched 
between fully automatic and manual driver 
modes.

But while a car is under manual operation, 
the automated systems continue to work, 
providing the driver with useful informa-
tion about the road and other vehicles in 
the vicinity. The advanced driver assistance 
systems (ADAS) are being developed in a 
number of EU-funded projects and manu-
facturers  have  started  to  install  them  in 
cars.

especially through the EU-funded Citynet-
mobil project which will explore the possi-
bilities for such systems in five demonstra-
tion cities.

‘All the basics are there for a functioning, 
efficient and safe system,’ Parent asserts.

This is the second of a two-part special 
feature on ‘Cybercars2’.

Meanwhile, the Cybercars2 project contin-
ues to push cooperative, automated trans-
port systems as the answer to many of the 
transport  issues  facing  European  cities, 

Promoted through the ICT Results service.

http://cordis.europa.eu/ictresults/index.cfm?section=news&tpl=
article&ID=90849

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

37

 
 
 
Vessel designs for high-speed freight transport

Vessel designs suitable for high-speed freight transport on inland 
waterways were prepared for two routes.

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Inland  waterways  serve  as  transnational 
channels of transport. In this respect initia-
tives involved in freight transport need to 
be implemented on a broad scale particu-
larly regarding operator requirements. The 
Pacscat project is a prime example since its 
operations serve primarily the Rhine and 
the Danube which flow through many Euro-
pean countries.

In light of this, a vessel which is suitable 
for deployment in the Rhine and Danube 
freight logistics market was needed. There-
fore  a  detailed  design  and  performance 
assessment was conducted for implemen-
tation by a transnational consortium. This 

involved the designer of the vessel as well as 
the operator in cooperation with regulatory 
authorities.

As a result of these efforts, 
the designs for two types of 
Pacscat river freighters (one 
for the Danube and one for 
the Rhine respectively) were 
prepared along with general 
arrangement  drawings.  The 
concept behind each design is 
to provide the environmental 
benefits of high efficiency and 
low wash while possibly dou-
bling speed.

Effective damping of vibration 
in aircraft rotor blades

Insight gained from a unique set of experiments funded through FP5 
may be exploited to help make tomorrow’s aircraft engines safer.

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The  rotor  blades 
in aircraft engines 
can develop cracks 
and  even  break 
when  subjected 
to extremely high 
loads, a phenom-
enon  known  as 
high cycle fatigue 
(HCF).  Engi-
neers frequently 
overcompen-
sate  for  HCF, 
often  at  the 
expense of fuel 

efficiency. The Growth programme set aside 
significant funding to address challenges in 
aeronautical engineering such as HCF.

The Adturbii project involved a consortium 
of 16 partners, including engine manufac-
turers, research institutes and universities, 
hailing  from  several  different  European 
countries.  During  the  five-year  project, 
engineers with the École centrale de Lyon in 
France performed a number of experiments 
aiming to optimise the impact of damping.

A variety of dampers were tested on two 
blades rotating in a vacuum. This enabled 

Investigating cavitation erosion in diesel engines

Studies were carried out to quantify erosion in the fuel injection systems 
of diesel engines as a result of cavitation. Experimental and theoretical results 
were used to enhance the development of an erosion model.

Polluting emissions from diesel engines can 
be dramatically reduced by increasing fuel 
injection pressure. However, this can lead to 
increased erosion in parts of the engine and a 
reduction in the durability of the injection sys-
tem. Erosion can be caused by cavitation, the 
formation and rapid collapse of vapour bub-
bles in the fuel flow resulting in a shockwave, 
which can degrade engine components.

One of the main challenges facing Prevero 
project researchers was to integrate the model 
with observations of flow characteristics and 
the resistance of materials to erosive effects. 

This required a detailed understanding of how 
the materials comprising the injector system 
were affected by the fuel flow characteristics.

Researchers from the Laboratoire des écoule-
ments géophysiques et industriels (LEGI) in 
Grenoble, France, undertook experiments 
to verify the erosion model. The model was 
validated both from a hydrodynamic and a 
materials perspective and used to predict 
incubation time and erosion rate.

Funded under the FP5 programme Growth 
(Competitive and sustainable growth).

Collaboration sought: further research or development 
support; licence agreement; marketing agreement; 
manufacturing agreement; financial support; private-public 
partnership; available for consultancy.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5236

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the  researchers  to  eliminate  any  possible 
interference from aerodynamic effects and 
focus  specifically  on  the  role  of  friction. 
Data was collected from strain gauges fixed 
to the blades themselves.

This set-up was employed during Adturbii to 
evaluate damper efficiency for several different 
blade vibration modes. The researchers from 
the École centrale de Lyon also manipulated 
the configuration to investigate the potential of 
damping to address phase differences derived 
from engine order variation. The knowledge 
acquired from the experiments will be used to 
improve engine simulation software.

Funded under the FP5 programme Growth 
(Competitive and sustainable growth).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support; 
licence agreement.

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location also matched the area of erosion 
recorded from experimental observations. 
Erosion was predicted in the region which 
experienced  bubble  collapse,  which  also 
agreed with the observed measurements.

Project  partner  AVL  List  GmbH  incorp-
orated  the  erosion  model  into  the  FIRE 
computer program, which they had devel-
oped. The erosion model was validated by 
AVL using results from LEGI. The ability to 
predict the probability and rate of erosion 
meant less time spent in developing new 
prototype engines thereby reducing costs.

Funded under the FP5 programme EESD 
(Energy, environment and sustainable development).

The  model  revealed  that  the  cavitation 
region  fluctuated  in  size.  The  size  and 

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

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38

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

 
 
 
 
 
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control functions to the actual hardware and 
software components.

The Arflex system also accommodates the 
storage of a large volume of data (system 
variables, states of robot and control system, 
host commands, measurements, etc.) that 
can be used to perform offline analysis. This 
feature allows replication of experimental 
field trials in the simulation environment, 
where control algorithms can be evaluated 
and verified in considerable detail.

Today,  there  is  a  real  demand  for  indus-
trial robots working at higher accuracies 
than the best available to date. In aerospace 
applications,  riveting  and  drilling  oper-
ations  require  0.1  mm  positioning  —  as 
do metal cutting, milling and deburring in 
other critical sectors. A 0.15 mm maximum 
error path is also desirable in sensor-guided 
robotic laser welding.

