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The development of new pharmaceutical compounds will be more efficient if human relevant toxicology information early in the selection process is available. While acute toxicity can be reasonably detected during the early preclinical stages of drug development, long-term toxicity is more difficult to predict, relying almost exclusively on animal experiments Animal experimentation of this kind is expensive and time consuming, raises ethical issues and do not necessarily represent a toxicological relevance to man. This project address the urgent need to develop in vitro based systems which are capable of predicting long term toxicity in humans. The major objectives of this project are:1)To develop advanced cell culture systems which as best possible represents the human liver and kidney in vivo. This will be achieved using combined strategies namely:co-cultures of resident cell types,targeted cell transformation,stem cell technology and new developments in organotypic cell culture (i.e. perfusion cultures and 3D cultures).2)To identify specific early mechanistic markers of toxin induced cell alterations by using integrated genomic,proteomic and cytomic analysis.3)To establish and prevalidate a screening platform (cell systems together with analysis tools) which is unambiguously predictive of toxin induced chronic renal and hepatic disease.This proposal is unique in it's mechanistic integration of the three levels of cellular dynamics (genome, proteome and cytome) together with advanced cell culture technology to detect early events of cellular injury. Only with such an integrated approach will in vitro techniques ever be applicable to predicting chronic toxicity in man. This project,if successful will(1) contribute to the replacement of animal testing in drug development, (2) increase ... Prime Contractor: Fundacion Hospital Universitario 'La Fe', Experimental Hepatology Unit, Research Center; Valencia; Espana.
Since the publication of the ACARE goals, the commercial and political pressure to reduce CO2 has increased considerably. DREAM is the response of the aero-engine community to this pressure. The first major DREAM objective is to design, integrate and validate new engine concepts based on open rotor contra-rotating architectures to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions 7Prozent beyond the ACARE 2020 objectives. Open rotors are noisier than equivalent high bypass ratio turbofan engines, therefore it is necessary to provide solutions that will meet noise ICAO certification standards. The second major DREAM objective is a 3dB noise emission reduction per operation point for the engine alone compared to the Year 2000 engine reference. These breakthroughs will be achieved by designing and rig testing: Innovative engine concepts a geared and a direct drive contra-rotating open rotor (unducted propulsion system) Enabling architectures with novel active and passive engine systems to reduce vibrations These technologies will support the development of future open rotor engines but also more traditional ducted turbofan engines. DREAM will also develop specifications for alternative fuels for aero-engines and then characterise, assess and test several potential fuels. This will be followed by a demonstration that the selected fuels can be used in aero-engines. The DREAM technologies will then be integrated and the engine concepts together with alternative fuels usage assessed through an enhanced version of the TERA tool developed in VITAL and NEWAC. DREAM is led by Rolls-Royce and is made of 47 partners from 13 countries, providing the best expertise and capability from the EU aeronautics industry and Russia. DREAM will mature technologies that offer the potential to go beyond the ACARE objectives for SFC, achieving a TRL of 4-5. These technologies are candidates to be brought to a higher TRL level within the scope of the CLEAN SKY JTI. Prime Contractor: Rolls Royce PLC; London; United Kingdom.
The SustainComp project aims at the development of a series of completely new wood-based sustainable composite materials for use in a wide array of market sectors, ranging from the medical, transportation and packaging to the construction sector. A primary goal is to substitute fossil-based materials used in these sectors. The performance of today's biocomposite materials is not sufficient for a range of applications. The approach is to better utilize the inherent properties of cellulosic fibres and nanocellulose fibrils in such materials. The project encompasses the whole chain from production of modified fibres and nanocellulose through compounding and moulding to the final ecodesigned product for a number of product families. These new materials will integrate today s large enterprises on the raw material and end-use sides (e.g. pulp mills and packaging manufacturers) and small and medium sized enterprises on the composite processing side (e.g. compounders and composite manufacturers). It is envisioned that this will help the transformation of the traditional Forest Products Industry to more highly value added materials through the adaption of a set of advanced technologies such as the production of nanocellulose in larger scale, tailoring of fibres and nanocellulose, wet commingling, nanostructuring, layer by layer deposition and fibre spinning using nanocellulose fibrils. More specifically the objective is to demonstrate new products within the following product families: - Nano-reinforced foams (to replace styrofoams in the packaging and construction sector) - Moulded type of compounds, to introduce cellulose reinforced renewable biocomposites in the transportation and construction sectors - High throughput nanostructured membranes with designed selectivity for small-scale liquid applications in the medical field to large scale municipal applications This project conforms to the envisioned composite program in the Forest Technology Platform. Prime Contractor: Innventia AG; Stockholm; Schweden/Sverige.
