Combining tech and tradition to revive Europe’s endangered languages

The quest is on to support endangered European languages, some with only a handful of speakers left. By Gareth Willmer Like civilisations, languages rise, fall and disappear. Even in Europe, which strives to uphold its linguistic diversity, dozens of regional languages are on the road to extinction. But the work of experts like Justyna Olko … Read more

Clean energy solutions offer new spark for Europe’s small island nations

Malta and Cyprus team up with larger EU countries to increase their clean energy capacity. By Michaela Nesvarova For many Europeans, Cyprus and Malta represent a distant Mediterranean paradise. But despite their sunny climate, the two are less able to capitalise on their wealth of sunshine and potential clean energy than one may expect. One … Read more

3D-printed living cells pave way for tomorrow’s medicine and cruelty-free animal products

EU-funded researchers are expanding the possibilities of 3D printing to create miniature human organs and a variety of products made from living tissue, including food. By Tereza Pultarova 3D printing has come a long way since its early days in the 1980s and is considered an essential tool in many manufacturing processes. Now, however, researchers … Read more

Genetic testing breakthrough helps women with high risk of breast cancer avoid surgery

EU-funded researchers are discovering new genes linked to breast cancer and refining evaluation of risk to help spare women from life-changing surgery. By Vittoria D’Alessio They call it the Angelina Jolie effect: the popular belief that only a preventative double mastectomy can safeguard a woman from developing a tumour if she carries gene mutations linked … Read more

The latest buzz – smart hives and dancing robot bees boost sustainable beekeeping

EU-funded researchers are using big data and smart technologies to improve conditions for bees and guide beekeepers. By Sofia Strodt With an electronic ‘ping’, Professor Dirk de Graaf gets an alert on his smartphone. It’s a message from a beehive that’s in trouble. De Graaf, a professor of biomedical physiology and insect physiology and head of … Read more

Smarter sleep – new technologies speed up diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnoea

Smart wearables and advanced data analysis by EU-funded researchers could help bring relief to millions affected by sleep disorders. By Vittoria D’Alessio Clare Williams was in her early 30s when she received an unexpected diagnosis: obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), the most common sleep-related breathing disorder. Unlike the typical sufferer, she was young, petite and female. … Read more