For SMEs to adopt robotic production, flexi-
bility and adaptability are overriding consid-
erations. Such businesses tend to manufacture 
in small batches, for which robots must be 
readily pre-programmable and easily switched 
between  differing  procedures  —  which  is 
where facilities such as force and compliance 
controls can be especially advantageous.

The Arflex concept meets all of these needs, 
opening the door to wider deployment of 
industrial robots to the benefit of both large 
and small European enterprises.

Funded under the FP6 thematic area 'Nanotechnologies and nano-
sciences, knowledge-based multifunctional materials and new 
production processes and devices'.

http://ec.europa.eu/research/industrial_technologies/case_
studies/case-studies-001_en.html

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Robots reach new levels of accuracy 
and adaptability

The precision of industrial robots is influenced by various mechanical effects. 
Technology developed in the Arflex project improves positioning accuracy 
by 10 times compared with previous generations, while providing ample 
application flexibility to meet the needs of large and small users.

The ability of robotic tools to handle tasks 
requiring  very  tight  tolerances  is  limited 
by mechanical effects such as flexing of the 
arms, imprecision in the coupling joints, 
gearbox  backlash,  general  non-linearity 
and  friction.  In  Arflex,  a  seven-member 
consortium  led  by  Italian  SME  EICAS 
Automazione has succeeded in achieving 
a 0.1 mm absolute positioning accuracy of 
the tool centre point (TCP) — a tenfold im-
provement over earlier systems.

At the same time, it has provided flexibility 
and ease of use through the application of 
advanced  technologies  in  control  theory, 
embedded  systems,  sensor  devices  and 
vision systems. Added advantages are that 
the innovative solution is inexpensive and 
able to operate as a plug-and-play resource 
in an industrial environment.

In order to correct the positional error of 
a robot, a suitable sensor system has to be 
located beyond the active tool, or ‘end-effector’, 
in order to measure the gap between it and 
the  appropriate  reference  position.  The 
Arflex concept entails direct measurement 
of both the position and orientation (col-
lectively described as the ‘pose’) of the TCP 
by means of multiple cameras fixed around 
the robot, with real-time control to ensure 
constant accuracy.

The system includes a specially designed con-
tactless sensor able to measure the pose of a 
mobile object. Sophisticated self-calibration 
procedures make this fully autonomous and 
readily adaptable to different working con-
ditions. As a result, it is possible to use low-
cost cameras, without the need for expen-
sive calibration procedures.

The Arflex system works in two operating 
modes:
(cid:2)(cid:3)

start-up  calibration  mode  —  using 
advanced algorithms as the basis for fully 
automated self-calibration in relation to 
the robot and the working environment, 
without  requiring  any  accurate  prior 
knowledge of the camera installation;
normal mode — where the cameras meas-
ure the TCP position and attitude during 
routine operation, so that the vision con-
trol loop can compensate for any error and 
assure the required accuracy.

(cid:2)(cid:3)

To optimise performance under all working 
conditions, the self-calibration procedures are 

designed to recover errors due to non-ideal 
characteristics of the vision sensor and optical 
lens. Furthermore, fault detection, isolation 
and recovery (FDIR) algorithms implemented 
in the core system enable it to complete a task, 
even in the event of smart camera failure.

Multi-hierarchical  control  architecture, 
implemented on a COMAU C4G open con-
troller, provides a good combination of ac-
curacy and flexibility. Importantly, it allows 
existing robots and their associated control 
systems to remain essentially unchanged.

The robot’s own controller forms the low-
est architectural level, providing commands 
to the motors for the execution of move-
ments to perform specific tasks. All that is 
necessary is to make it open to receive and 
implement reference trajectory corrections 
sent  from  the  higher  levels  of  the  Arflex 
controls,  where  the  vision  control  loop 
receives the flow of pose measurements and 
determines the adjustments to compensate 
for positioning error.

This  structure  allows  the  system  config-
uration  to  be  both  modular  and  distrib-
uted,  with  sensors  that  can  be  positioned 
or  changed  depending  on  the  application 
requirements. It also permits further control 
functions to be incorporated at a higher level. 
One example is a force compliance control 
loop developed by research partner Fraun-
hofer IPK-FHG using a software-controlled 
force sensor to measure external 
forces  acting  on  the  TCP  and 
also to modify the trajectories 
accordingly. The robot can thus 
follow profile changes on a sur-
face, or react to forces applied by 
an operator during a task involv-
ing human-machine interaction.

A crucial part of the research was 
the  construction  of  a  powerful 
simulation environment, founded 
on the Eicaslab platform for auto-
matic control design, forecasting 
and testing. Algorithms designed 
and  validated  in  such  an  envir-
onment  are  compatible  with  the 
real-time requirements and are nat-
urally suited for integration into the 
hardware platform without changing 
the code. This ability to shift rapidly 
from prototype to field application 
makes it a simple matter to transfer 

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

39

 
 
 
European expertise in machining applications

Significant progress was made toward developing environmentally-friendly 
grinders in the context of an FP5 RTD project.

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Gr inding  is  an 
essential  machin-
i ng   pro c e du re. 
Unfortunately  it 
consumes  large 
amounts of energy 
and  materials. 
The Growth pro-
gramme invested 
heavily  in  the 
development  of 
new  grinding 
technology. The 
ENGY  project, 
which  brought 
together experts 

from  both  industry  and  academia  from 
across Europe, is a prime example.

Saint-Gobain Abrasives Ltd, a leading manu-
facturer of grinding tools headquartered in 
the United Kingdom, designed new grind-
ing wheels and then constructed them from 
cubic boron nitride (CBN), an extremely hard 
material. They managed to extend component 
life while at the same time reduce the amount 
of energy consumed by the equipment.

Encouraged by these results, Saint-Gobain 
Abrasives Ltd attempted to transfer the new 
technology to grind hardening. They con-
cluded  that  further  testing  is  required  to 

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Dry lubricants for stamping dies

An EU-funded project consortium combined their expertise to develop 
a dry stamping process based on coated self-lubricating dies. The low-friction 
surface coatings were applied using the thermal spray process and wear 
resistance and friction coefficients were investigated.

The goal of the Ecostamp project was to 
develop a dry lubricant as an alternative 
to the toxic liquid lubricants used in sheet 
metal  stamping.  Exposure  to  the  lubri-
cants can result in skin diseases including 
dermatitis, tumours and changes in skin 
pigment.

