From sail-powered tankers and new food habits to forest-protecting hedges and data-driven healthcare, 2024 promises to be a big year in EU science.
Rogier Eggers wants today’s ships to go back to the future. A senior project manager at Dutch maritime research institute MARIN, Eggers leads the EU-funded OPTIWISE project investigating how wind power can be harnessed to propel cargo vessels, passenger liners and tankers. He has studied ship design for the past 15 years while being a windsurfing and sailing enthusiast.
‘It was a mixture of hobby and professional interests initially. I worked on some sailing-yacht projects, so when the idea of using wind to save energy in shipping appeared it made sense for me to get involved. This was at a time when wind prolusion wasn’t really taken seriously in the industry, but emissions regulations mean that ship owners are increasingly interested in wind from an economic perspective. Look at the speeds that yachts achieve in the America’s Cup. There is obviously a lot of free energy out there.
‘We have weather predictions that are much more accurate than times past, allowing ships to take the route with the most favourable wind. There is the potential for more than 50% of a ship’s propulsion to come from wind. In late October and early November 2023, a ship using sails made its first oceanic crossing to deliver rocket parts for the European Space Agency to French Guiana and we expect larger ships to be built in future.
‘There will be progress in 2024 for sure with a few more ships being launched, but even more being designed and construction starting on some ships with sails, rotors, suction wings and kites to take advantage of wind. We’ve seen real acceleration this year, with the number of installations achieved in one year the same as in the last 10.’
For Dr Janina Seubert, it’s all about scents and sensibilities. A cognitive neuroscientist at the Karolinka Institute in Sweden, she is researching the role of smell in shaping public preferences towards foods. Seubert leads the EU-funded OLFINK project into how flavour preferences are formed in the human brain and, as part of efforts to make diets healthier and more environmentally sustainable, plans in a future initiative to assess the consumer potential of a protein derived from mealworm.
‘When people come to Sweden for the first time and eat salt liquorice, they recognise the liquorice aroma but can be shocked when they taste such saltiness. I was fascinated by how the sense of smell creates emotions and stimulates our appetites. If we see a menu with pictures in a restaurant, it doesn’t really create the same level of craving as if there’s a delicious smell of bread or noodles or sauce coming from the kitchen. We need smell to create this full-blown craving for food.
‘If we smell vanilla, for example, we have a sensation of smelling sweetness. We’re thinking that over time odours known to go with certain tastes amplify the taste in the insular cortex region deep in the brain. But we are also asking where memory comes in. Most foods we encounter fit a category such as sausage or cheese, but we want to know if a range of acceptable flavours exists and whether people learn to be more accepting when food tastes different from their expectations.
‘The flavour of the mealworm is not unpleasant. What makes it unpleasant is the way we think about it. We’re asking if there are ways to present it so that people want to consume it. People often keep eating foods that are not good for them and have a hard time with foods that are good for them. We want to investigate why people are so interested in ultra-processed foods and find it difficult to switch to healthier options. We can apply this knowledge to situations where people overeat. Volunteers in a brain scanner will be exposed to familiar foods in liquid form, with a novel aroma and some artificial sweetener. We will investigate whether amounts of calories influence how quickly people develop a preference for a new aroma and see whether this changes with their need for calories – by comparing people who are hungry and full.’
Christophe Orazio is something of a forest guru – an expert on woodlands who is also determined to protect them from threats including climate change. As chief executive officer of the France-based European Institute of Planted Forest, Orazio co-leads the EU-funded SUPERB project shoring up a large pine forest in the southwest of the country by planting broadleaved hedgerows across 20 000 hectares. The hedgerows are meant to shield the pines – planted during Napoleonic times – from storms, drought, wildfires and even pests that may increase as global temperatures rise while aiding biodiversity as home to birds, mammals and other critters.
‘We had big fires last year because of how warm and dry it was. We previously had warmer years and we had drier years, but never the two at the same time. Fire is going to be a big challenge for forestry in France, but it is not the only concern caused by climate change.
‘Threats from new pests include the spread of a moth infecting maritime pines, while another moth infects oaks. It can weaken them by removing part of their leaf cover. Two years ago, it was very bad on pines. Spruce forests are suffering now, but next on the list might be oak and that would be a big deal because 65% of our forests are oak. If droughts become more frequent, pedunculate oak and a large part of our forest landscape could be transformed in the next 20 to 30 years.