General Information: Water jet cutting is a very young technology that offers due to its possibilities the opportunity to cut nearly every material. Especially difficult-to-machine materials like composites (metal matrix), austenitic steel, titanium and aluminium as well as xome ceramics can be cut. Water jets are a non-thermal cutting tool, so that no heat-affected zone occurs and also heat sensitive materials can be cut. Aim of the project is to improve the quality of cut to minimise or avoid further machining operations. Criteria will be chosen to characterise the quality of the cutting result. Working groups will run parallel R and D activities in relation to the main parameters that influence the quality of the cutting results. These results will lead to an improved knowledge of all partners to produce more efficient quality cuts. Achievements: Quality criteria as well as measuring procedures were chosen to characterise the quality of the cutting result. All samples were measured in one lab to guarantee comparability of results. Extensive know-how about the influence of process parameters on the cutting quality was delivered. Extensive cutting tests at several facilities (industrial and research) were conducted. Quality criteria were measured and evaluated. On the basis of extensive quality data a first technological model for the prediction of the roughness of the shoulder of the cut was developed. The model showed encouraging agreement with experimental data. Aluminium and glass samples have been cut using a range of suspension type, abrasive water jet cutting machines. Analysis of major process parameters have shown clear trends which seem generally apply to both the cutting of aluminium and glass. Ideally, it should be possible to determine surface roughness by either increasing abrasive concentration or reducing traverse speed. Different abrasive cutting heads were tested in order to understand the influence of the mixing chamber design on the cut quality. Six different abrasive cutting heads were tested. After analysing the 6 abrasive cutting head designs and discussion of results, a new abrasive cutting head was developed. Innovative aspects of the cutting head are: - autocentering of water nozzle and focusing nozzle - reduced angle of the entrance of the focusing tube and increased length - mixing tube and focusing tube are monobloc. First tests with the so called 'Euro cutting head' showed improved cutting quality. The influence of process parameters on the accuracy of the cut contour, by analysing the squareness at the top and the bottom of the workpiece as well as dimensions of overshoots at incontinuities, like angles, was investigated. Such criteria are of great interest for manufacturers of cutting systems to qualify the accuracy of cutting systems.
General Information: Bearing in mind rising standards of immission control and restrictions on the use of gasket materials containing asbestos, the proposed project plans to create the basis for a systematic and optimized development of new gasket materials and to provide realistic evidence of the strength and tightness of flanged joints. The main tasks of the project are: - to define and set the relevant gasket factors, - to work out, verify and set the test procedures for the determination of the above mentioned gasket factors, - to determine the gasket factors for asbestos free materials including the sealing and relaxation properties under realistic operation conditions (medium, temperature, time, pressure, changing loads), - to draft out European standards for defining gasket factors under testing procedures as well as specifications for gasket materials, - to create a data basis for a data bank. Apart from improved technological co-operation in Europe, there will be a positive effect on the competitiveness in many areas of industry and improvements in environmental protection and working conditions. Achievements: The main conclusions which can be drawn from the project are the following: - New gasket sheet materials were developed and tests were performed in laboratory conditions. Most of these new materials are distinctly improved in view of e.g. tightening capability, creep strength and load bearing capacity compared to reference materials available on the market at the beginning of the project. - Gasket factors were defined which realistically describe the behaviour of gasket materials and which allow a realistic assessment of the gasket's performance. A gasket factor data bank is prepared. - Optimized gasket testing techniques were developed and fixed which guarantee a realistic assessment and evaluation of gasket's performance in view of tightening capability, load bearing, creep resistance and long term behaviour under the influence of time, temperature and medium and therefore a targeted development of new gasket materials; the description of these testing procedures will be the basis for a CEN standard on gasket testing. These testing techniques were evaluated by comparison of the results received with those of real flanged joint tests. Fairly good agreement was shown between gasket testing and flanged joint tests, so that the testing procedures can be looked as verified. Figures of gasket factors - related to leak rate or tightness - are determined which allow combined with the new European calculation code pr EN 1591 a strength and tightness analysis of flanged joints. These results can be the basis for gasket factor classification in the CEN calculation code per EN 1591.