Reduction of harmful liquid lubricants can 
also contribute to the EU’s policy for sus-
tainable development and help European 
companies  achieve  certification  for  the 

environmental management standard ISO 
14001. Furthermore, significant cost savings 
can be achieved by managing and reducing 
the negative environmental impacts from 
sheet metal forming lubricants.

Researchers  from  the  Ecostamp  consor-
tium  used  thermal  spraying  to  coat  the 
surface of stamping dies with a composite 
material made up of solid lubricant. Dif-
ferent amounts of graphite and chromium 
carbide were mixed with a nickel-chrome 

Innovative technology for quiet punching

Integration of solutions for vibration in the design of industrial machinery 
can certainly improve their sound quality, but it will not prevent noise 
problems. The Noiseless project considered a relatively new method for noise 
reduction, which is based on active vibration control.

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The evolution of pro-
duction  towards  a 
constant  increase 
in  performance  has 
b e e n   a s s o c i at e d 
with  an  increase  in 
the  machines’  op-
e r at i on a l   s p e e d 
together  with  a 
reduction  in  the 
weight  of  their 
mobile  compon-
ents. As a result of 
these two tenden-
cies,  the  problem 
of  vibration  and 

resolve issues related to control before the 
procedure can be implemented in an indus-
trial setting.

The  structural  advances  achieved  dur-
ing ENGY were, however, deemed mature 
enough for immediate use in several differ-
ent grinding applications. The initial feed-
back obtained by Saint-Gobain Abrasives 
Ltd indicated that the new grinders lasted 
up to three times longer than their conven-
tional  counterparts.  Furthermore,  it  was 
possible to maintain good geometry with-
out causing burns.

Funded under the FP5 programme Growth 
(Competitive and sustainable growth).

Collaboration sought: manufacturing agreement; information 
exchange/training; available for consultancy.

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metallic matrix before being deposited onto 
a steel substrate with an atmospheric plasma 
spray.

Following the spraying of the dry lubricant on 
the steel, results indicated only minor levels 
of wear and a low friction coefficient. The 
Ecostamp research team ascertained that the 
friction coefficient was reduced when the 
graphite content was increased. The optimal 
level of wear resistance was achieved with a 
graphite content of 35 % by volume.

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(Competitive and sustainable growth).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support; 
manufacturing agreement.

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noise  pollution  in  industry  is  more  and 
more widespread.

Recently acquired knowledge of the damp-
ing and noise-absorbing properties of dif-
ferent materials has opened the way to new 
possibilities through the application of pas-
sive and active noise control techniques. 
Though they provide an adequate solution 
for the reduction of noise emissions at low 
frequencies, passive methods such as the 
use of noise-absorbing materials often lead 
to an unacceptable increase in mass and 
volume.

The Noiseless project therefore proposed 
an alternative method to control repetitive 
impact  noise  produced  by  punch  press 
machines as close to the source as possible. 
In active structural acoustic control (ASAC), 
minimisation of noise emissions is achieved 

continued on page 41

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research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

 
 
 
 
 
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Activated carbon leading the way in 
purification solutions

European research has shown that activated carbon can be produced from 
polymeric materials. Despite the inevitably higher cost as compared to carbon 
derived from natural raw materials, the enhanced absorption properties of 
these new materials open the way for innovative purification solutions.

Activated carbon has become an attractive 
solution for an increasing number of appli-
cations ranging from tertiary water treat-
ment to supercapacitors. These large scale 
applications reflect the high throughput of 
the  most  commonly  used  process  for  its 
preparation  from  wood,  coal  or  coconut 
shell.

The relatively low purity of activated carbon 
produced in rotary kilns, however, hinders 
its wider use in demanding electrochemical 
and biomedical applications. Furthermore, 
it suffers from substantial particle to part-
icle variations. The Creation project aimed 
to  overcome  these  problems  through  the 
carbonisation of phenolic resin.

In particular, the Creation project focused 
on  the  development  of  a  synthetic  car-
bon material, the pore structure of which 
is maintained up to a very high degree of 
activation. Mast Carbon Technology Ltd, 
specialising in activated carbon, was behind 
this new material which evolved from the 
company’s research into new polymer-based 
carbon materials.

Porosity, which influences the performance 
of carbon materials in a multitude of appli-
cations,  was  introduced  with  the  use  of 
polymer solvents on precured resin pow-
der. Once control over the pore structure 
was ensured, the ability of the carbonised 
phenolic resin to recover catalysts used in 

Deactivating bacteria in water using sunlight

This project tested a method of purifying drinking water without using added 
chemicals but instead, a photocatalytic solar reactor system. The results 
demonstrated that this method can be applied to the problem of how to purify 
drinking water simply in remote locations, the solution to which could save 
lives in developing countries.

The  Solwater  project  initiated  research 
into the development and testing of a fully 
autonomous solar reactor system. The idea 
behind this was to use it for drinking water 
purification in remote locations. This pro-
cess  allows  for  purification  without  any 
chemicals needing to be added.

The  scientific  and  technological  require-
ments for this research were based on ana-
lysing solar disinfection by heterogeneous 
photocatalysis. This involved using sol-gel 
immobilised titanium dioxide (TiO2) films 
over  glass  rings.  The  drinking  water  was 
collected from a Mexican drinking water 
source that had been naturally polluted by 

coliform bacteria. It was then exposed to 
sunlight in plastic bottles and was measured 
for disinfection effectiveness.

The results of the experiments conducted 
showed that on a sunny day, disinfection 
with immobilised TiO2 needed 15 minutes 
of irradiation to reduce the faecal coliforms 
content to zero and 30 minutes to destroy 
all the coliforms. It was demonstrated by 
the researchers that the disinfection process 
using TiO2 keeps water free of coliforms for 
at least seven days.

Ciemat, one of the project partners, con-
tributed by conducting several sets of ex-

the synthesis of fine chemicals was put to 
the test.

Typically,  finely  powdered  activated  car-
bon with a mean particle diameter of less 
than  20  microns  is  used  in  stirred  auto-
clave  reactors.  Mast  Carbon  Technology 
Ltd found that highly porous carbon in the 
form of beads approximately 500 microns in 
diameter outperformed their conventional 
counterparts.

These results have opened the way for appli-
cations beyond the recovery of catalysts. In 
the future, these novel carbon materials can 
be used in the filtering of blood as well as 
the absorption of solvents and other vola-
tile  chemicals  released  from  industrial 
processes.