‘Around 10 to 15 years ago the main concern of foresters was how to make as much money and wood as possible. Now, forest owners are concerned about making sure that the forests will grow and are still alive in 30 to 40 years. There is also pressure from the public to protect biodiversity and increase the resilience of forests, so there is now a strong willingness to test new things. We are testing dozens of tree species in a climate gradient from the UK to Spain to simulate climate change and help forest managers select trees for the future and, as part of another project, we are planting mixed plantations with rows of pine and birch. The idea of using hedgerows to protect planted forests is already taking off among some forest owners, even before the project results come out.’
Dr Christos Ntanos is championing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to help people with complex brain disorders. As research director at the Decision Support Systems Laboratory at the National Technical University of Athens in Greece, he leads an EU-funded project called MES-CoBraD that is taking patient data collected by doctors and training AI to help diagnose neurological disorders such as epilepsy and dementia. The overall goal is to deliver faster diagnoses and personalised care.
‘We use medical data from patients, collected during regular visits to their doctor or hospital, and then we analyse it. This can include lab results, medical scans, brain waves, sleep patterns and questionnaires. Then we design and train AI to think like an expert, make diagnoses and suggest treatments.
‘Clinicians were once viewed as gurus roaming hospital corridors and giving out infallible prophesies like oracles of old. Medical practice is more nuanced and down to earth these days and younger doctors recognise how technologies such as AI can improve their work and their patients’ prospects.
‘Their role will change, with clinicians spending less time meticulously going through lab results and significantly more time with their patients – just like how automation in commercial aircraft has removed the flight engineer from the cockpit and shifted more of the pilots’ focus on safety and communication. The year 2023 saw an increase of public awareness of AI and a revival of ethical debates around its use. However, when patients and family members were interviewed about AI diagnostic tools at King’s College Hospital in London, they were reluctant to discuss much about ethics, privacy or disputes about humans versus machines. Their priority was the health of their loved ones. This why we expect to soon see significantly more AI and other cutting-edge technologies in everyday healthcare and more acceptance of the role they can play to help patients.’
Berta Gonzalvo makes no secret about her enthusiasm for plastics – but not ordinary ones. Research director at the Aitiip Technology Centre in the Spanish city of Zaragoza, she is focused on developing plastics from unconsumed foods such as lemon peel and corn starch. High-performance industrial materials emerged from food waste in the EU-funded BARBARA project that Aitiip led, signalling stepped-up innovation in the European bioeconomy to find outlets for the one-third of food produced by humans that never gets consumed.
‘It is now possible to make polymers as well as additives, fibres and dyes from food and farm waste. In our project, we were able to make high-performance materials that could go into cars – into the fascia and door handles. Now we are running projects for exterior parts that must have good mechanical properties such as the bumper and mirror covers.
‘We are going to be producing bioplastic parts for cars in the next two to three years. The amount of bioplastic parts will increase with time. We are moving forward with new bioplastics and new biofibres that could be used around the batteries of the next generation of electric vehicles. We are even developing a new generation of carbon fibres based on natural resources including lignin from wood.
‘But the initial market opportunity for bioplastics in industry is for flexible packaging and rigid packaging. We will need to do more than that and replace much more plastics from fossil fuels, such as the high-performance materials used in many car parts. Europe’s strategy is for circular biobased materials, so we will need to have novel technologies and novel materials to meet demand in future.’
The views of the interviewees don’t necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.