The baking industry includes companies that make value added products including bread, buns, rolls, doughs, desserts, crusts, pastas, cookies, biscuits, crackers etc. that are either baked or frozen. The use of refrigeration technology has made a bakery's location independent of its customers, thereby broadening the geographic market potential and contributing to the growth of this sector. However, this development does have a cost. Bakeries are energy intensive, using large amounts of electricity and natural gas to operate the refrigeration system, compressed air system and ovens. These energy costs are rising and becoming a significant portion of the ingredient costs of baked goods. About 10Prozent of the total electrical and thermal energy consumption of all craft enterprises originates from the bakery sector. Accordingly there are many possibilities for energy reduction and therefore to permanently reduce the costs for the enterprises and thus to make a sustainable contribution to climate protection. Making changes in the energy use patterns of bakeries would be the fastest way to affect the energy profile of bread, because bakery is responsible for 70 and 80Prozent of the total energy consumption in conventional and organic bread production, respectively. Overall aim of the NanoBAK-Collaborative Project is the efficient energy management in the baking industry. Specific aim of this project is the development and demonstration of a novel marketable climatic chamber with an innovative, energy-saving nano-aerosol humidification system. Lab tests have shown that the energy consumption using ultrasonic humidification is significantly lower than for conventional humidification. The innovative ultrasonic humidification of the NanoBAK Project saves up to 50Prozent of energy compared to conventional humidifiers. Furthermore the quality of the bakery goods is of high value, so that the ultrasonic humidifier is profitable both energetically and qualitative.
SUNBIOPATH - towards a better sunlight to biomass conversion efficiency in microalgae - is an integrated program of research aimed at improving biomass yields and valorisation of biomass for two Chlorophycean photosynthetic microalgae, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Dunaliella salina. Biomass yields will be improved at the level of primary processes that occur in the chloroplasts (photochemistry and sunlight capture by the light harvesting complexes) and in the cell (biochemical pathways and signalling mechanisms that influence ATP synthesis). Optimal growth of the engineered microalgae will be determined in photobioreactors, and biomass yields will be tested using a scale up approach in photobioreactors of different sizes (up to 250 L), some of which being designed and built during SUNBIOPATH. Biomethane production will be evaluated. Compared to other biofuels, biomethane is attractive because the yield of biomass to fuel conversion is higher. Valorisation of biomass will also be achieved through the production of biologicals. Significant progress has been made in the development of chloroplast genetic engineering in microalgae such as Chlamydomonas, however the commercial exploitation of this technology still requires additional research. SUNBIOPATH will address the problem of maximising transgenic expression in the chloroplast and will develop a robust system for chloroplast metabolic engineering by developing methodologies such as inducible expression and trans-operon expression. A techno economic analysis will be made to evaluate the feasibility of using these algae for the purposes proposed (biologicals production in the chloroplast and/or biomethane production) taking into account their role in CO2 mitigation.