Funded under the FP5 programme Growth
 (Competitive and sustainable growth).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support; 
financial support.

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periments. In particular, these researchers 
performed  experiments  using  water  sus-
pensions  of  TiO2  in  a  reactor  and  on  an  
Ahlstrom  paper  matrix.  They  concluded 
that the total photocatalytic deactivation of 
pure E. Coli suspensions is a consequence of 
the combined effect of sunlight and the oxi-
dant substance generated in the TiO2.

Potential  applications  of  these  research 
findings could include disinfecting water 
in rural areas in developing countries in the 
simplest of ways. It is also a possibility that 
this method be used, in the short term, to 
disinfect naturally polluted water in areas 
where distribution systems have collapsed 
due to extreme weather phenomena.

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘INCO 2’ 
(Confirming the international role of Community research).

Collaboration sought: information exchange/training.

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continued from page 40  ‘Innovative technology for quiet punching’

by modifying the machine’s vibrations using 
dampers directly attached to the vibrating 
components.

More specifically, project partner, Cedrat 
Technologies in France focused on the use 
of piezoelectric dampers for vibration con-
trol. The key benefits of using piezoelectric 
dampers instead of other control actuators 
are their low weight and volume. Further-
more, when combined with high power lin-

ear amplifiers, multiple dampers can be in-
corporated into the machine’s structure.

By multiplying the available electrical power 
of standard power supplies, the high-power 
amplifier  can  provide  the  voltage  levels 
needed to drive the piezoelectric dampers. 
They also allow for the fine tuning of the 
control system and ultimately for the con-
trol of noise over a wide frequency band-
width. The Cedrat Technologies’ experience 

in  developing  smart  control  systems  has 
made possible the wider use of piezoelectric 
dampers for  reducing  noise produced  by 
industrial activities.

Funded under the FP5 programme Growth 
(Competitive and sustainable growth).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

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research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

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Innovative compounds for optical sensors

A novel photoluminiscent polymer has been developed within the framework of the 
OPAMD project for cost-effective and environmentally-friendly optical sensors.

Among the various methods implemented 
so far for the detection of nitro-aromatic 
compounds such as explosives and herbi-
cides, fluorescence quenching seems to be 
the most promising for the next generation 
of optical sensors. Quenching refers to the 
decrease  in  the  fluorescence  intensity  of 
specific materials containing emissive and 
charge-transporting compounds.

Numerous inorganic materials can be used 
to identify the presence of nitro-aromatic 
compounds  by  a  clearly  distinguishable 
change in their photoluminescence. How-
ever,  the  interest  in  replacing  inorganic 
materials  in  optical  sensors  with  organic 
molecular  materials  has  been  increasing 
because of their ease in fabrication and low 
cost.

Within  the  framework  of  the  OPAMD 
project, researchers at the laboratories of 
Thales Research & Technology in France 
synthesised  a  molecularly  functionalised 

polymer from the aromatic monomer sty-
rene, PST-NI. With the introduction of a 
moiety  of  naphthalimide  chromophores 
in polystyrene, they achieved fluorescence 
quantum yields in thin solid films, which 
can reach up to 60 %.

Similar  spectroscopic  properties  were 
observed  for  solutions,  indicating  the 
absence of interactions between polymer 
side chains. The absorp-
tion  and  fluorescence 
spectra of PST-NI were 
also  studied  after  the 
introduction  of  differ-
ent  organic  pigments. 
Addition  of  quinacri-
done and perylene imide 
chromophores  resulted 
in the fluorescence inten-
sity peak being displaced 
towards the green and red 
portion of the visible spec-
trum, respectively.

Moreover, the fluorescence lifetimes of PST-
NI were measured both in the presence and 
absence of nitro-aromatic compounds, such 
as 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT). The drop in the 
fluorescence intensity verified upon several 
minutes of exposure to DNT did not exceed 
50 % which makes these polymeric materials 
very attractive for sensing applications.

Funded under the FP5 programme Growth 
(Competitive and sustainable growth).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

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Optoelectronics to play key role 
in sensor development

Research headed by the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom indicates 
a promising future for optoelectronic sensors with regard to biological processes.

The need for rugged yet cost-effective sen-
sors for applications such as waste process-
ing  and  environmental  monitoring  has 
never  been  greater.  Important  research 
in this field was supported by the Growth 
programme. The University of Manchester 
(UoM) assembled a team of experts in the 
context of the Matinoes project to assess the 
potential of optoelectronic technology.

The fruit of their labour was an instru-
ment  capable  of  measuring  the  level  of 
oxygen  quenching  of  fluorophores  and 

enzymes. It induces excitation at a specific 
wavelength then collects and amplifies the 
signal using a photomultiplier tube. Moni-
toring the flow of photons over time pro-
vides important feedback about the decay 
in fluorescence.

The UoM engineers exploited optical the-
ory to determine oxygen levels at the fluor-
ophore sites using a ratiometric technique. 
It  involved  successive  measurements  of 
light intensity to form a ratio that is solely 
dependent on the decay lifetime. Oxygen 

Nanocantilevers as molecular sensors

Scientists have combined advances in complementary metal oxide 
semiconductor (CMOS) circuitry with nanotechnology to produce advanced 
molecular sensors. Researchers from the EU-funded ‘Nanomass II’ project 
fabricated a novel and extremely sensitive mass detector comprising an array 
of nanoscale silicon cantilevers and CMOS circuitry.

A cantilever is a beam supported at only one 
end which carries a load along its length or 
at the other end. Traditionally used in con-
struction for bridges and balconies, canti-
levers can now be created on a microscopic 
scale through nanotechnology. These nano-

cantilevers can be used to undertake mass 
measurements, thereby acting as mechanical 
mass sensors. The minute cantilevers were 
integrated with CMOS circuitry, which pro-
vided a readout signal, using a nanolitho-
graphic etching process.

quenching can then be determined with the 
aid of pre-calibrated lookup tables.

During  the  project,  UoM  provided  the 
instrument platform to its Matinoes part-
ners to facilitate the testing of unique sen-
sors, such as those suspended in Ormocer® 
films. In addition, it was also used for the 
ensuing field trials of the new instruments. 
Further to these developments, UoM was 
seeking patent protection for the platform.

Funded under the FP5 programme Growth 
(Competitive and sustainable growth).

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training; venture capital/spin-off funding; private-public 
partnership; available for consultancy.

