Μάρτιος 2014

Do you remember James Bond film Casino Royale? After being poisoned, the agent uses a portable diagnostic kit to identify the toxic substance and alert his HQ in London. Such type of technology is not fiction anymore. European researchers have developed a ground-breaking diagnostic system based on smart cards and skin patches combined with a portable reader. Test results can directly be sent to a remote computer, a tablet or a smartphone through a wireless connection.

Have you ever seen an engineer conducting an imaginary orchestra? We think of scientists working in a lab, but Professor Tapio Lokki, of the Aalto University School of Science in Finland, has spent the last few years visiting concert halls and making meticulous measurements of their characteristics. 'Karaoke' is Japanese for 'empty orchestra' – and in some ways that is what he has created to help his studies. The research could lead to improved building designs and a form of audio 'Augmented Reality' (AR).

Annually, about 25 % of food crops are globally contaminated by fungal toxins (mycotoxins) and their consumption causes acute and chronic diseases in humans and animals. Natural and synthetic food-grade preservatives inhibit mould (fungus) formation but the role of environment in their inhibition efficacy is poorly understood.

Further information: cordis.europa.eu