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Kutoka kwa meli za mafuta zinazotumiwa na mashua na tabia mpya za chakula hadi kwa ulinzi wa misitu na huduma za afya zinazoendeshwa na data, 2024 inaahidi kuwa mwaka mkubwa katika sayansi ya EU. Rogier Eggers anataka meli za leo kurudi katika siku zijazo. Mkurugenzi wa mradi wa utafiti wa bahari wa Uholanzi, Eger, anaongoza mradi wa OPTIWISE unaofadhiliwa na EU unaochunguza jinsi nguvu za upepo zinaweza kutumiwa kuendesha meli za mizigo, meli za abiria na meli za mafuta. Kwa miaka 15 iliyopita, amekuwa akijifunza kubuni meli na pia ni mpenzi wa kuteleza kwenye mawimbi ya upepo na kuendesha mashua. "Hapo awali ilikuwa mchanganyiko wa mapendezi ya burudani na ya kitaaluma. Nilikuwa na mradi wa kutengeneza mashua za kuendesha mashua, kwa hiyo wazo la kutumia upepo kuokoa nishati katika usafirishaji lilipotokea, ilikuwa na maana kwangu kushiriki. Hii ilikuwa katika wakati ambapo upepo prolusion hakuwa kweli kuchukuliwa kwa uzito katika sekta hiyo, lakini kanuni uzalishaji maana kwamba wamiliki wa meli ni zaidi na zaidi nia ya upepo kutoka mtazamo wa kiuchumi. Angalia mwendo ambao mashua za baharini hufikia katika Kombe la Amerika. Ni wazi kwamba kuna nishati nyingi za bure huko nje. "Tuna utabiri wa hali ya hewa ambao ni sahihi zaidi kuliko nyakati za zamani, kuruhusu meli kuchukua njia na upepo mzuri zaidi. Zaidi ya asilimia 50 ya nguvu za meli zinatokana na upepo. "Mwishoni mwa Oktoba na mwanzoni mwa Novemba 2023, meli iliyotumia matanga ilifanya safari yake ya kwanza ya baharini kupeleka sehemu za roketi kwa Shirika la Anga la Ulaya kwa Guyana ya Kifaransa, na tunatarajia meli kubwa kujengwa katika siku zijazo. """ "Katika mwaka wa 2024 kutakuwa na maendeleo kwa hakika na meli chache zaidi zitakazoanza kutolewa, lakini hata zaidi kutengenezwa na ujenzi unaoanza kwenye meli zingine na matanga, rotors, mabawa ya kunyonya na kites ili kutumia faida ya upepo. """ "Tumeona kasi ya kweli mwaka huu, na idadi ya mitambo iliyopatikana katika mwaka mmoja ni sawa na katika miaka kumi iliyopita. ""Kwa Dk Janina Seubert, ni wote kuhusu harufu na hisia." Mwanasayansi wa akili wa Taasisi ya Karolinka nchini Sweden, anafanya utafiti juu ya athari za harufu katika kuunda upendeleo wa watu kwa chakula. Seubert anaongoza mradi wa OLFINK unaofadhiliwa na EU kuhusu jinsi upendeleo wa ladha unavyoundwa katika ubongo wa binadamu na, kama sehemu ya juhudi za kufanya lishe kuwa na afya na mazingira endelevu zaidi, mipango ya mpango wa baadaye wa kutathmini uwezekano wa watumiaji wa protini inayotokana na minyoo ya chakula. "Wakati watu kuja Sweden kwa mara ya kwanza na kula chumvi licorice, wao kutambua licorice harufu lakini inaweza kuwa mshtuko wakati wao ladha kama chumvi. """ Nilivutiwa sana na jinsi hisi ya kunusa inavyofanya hisia ziwe na nguvu na kuchochea hamu yetu ya kula. Kama tunaona orodha na picha katika mgahawa, ni kweli haina kujenga ngazi sawa ya hamu kama kama kuna harufu nzuri ya mkate au noodles au mchuzi kuja kutoka jikoni. Tunahitaji harufu ili kuunda hamu hii kamili ya chakula. ‘Kwa mfano, tunaponusa vanilla, tunahisi harufu tamu. "Wanasema kwamba ""kwa muda, harufu zinazojulikana kwenda na ladha fulani huongeza ladha katika eneo la insulary cortex ndani ya ubongo.""" Lakini pia tunauliza kumbukumbu inakuja wapi. "Kila chakula tunachokutana nacho kinafaa katika jamii kama vile soseji au jibini, lakini tunataka kujua ikiwa kuna aina ya ladha inayokubalika na ikiwa watu wanajifunza kukubali zaidi wakati chakula kina ladha tofauti na matarajio yao. """ "Ladha ya minyoo wa unga si mbaya. Jambo linalolifanya liwe lisilo