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Mass added to the cantilever was recorded as 
a shift in resonant frequency. This occurred 
when  nanometre-scale  particles  were 
deposited on cantilevers which had been 
electronically  excited  by  an  electrode.  A 
team of scientists based at the Autonomous 
University of Barcelona measured the mass 
of a drop of glycerine, with a mass of only 
40 femtogram, using an electron beam.

A gold probe for scanning tunnelling micro-
scopy (STM) was used to deposit the drop 

continued on page 43

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research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

 
 
 
Detecting the spring constant 
of nanoscale cantilevers

It is now possible to accurately measure the spring constant of nanoscale 
cantilevers thanks to the efforts of researchers at Lund University in Sweden.

The ability to produce sensors on the scale 
of nanometres has opened up a new range 
of applications. For example, environmental 
monitoring may eventually be able to target 
individual molecules of pollutants.

The IST programme funded an innovative 
project entitled ‘Nanomass II’ that aimed to 
develop a new, highly sensitive mass sensor 
based on nanoscale cantilevers. Once the 
cantilevers were fabricated, it was necessary 
to determine their mechanical properties, 
specifically the spring constant.

The research was performed by physicists 
with Lund University. They employed an 
atomic  force  microscope  (AFM)  in  con-
tact mode. The spring constant of the AFM 
probe was known. Through careful modifi-

cation of the signal, the scientists managed 
to generate a fixed force in the order of nano-
newtons. Scanning enabled precise 
quantification  of  the  amount  of 
deflection along the entire length 
of the cantilever, something previ-
ous methods had not been able to 
achieve.

By varying the magnitude of the force 
applied  and  measuring  the  subse-
quent displacement, the team at Lund 
University was able to determine the 
spring constant of the cantilever. Large 
deflections indicated a high degree of 
flexibility in the cantilevers, but no last-
ing deformation was detected following 
the experiments. The ‘Nanomass II’ par-
ticipants believe the relative simplicity of 

Accurate measurement of current 
loss in superconductors

Researchers in the United Kingdom have discovered not just one, but two ways 
that, when applied together, can accurately measure individual current losses 
in superconducting materials.

High-temperature superconductors (HTSs) 
have the potential to revolutionise power 
transmission.  The  EU,  realising  the  im-
portance of supporting innovative research 
in this area, funded the ‘Big-powa’ project 
through the Growth programme.

During the project, several different Bi-2223 
prototypes were developed with the aim of 
minimising alternating current (AC) losses. 
Whereas previous research efforts only man-
aged to measure the total AC loss, engineers 
with  the  University 
of  Southampton  suc-
ceeded in determining 
AC  loss  of  individual 
components.

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This important break-
through  was  made 
possible  by  the  cre-
ation  of  two  new 
experimental  pro-
tocols. The first pro-
tocol  exploits  the 
third  harmonic  of 
the pick-up voltage, 

the AFM technique constitutes a significant 
advantage over other approaches.

Funded under the FP5 programme IST
 (User-friendly information society).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

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a direct approach to measuring supercon-
ductor loss. Also, indirect measurements 
of the coupling current loss are derived by 
measuring the total loss from which the AC 
loss of the superconductor is deducted. The 
second protocol relies on a pair of voltage 
taps configured in parallel with the applied 
field and at right angles to the longitudinal 
direction. This enables direct measurement 
of the coupling current loss.

The  ‘Big-powa’  participants  recommend 
combining the two protocols for optimal 
results. In addition to facilitating the ac-
curate  measurement  of  individual  AC 
loss components in superconductors, the 
new techniques may also provide valuable 
insight into the behaviour of HTSs in gen-
eral. Ultimately, this is expected to enable 
the production and use of commercial HTS 
applications.

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(Competitive and sustainable growth).

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continued from page 42  ‘Nanocantilevers as molecular sensors’

onto  the  free  end  of  the  nanocantilever. 
The CMOS readout circuitry was used to 
measure the change in resonant frequency 
before and after placing the drop, enabling 
the researchers to determine mass sensitiv-
ity. Operation of the sensor within a vacuum 
can result in an increase in sensitivity.

A sensor comprising a line of nanocantilev-
ers can be used to monitor a range of phys-
ical and chemical processes. The technol-
ogy can be used to integrate the extremely 
compact and highly sensitive sensors into a 
portable device for biochemical or environ-
mental applications. For further informa-

tion please visit the project website at: http://
einstein.uab.es/_c_nanomass/Introd.html

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research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

43

 
 
 
 
 
 
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Lead-free solder paste for electronic systems

A European consortium was established to replace conventional tin/lead alloy 
soldered assemblies with a lead-free equivalent. A lead-free solder paste was 
developed and tested before becoming a standard product.

Europe needs to develop high-density, en-
vironmentally  friendly  interconnection 
technology in order to compete successfully 
with products from America and Asia. The 
development of lead-free solder by the Ime-
cat project will enable European manufac-
turers to perform in domestic and foreign 
markets following a ban on lead in solder.

The Imecat project developed lead-free sol-
der paste for ecologically sound assembly 
technology of electronic systems. The con-
sortium comprised nine partners from five 
different EU Member States including W. C. 
Heraeus GmbH & Co. KG an expert in the 
electronic development and commercialisa-
tion of interconnection materials.

The  Heraeus  team  developed  a  standard 
solder paste using a ‘type 3’ powder with a 
tin/silver/copper alloy suspended in a flux 
medium. Different factors were investigated 
including soldering quality, solder printing, 
and resistance to corrosion.

Soldering  quality  was  maximised  using 
wetting  performance  and  solder  balling 
tests which were carried out in both air and 
nitrogen. Solder balling can create short cir-
cuits thereby affecting reliability, particularly 
when devices become reduced in size.

Different factors affecting printing behav-
iour were also investigated, including fine 
pitch capability, stencil life and cold and hot 
slump. Slump, the collapse of the applied 
solder due to gravity, is particu-
larly  undesirable  as  it  causes 
spread of the material beyond 
the area where it was initially 
deposited.

At the end of the testing process 
the  developed  paste  was  com-
pared  with  two  other  products 
already found on the open mar-
ket. The paste is now a standard 
product and is also commercially 
available.

Test board for evaluating lead-free solder

Lead poisoning can be responsible for blood and brain disorders particularly in 
children and, as a result, its use in solder has now been banned. An EU-funded 
consortium has investigated a viable alternative to lead-based solder paste.