The overall objective of the current project is to make a significant contribution to the dissemination of PV in order to improve the sustainability of the European energy supply, to reduce environmental hazards such as global warming and to strengthen the economical situation of the European PV industry. The main project objective is the demonstration of PV modules using solar cells which are substantially thinner than today s common practice. We will reduce the current solar cell thickness from typically 200-250 mym down to 100 mym. Assuming a projected kerf loss of 120 mym for 2010, this will enable more than 50Prozent additional wafers to be cut from each silicon ingot. Additionally, by using advanced solar cell device structures and module interconnection technology, we target to increase the average efficiency for these thin cells up to 19Prozent for mono-crystalline and 17.2Prozent for multi-crystalline silicon and to reach a module-to-cell efficiency ratio above 90Prozent. The processing and handling of wafers and cells will be adapted in order to maintain standard processing yields. Including scaling aspects, this corresponds to a module cost reduction of approximately 30Prozent until 2011 and 1.0 /Wp extrapolated until 2016. Furthermore Si demand can be reduced from 10 to 6 g/Wp providing a significant effect on the eco-impact of PV power generation. The partners of this project form an outstanding consortium to reach the project goals, including two leading European R&D institutes as well as five companies with recorded and published expertise in the field of thin solar cells. The project is structured in 5 work packages covering the process chain from wafer to module as well as integral eco-assessment and management tasks. The expected impact of the project is a PV energy cost reduction of approximately 30Prozent, a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and an improved competitiveness of the European solar cell, module and equipment manufacturers.
Objective: The present proposal aims at the development of innovative multidisciplinary sets of tests and indicators for toxicological profiling of nanoparticles (NPs) as well as unravelling the correlation between the physicochemical characteristics of NPs and their toxic potential on various organs of the human body. For a comprehensive understanding of the complex data to be obtained on toxicology of NPs, based on in-vitro and ex-vivo studies, we will employ conventional toxicology combined with the methodologies of toxicogenomics, metabonomics, Knowledge Discovery from Data (KDD) and Data Mining (DM). This research program is focused towards understanding the relation of size and surface chemistry on the deposition, uptake, translocation, and toxicity of a few s elected industrially important NPs as well as novel synthesized NPs, whose size and surface chemistry will be methodically modified. Since it was shown that the penetration of NPs into the human body proceeds principally through inhalation or orally, whereas penetration through healthy skin is restricted, we have chosen lung and intestine as the primary interacting tissues/organs with NPs, while liver, kidney and the immunological system have been selected to be the secondary major sites of interaction, following the penetration of NPs into the blood circulation. The interaction of the NPs with these different target organs will be studied by making use of alternative methods to animal experimentation by employing in-vitro cell systems as well as ex-vivo studies based on precision-cut slices of lung, liver and kidney. The present proposal addresses the needs of the European society for assessing the risk of occupational and general population exposure to industrially manufactured NPs. It will generate new knowledge on potential health risk or the absence of it, providing objective arguments for recommendations and regulations.
Objective: We combine state-of-the-art techniques, methodologies, skills and instrumentation from several scientific arenas to create discipline-independent platforms to address key questions in nanotoxicology. Thus, we identify the routes via which nanoparticles enter and accumulate in living organisms, and connect this to representative cell-nanoparticle systems. Then using the most advanced methods of chemical, physical, biological and toxicological sciences we connect nanoparticle properties (in physiological conditions) to the mechanisms via which they interact with, and disrupt, cellular processes. We establish means and protocols via which every step of the program will be controlled, eliminating the factors that currently cause irreproducibilities. We emphasize novel unbiased assessments of intra- and inter-cellular processes after exposure to nanoparticles, enabling us to explore known, and unknown, processes. Key companies, large and small from several end-user groups, that are currently facing the challenge of applying nanotechnology in their products are built into the program in a substantial manner, and other key stake-holders are also incorporated into the overall consortium via the Advisory Board. This will ensure maximum uptake of the knowledge generated by NanoInteract, and enable development of Standards for nanoparticle risk assessment.
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