la kupendeza ni jinsi tunavyofikiria jambo hilo. Sisi ni kuuliza kama kuna njia ya kuwasilisha hivyo kwamba watu wanataka kula. Watu mara nyingi huendelea kula vyakula ambavyo si vyema kwao na wana wakati mgumu na vyakula ambavyo ni vyema kwao. "Tunataka kuchunguza kwa nini watu wanapendezwa sana na vyakula vilivyotengenezwa sana na wanaona ni vigumu kubadili chaguo kwa chaguzi zenye afya zaidi. """ Tunaweza kutumia ujuzi huu katika hali ambapo watu hula kupita kiasi. Wanaojitolea katika skana ya ubongo watakabiliwa na vyakula vya kawaida katika fomu ya kioevu, na harufu mpya na baadhi ya tamu bandia. "Kama vile tunavyojua, ""kila mtu ana uwezo wa kupata kalori nyingi, na kila mtu ana uwezo wa kupata kalori nyingi, na kila mtu ana uwezo wa kupata kalori nyingi, na kila mtu ana uwezo wa kupata kalori nyingi, na kila mtu ana uwezo wa kupata kalori nyingi, na kila mtu ana uwezo wa kupata kalori nyingi.""" Kama mkurugenzi mtendaji wa Taasisi ya Ulaya ya Msitu uliopandwa, Orazio anaongoza mradi wa SUPERB unaofadhiliwa na EU wa kuimarisha msitu mkubwa wa misonobari kusini magharibi mwa nchi kwa kupanda hedges pana-leafed katika hekta 20,000. Miti hiyo imekusudiwa kuwalinda misonobari iliyopandwa wakati wa utawala wa Napoleon dhidi ya dhoruba, ukame, moto wa mwituni na hata wadudu ambao wanaweza kuongezeka kadiri joto la dunia linavyoongezeka, huku ikisaidia utofauti wa viumbe kama makao ya ndege, mamalia na viumbe vingine. ‘Tulikuwa na moto mkubwa mwaka jana kwa sababu ya joto na ukame. """Hata hivyo, miaka ya joto na miaka ya ukame haikuwapo wakati uleule." Moto ni tatizo kubwa kwa misitu ya Ufaransa, lakini sio tatizo pekee linalosababishwa na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa. "Tisho la wadudu wapya linatia ndani kuenea kwa nondo anayeambukiza misonobari ya baharini, huku nondo mwingine akiambukiza mialoni. Inaweza kuwazidisha kwa kuondoa sehemu ya kifuniko cha majani yao. Miaka miwili iliyopita, hali ilikuwa mbaya sana kwenye misonobari. Kwa sababu ya misitu ya spruce, ambayo ni moja ya misitu ya mti wa mwaloni, mti wa mwaloni ni muhimu kwa mimea ya mti wa mwaloni, ambayo inahitajika kwa ajili ya uhifadhi wa mimea ya mti wa mwaloni. Kama ukame unazidi kuwa wa mara kwa mara, miti ya mwaloni na sehemu kubwa ya misitu yetu inaweza kubadilishwa katika miaka 20 hadi 30 ijayo. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo awali, ""mtazamo wa wakulima wa misitu ni jinsi ya kupata fedha nyingi na kuni.""" Wamiliki wa misitu wana wasiwasi kuhusu jinsi misitu itavyoendelea kukua na kuwa hai katika miaka 30 hadi 40. Kwa sababu ya msukumo wa umma wa kulinda uumbaji na kuongeza nguvu za misitu, sasa kuna nia kubwa ya kujaribu vitu vipya. """Tunajaribu miongo kadhaa ya spishi za miti katika gradient ya hali ya hewa kutoka Uingereza hadi Uhispania kuiga mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa na kusaidia wasimamizi wa misitu kuchagua miti kwa siku zijazo, na kama sehemu ya mradi mwingine, tunapanda mashamba ya mchanganyiko na safu za pine na birch." Wazo la kutumia hedgerows kulinda misitu iliyopandwa tayari linaanza kati ya wamiliki wa misitu, hata kabla ya matokeo ya mradi kuja nje. <unk> Dk Christos Ntanos ni championing matumizi ya akili bandia (AI) kusaidia watu na matatizo tata ya ubongo. Kama mkurugenzi wa utafiti katika Maabara ya Mifumo ya Msaada wa Uamuzi katika Chuo Kikuu cha Teknolojia cha Athene, Uigiriki, anaongoza mradi unaofadhiliwa na EU unaoitwa MES-CoBraD, ambao unachukua data ya mgonjwa iliyokusanywa na madaktari na mafunzo ya AI kusaidia kugundua matatizo ya neva kama vile kifafa na dementia. Lengo kuu ni kutoa