The use of lead in the manufacture of elec-
tronic and electrical equipment was pro-
hibited under the Restrictions of Hazard-
ous Substance (RoHS) Directive. The metal 
was banned due to its detrimental impact 
on human health and the environment. In 
order for a ban on lead in solders and fin-
ishes to be effective a suitable replacement 
material needed to be developed.

The  EFSOT  project  created  a  test  board 
for  evaluating  the  reliability  of  the  new 
lead-free  solder  paste.  The  paste  can  be 
applied  to  a  broad  spectrum  of  applica-

tions, ranging from consumer to automo-
tive electronics.

The test board was used to validate differ-
ent types of very fine pitch printing and sol-
dering. It was also used to confirm the sol-
der’s suitability for a number of other more 
specific properties. These included ease of 
cleaning, insulation, power components sol-
dering and compatibility with different fin-
ishes for printed wiring boards.

The design of the test board reflected the 
different standard patterns of three indus-

Electronic nose under test

European researchers have developed an electronic chemical biosensor incorporating 
mammalian olfactory receptors. Tests revealed that the receptors continued to 
mediate normal chemical responses in their new electronic environment.

The fusion of nature with nanotechnology 
promises to enhance the quality of life for 
every citizen in society. One area with huge 
potential is electronic sensor technology. 
The reduction or removal of human involve-
ment in the detection of toxic substances 

could vastly improve safety and accuracy 
standards in a range of applications.

The aptly named ‘Spot-nosed’ project, funded 
by the EU, aimed to develop olfactory nano-
biosensor  arrays.  Nanosomes  some  40  to 

The researchers also developed a lead-free 
paste for the wafer bumping process using 
‘type 6’ solder powder which has the smallest 
particles specified according to national and 
international standards. The team tested four 
different lead-free alloys, the most suitable of 
which was SnAg4Cu0.5, which formed the 
basis for a novel product that is available for 
all manufacturers and interested consumers.

Funded under the FP5 programme Growth 
(Competitive and sustainable growth).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support; 
joint venture agreement; information exchange/training.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5225

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trial project partners, which were compared. 
The industrial partners used their designs 
to manufacture boards and validate a range 
of processes for lead-free solder. Research-
ers identified the design which gave the best 
results for high-volume production using 
automated optical inspection.

The  EFSOT  project  involved  collaboration 
between technical and environmental experts 
who focused on the entire life cycle of solder. 
The life cycle extended from solder production 
to the manufacture of printed wiring boards and 
the reuse and recycling of electronic equipment.

Funded under the FP5 programme Growth 
(Competitive and sustainable growth).

Collaboration sought: available for consultancy.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5205

60 nm in size were produced that housed the 
olfactory receptors. These were then immo-
bilised onto solid supports on a sensor chip.

Following  tests  to  verify  the  attachment  of 
the nanosomes, the response of the olfactory 
receptors to odorant molecules was monitored. 
Odorant molecules can be very small and their 
binding to the receptors cannot therefore easily 
be detected. The researchers therefore applied 
surface plasma resonance technology using a 

continued on page 45

44

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

 
 
 
Sulphur traps reduce pollutant emissions

New nano-structured materials, developed during the Nanostrap project, will help 
engineers to eliminate the poisoning of catalytic converters by sulphur compounds.

The current strict environmental legislation 
demands advanced concepts to reduce the 
emission of harmful gasses. Reducing the 
emission of nitrogen oxides (NOxs) emit-
ted by diesel and lean-burn petrol engines 
is one of the challenges faced. These fuel-
efficient  engines  produce  exhaust  fumes 
that are particularly rich in oxygen. A con-
ventional catalytic converter is therefore not 
suitable for converting the generated NOx 
into nitrogen.

The Nanostrap project was funded under 
FP5 to investigate the addition of specific 
components, such as barium, to store the 
NOx  formed.  For  this  new  type  of  NOx 
storage-reduction catalytic converter, the 

fuel is alternately combusted in the engine 
under  oxygen-rich  and  fuel-rich  condi-
tions.  During  a  long  oxygen-rich  period 
the generated NOx is stored in the barium 
component. When this component becomes 
saturated, an oxygen-poor emission gas is 
produced and the catalyst is regenerated.

Research work conducted at the Technische 
Universität München in Germany addressed 
the only limitation for an immediate appli-
cation of the NOx reduction-storage con-
cept. Due to the high affinity of NOx stor-
age  components  to  sulphur,  the  storage 
capacity of the catalysts decreases rapidly in 
the presence of sulphur oxides (SOxs). To 
remove SOx before they reach the catalytic 

Highly charged ion trapping and laser 
spectroscopy

Physicists from the Hitrap project designed a set-up for studying highly 
charged ions (HCIs). The ions, such as hydrogen-like lead and lithium-like 
bismuth, were trapped and cooled, and measured using laser spectrometry.

The Hitrap project is an RTD network com-
prising nine European research teams from 
seven different countries. The aim of the 
consortium is to produce novel instrumen-
tation for a range of interactive experiments 

based on trapped HCIs. The work addresses 
questions  concerning  the  fundamental 
properties of physics.

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Project  partner  Imperial  College, 
London,  developed  an  equipment 
including an ion source and an ion 
trap for carrying out laser spectros-
copy on HCIs. Researchers used an 
existing super conducting magnet 
when  designing  and  building  the 
ion  source.  The  source  can  pro-
duce singly or doubly charged ions, 
which  possess  magnetic  dipole 
reactions in the visible range.

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converter’s materials, an innovative sulphur 
trap was developed.

The sulphur trap was based on a new class of 
nano-structured porous materials that ensured 
effective storage of SOxs at temperatures lower 
than 300 °C. More specifically, metal-organic 
frameworks with copper ions linked by ben-
zene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate  molecules  were 
impregnated with barium chloride (BaCl2). 
This combination of materials offered well-
defined pore structure, in addition to large 
pore sizes. The superior uptake capacity of 
the sulphur trap, which reached 50 ppm of 
SO2 in an oxygen-rich atmosphere, was veri-
fied by means of the X-ray scattering and the 
Brunauer, Emmett, Teller techniques.

Funded under the FP5 programme Growth 
(Competitive and sustainable growth).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5048

hyperfine splitting in the HCIs, using laser 
spectroscopy.  The  researchers  aimed  to 
achieve an extremely high level of accuracy 
that would be three orders of magnitude 
better than previous results.

The use of laser spectroscopy and the cooling 
of HCIs in Penning traps have helped to pro-
vide valuable insights for scientists. Physicists 
now have a much better understanding of 
how ions behave when confined in traps and 
subject to excitation by quadrupole fields.

Findings from the experiments will enable 
researchers to achieve optimum use of the 
Penning trap designed under the auspices of 
the Hitrap project. The work will also lead 
to a deeper knowledge of laser spectroscopy, 
including the detection of low light levels. 
The  data  collected  by  the  Imperial  Col-
lege team will contribute greatly to further 
Hitrap experiments.

The  HCIs  were  trapped,  cooled 
and compressed into a small dense 
cloud in a Penning trap. The trap 
was  designed  to  give  excellent 
fluorescent rates, with the inten-
tion of measuring ground state 

Funded under the FP5 programme ‘Human potential’
 (Improving the human research potential and
 the socioeconomic knowledge base).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support; 
information exchange/training; available for consultancy.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5237

continued from page 44  ‘Electronic nose under test’

Biacore instrument to detect the biochemical 
reactions involved in the olfactory response.

Levels of Golf, a G protein that mediates bio-
chemical cascades leading to the olfactory 
response, were measured. Despite the fact that 
immobilisation of nanosomes was not verified, 
Golf was detected in its active form when hep-
tanal odorant stimulated its release.

Remote  sensing  can  mean  the  removal 
of  danger  during  environmental  moni-
toring. There is also potential for a vast 
improvement in the accuracy of testing 
in the health care and food safety areas. 
Due  to  the  natural  specificity  of  olfac-
tory receptors, the electronic biosensor 
can be designed according to the target 
odorant.

Funded under the FP5 programme IST 
(User-friendly information society).

Collaboration sought: further research or development support.

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 5202

See also page 27 (Fixed olfactory 
receptors for electronic noses)

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

45

 
 
 
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
http://cordis.europa.eu/events

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Workshop on the planet Mars

A workshop on the planet Mars will be held 
in Les Houches, France, from 28 March to 
2 April 2010.

The goals of the workshop are to integrate 
the  main  results  of  recent  Earth-based 
observations  and  the  missions  to  Mars 
(MarsExpress, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, 
Phoenix and Mars Exploration Rovers) into 
a new global picture of Mars evolution.

The  event  aims  to  further  discussions 
among scientists of different disciplines 
and  help  refine  the  scientific  goals  of 
future missions to Mars. This workshop will 
also be an opportunity for young scien-
tists  to  be  updated  on  the  most  recent 
results and to be trained in some specific 
data processing techniques.

For further information, please visit:
http://www.sciops.esa.int/index.php?project=MARSEXP
RESS&page=planet_mars3

Conference on photonics

‘Photonics Europe’, a five-day conference 
on photonics, optics, lasers and micro/
nanotechnologies will be held in Brussels, 
Belgium, from 12 to 16 April 2010.

The gathering will host 19 conferences, 
special  forums,  events,  courses,  work-
shops and exhibitions. The conferences 
include keynote presentations from inter-
national experts and academics. Plenary, 
technical, networking, professional, and 
student events are also scheduled.

A ‘Hot topics in photonics’ session will aim to 
present the most important developments 
in the field for researchers and engineers.

For further information, please visit:
http://spie.org/photonics-europe.xml

Topics covered by the event will include:
(cid:2)(cid:3)

advanced nanocoatings for mechanical 
and tribological applications;
recent progress in biomedical coatings;
stimulus responsive and multifunctional 
coatings for a smarter world;
nanosystems: fundamental approaches 
towards understanding;
from nanoparticles to nanofilms: manu-
facturing methods and processes;
from science to society: mass production 
and integration of nanofilms.

(cid:2)(cid:3)
(cid:2)(cid:3)

(cid:2)(cid:3)

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(cid:2)(cid:3)

For further information, please visit:
http://www.vinf.eu/ecnf

Conference on the integration 
of miniaturised systems

A European ‘Conference and exhibition on 
integration issues of miniaturised systems 
— MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems), 
MOEMS (micro-opto-electromechanical 
systems), ICs (integrated circuits) and 
electronic components’ will take place on 
23 and 24 March 2010 in Como, Italy.

The event will provide a communications 
platform for research institutes and manu-
facturers to exchange know-how on smart 
systems integration and create the basis 
for successful research cooperation with a 
European focus.

Smart systems integration allows users to 
form a component system which is able to 
gain information from the environment, 
process it electronically, communicate sig-
nals and data and give enabled feedback.

The event is part of the activities of the 
European Technology Platform on Smart 
Systems Integration (EPoSS).

Conference on the European 
RTD Framework Programmes

For further information, please visit:
http://www.mesago-online.de/en/SSI/main.htm

A conference entitled ‘The European 
RTD Framework Programmes: from 
economic recovery to sustainability’ will 
be held in Valencia, Spain, from 13 to 14 
April 2010. The conference, held under 
the auspices of the Spanish Presidency of 
the Council of the EU, will be the core of 
the ‘FP7: European innovation and RTD 
transforming sectors’ week’.

The conference will also be the key public 
event in launching a series of new public 
private partnerships (PPPs) as a corner-

Workshop series on gender 
aspects in research

The EU-funded ‘Gender in research — 
toolkit and training’ project is offering 
a series of training workshops on how 
to integrate gender aspects into FP7 
research between September 2009 and 
November 2010.

These  one-day  training  sessions  are 
intended for anybody interested in render-
ing research gender-sensitive: researchers, 
project managers, national contact points 
(NCP), expert evaluators and others. The 
sessions will provide practical guidance 
on  how  the  gender  dimension  can  be 
integrated in research, using clear exam-
ples of how gender is relevant to existing 
FP7 projects.

Training sessions will take place at differ-
ent locations across Europe and address 
different areas of research. The following 
dates have been set up to May 2010:
(cid:2)(cid:3)

12 March 2010, Montpellier, France: health/
food, agriculture and biotechnology.
18 March 2010, Barcelona, Spain: science 
in society/health.
26 March 2010, Brussels, Belgium: socio-
economic  sciences  and  humanities/
health.
7 May 2010, Sofia, Bulgaria: science in 
society/socio-economic  sciences  and 
humanities.
19 May 2010, Urbino, Italy: health/sci-
ence in society/environment.