utambuzi wa haraka na huduma ya kibinafsi. "Tunatumia data za matibabu kutoka kwa wagonjwa, zilizokusanywa wakati wa ziara za kawaida kwa daktari wao au hospitali, na kisha tunaichambua. """ Hii inaweza kujumuisha matokeo ya maabara, skani za matibabu, mawimbi ya ubongo, mifumo ya usingizi na maswali. Kisha tunabuni na kufundisha AI kufikiri kama mtaalamu, kufanya utambuzi na kupendekeza matibabu. ‘Wasaidizi wa kitiba wakati mmoja walionwa kuwa walimu wanaotembea-tembea katika vijia vya hospitali na kutoa unabii usioweza kukosea kama waaguzi wa kale. Utafiti wa matibabu ni zaidi ya nuanced na chini ya ardhi siku hizi na madaktari vijana kutambua jinsi teknolojia kama vile AI inaweza kuboresha kazi yao na matarajio ya wagonjwa wao. """Jukumu lao litabadilika, na madaktari watatumia muda mdogo wa kuchunguza matokeo ya maabara na wakati zaidi na wagonjwa wao, kama vile automatisering katika ndege za kibiashara imefanya mhandisi wa ndege kutoka kwenye cockpit na kuhamisha zaidi ya marubani kuzingatia usalama na mawasiliano." Mwaka wa 2023 uliona ongezeko la ufahamu wa umma wa AI na uamsho wa mjadala wa maadili kuzunguka matumizi yake. Hata hivyo, wakati wagonjwa na wanafamilia walipohojiwa kuhusu zana za utambuzi wa AI katika Hospitali ya King's College huko London, walikataa kujadili sana juu ya maadili, faragha au mabishano juu ya wanadamu dhidi ya mashine. Jambo la kwanza walilopaswa kufanya ni kulinda afya ya watu waliowapenda. "Kwa hivyo tunatarajia kuona AI zaidi na teknolojia zingine za hali ya juu katika huduma ya afya ya kila siku na kukubalika zaidi kwa jukumu wanaloweza kucheza kusaidia wagonjwa. ""Berta Gonzalvo haifichi shauku yake kwa plastiki, lakini sio kawaida." Mkurugenzi wa utafiti katika Kituo cha Teknolojia cha ATIEP huko Zaragoza, Uhispania, anaelekeza fikira zake kwenye kuendeleza plastiki kutoka kwa vyakula visivyotumiwa kama vile ganda la limao na wanga wa mahindi. "Kama matokeo ya utafiti wa utafiti uliofanywa na AITIP, ""Barbara"" ni mradi wa EU unaofadhiliwa na EU, ambao unaonyesha maendeleo ya ubunifu katika uchumi wa bio wa Ulaya ili kupata njia za kuuza kwa theluthi moja ya chakula kilichozalishwa na wanadamu ambacho hakitumiwa." "Sasa inawezekana kutengeneza polima pamoja na viongezeo, nyuzi na rangi kutoka kwa chakula na taka za kilimo. Katika mradi wetu, tuliweza kutengeneza vifaa vya utendaji wa juu ambavyo vinaweza kuingia ndani ya magari - ndani ya fascia na vikuku vya milango. Sasa tunaendesha miradi kwa ajili ya sehemu za nje ambazo lazima kuwa na mali nzuri ya mitambo kama vile bumper na kioo vifuniko. "Tutaanza kutengeneza sehemu za bioplastic kwa ajili ya magari katika miaka miwili hadi mitatu ijayo. Kiasi cha sehemu za bioplastic kitaongezeka kadiri wakati unavyopita. Bioplastics mpya na nyuzi mpya za bio zinaweza kutumika kwenye betri za kizazi kijacho cha magari ya umeme. Hata tunaendeleza kizazi kipya cha nyuzi za kaboni kulingana na rasilimali za asili ikiwa ni pamoja na lignin kutoka mbao. "Lakini fursa ya kwanza ya soko kwa ajili ya bioplastics katika sekta ni kwa ajili ya ufungaji rahisi na ufungaji ngumu. "Tunahitaji kufanya zaidi ya hapo na kuchukua nafasi ya plastiki nyingi kutoka kwa mafuta ya visukuku, kama vile vifaa vya utendaji wa juu vinavyotumiwa katika sehemu nyingi za gari. """ "Utaratibu wa Ulaya ni kwa ajili ya vifaa vya mzunguko biobased, hivyo tutakuwa na haja ya kuwa na teknolojia mpya na vifaa mpya ili kukidhi mahitaji katika siku zijazo. ""Maoni ya waliohojiwa si lazima kutafakari wale wa Tume ya Ulaya." Ikiwa umependa makala hii, tafadhali fikiria kuishiriki kwenye mitandao ya kijamii. Tazama video