(cid:2)(cid:3)

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For further information, please visit:
http://www.yellowwindow.be/genderinresearch/index_
calendar.html

European conference  
on nanofilms

The ‘European conference on nanofilms’ 
(ECNF 2010) will be held in Liège, 
Belgium, from 22 to 25 March 2010.

The  event  will  centre  on  technical  talks, 
poster sessions and thematic roundtables, 
as well as numerous networking opportu-
nities. Participants will also have the oppor-
tunity to select and meet scientists and/or 
business partners in one-to-one meetings.

46

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

stone  of  the  smart  investments  of  the 
‘European economic recovery plan’:
(cid:2)(cid:3)
(cid:2)(cid:3)
(cid:2)(cid:3)
(cid:2)(cid:3)

Factories of the future (FoF)
Energy efficient buildings (EeB)
Green cars (GCI)
Future internet (FI)

The ‘European  economic  recovery  plan’ 
seeks a new deal on vital new and trad-
itional industrial sectors in order to foster 
economic growth and creation of employ-
ment,  as  well  as  maintaining  our  high 
standards  of  quality  of  life.  Knowledge, 
technology, innovation and new markets 
have complementary roles for reaching 
these goals.

The first day, 13 April, will be devoted to 
EeB  PPP  and  FoF  PPP,  and  14  April  will 
cover  GC  PPP  and  FI  PPP.  Side  events 
within the week include meetings of the 
Energy  Efficient  Buildings  (E2B)  associ-
ation and European Factories of the Future 
Research Association (EFFRA) on 12 April, 
the ‘4th future internet assembly’ on 15 
and 16 April and other co-located events 
organised  together  with  the  European 
Commission.

For further information, please visit:
http://www.r2sconference.eu

Forum on frequency and time

The ‘24th European frequency and time 
forum’ (EFTF 2010) will be held from 
13 to 16 April 2010 at the Space Research 
and Technology Centre of the European 
Space Agency (ESA/ESTEC) in Noordwijk, 
the Netherlands.

The  event  is  a  yearly  conference  and 
exhibition  providing  information  and 
exchanges on recent advances in the area 
of time and frequency scientific research, 
industrial  development  and  end-user 
applications.

EFTF 2010 will start with a plenary session 
reviewing the status and development of 
major space missions with relevance to 
time and frequency applications. This will 
be followed by two and a half days of par-
allel technical and poster sessions.

The event will be preceded by a series of 
tutorials on 12 April, and concluded with 
a visit of the ESTEC laboratories and space 
facilities on 16 April.

For further information, please visit:
http://www.eftf2010.org

European conference on 
antennas and propagation

European conference on energy

The ‘European conference on antennas and 
propagation’ (EUCAP) 2010 will take place 
in Barcelona, Spain, from 12 to 16 April 2010.

EUCAP  2010  will  combine  plenary  ses-
sions with invited keynote papers, discus-
sion sessions, workshops, short courses, 
posters and an exhibition. The event aims 
to be a place for the exchange of scientific 
and technical information at the academic 
and industrial levels.

For further information, please visit:
http://www.eucap2010.org/?pid=114

Conference on e-health, 
telemedicine and health ICT

The ‘International e-health, telemedicine 
and health ICT forum’ (Med-e-Tel) will 
be held from 14 to 16 April 2010 at the 
Luxexpo exhibition and congress centre 
in Luxembourg.

The three-day event will cover a number 
of sub-events, programmes, and discus-
sions  dealing  with  the  sector. Thematic 
sessions on such topics as telenursing and 
space technologies for healthcare will be 
held throughout the conference. Featured 
presentations include: successful business 
cases,  research  activities,  pilot  projects 
and practical experiences from health care 
providers.

The  conference  programme  is  divided 
into education, networking, and business 
events. Stakeholders from these fields will 
be able to share and learn from the latest 
developments and research and explore 
new  opportunities  to  launch  potential 
business partnerships.

For further information, please visit:
http://www.medetel.eu/index.php?rub=home 
&page=defaut

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The ‘European energy conference’ 
will be held in Barcelona, Spain, 
from 20 to 23 April 2010.

The conference aims to promote cooper-
ation  and  thereby  stimulate  communi-
cation and synergy in the fields of phys-
ics,  chemistry  and  material  sciences,  to 
support technology and engineering in 
responding to the urgent requirement of 
secure, ecologically acceptable and sus-
tainable energy systems.

The conference will cover chemistry, phys-
ics and material sciences related to energy 
technologies. In addition to plenary keynote 
presentations on diverse energy themes, par-
allel sessions will deal with energy sources, 
storage and conversion of energy and end-
use including energy conservation.

The event is sponsored by the European 
Science Foundation, European Materials 
Research Society, European Association 
for Chemical and Molecular Sciences and 
the European Physical Society.

For further information, please visit:
http://www.e2c-2010.org

European conference and 
exhibition on biomass

The ‘18th European biomass conference 
and exhibition’ will be held from 
3 to 7 May 2010 in Lyon, France.

The conference will be a platform for dis-
cussing the outcome of the United Nations 
climate change conference in Copenha-
gen and national energy strategies.

Topics  to  be  discussed  at  the  event 
will  cover  a  range  of  bioenergy  issues: 
resource availability, conversion technol-
ogies,  demonstration  projects,  integra-
tion in the energy system, environmental 
impact and market deployment, as well as 
the need for policy initiatives.

Presenters and participants will also have 
the opportunity to see practical applica-
tions of biomass for high-quality materials 
and bioenergy systems in the exhibition 
part of the conference.

The  EU’s  Joint  Research  Centre  (JRC)  is 
taking part in the technical organisation 
of the event.

For further information, please visit:
http://www.conference-biomass.com/Welcome. 
404.0.html

research*eu results supplement — No 21 — January/February 2010

47

CORDIS Technology Marketplace: 
Connecting people 
with technology

http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace

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Introducing the latest research results:
(cid:2)(cid:3)

a selection of the latest and best technologies 
emerging from European R & D;
a focus on key exploitable results in three sections: 
business, science, society;
a short presentation of each new technology 
with contact details.

(cid:2)(cid:3)

(cid:2)(cid:3)

Helping you to better exploit new technologies:
(cid:2)(cid:3)

supports interaction between research 
& business communities and society;
encourages technology transfer and promotes 
European best research results;
offers links to support organisations 
around the world;
helps you in promoting your research results;
offers helpful technology business tips, and more.

(cid:2)(cid:3)

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(cid:2)(cid:3)
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