New framework to link up Europe’s polar research

More than 26 leading scientific institutions across Europe are signing up to closer research cooperation through a new European Polar Framework agreement today in Brussels.  The framework agreement is a major outcome from the four-year EUROPOLAR ERA-NET initiative, funded by the European...

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European biotechnologists unravel life’s big cellular factories

Biotechnologists are poised to take a leap forward in understanding the detailed structure and mechanism of life’s major cellular machines, which could lead to new therapies for a range of diseases and disorders. These machines are large assemblies of macromolecules such as proteins that process...

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Mathematical advances strengthen IT security

Rapidly rising cyber crime and the growing prospect of the Internet being used as a medium for terrorist attacks pose a major challenge for IT security. Cryptography is central to this challenge, since it underpins privacy, confidentiality, and identity, which together provide the fabric for...

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European medical research community demands recommendations to be considered during revision of EC Directive on the use of animals in scientific research

Unless it is amended, the new EU Directive on the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes, as proposed by the European Commission and European Parliament, could seriously impede further advancement of European medical and veterinary research. The Directive requires amendments and further...

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Better health and prosperity in Europe via improved clinical research

ESF study outlines strategy to strengthen investigator-driven clinical trials

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RNA research strategy for Europe takes shape

Research into RNA, a molecule found in every cell of our bodies, could lead to remarkable advances in the treatment of diseases such as cancer and diabetes, a meeting organised by the European Science Foundation was told. The conference, held the institute of Parasitología y Biomedicina...

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ESF names Dr. Marc Heppener as Director of Science & Strategy Development

The European Science Foundation (ESF) has named Dr. Marc Heppener from the European Space Agency (ESA) as the new Director of Science and Strategy Development, making him the second-in-command of the more than 3-decade-old organisation.    Dr.  Heppener began his duty this month,...

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Biobanks will provide “electronic specimens” for medical research

Future medical research will focus increasingly on electronic data, with less need both for laboratory animals and tissue samples. This long term trend emerged at a recent conference on biobanking organised by the European Science Foundation (ESF), which dealt with the challenges posed by the...

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European evolutionary biologists rally behind Richard Dawkins’ Extended Phenotype

Richard Dawkins’ Extended Phenotype (EP) concept is as relevant now as when it was first proposed 26 years ago and is not at odds with other evolutionary explanations. This was the conclusion of a recent workshop on the Extended Phenotype, organised by the European Science Foundation (ESF). The EP...

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Defying the Integration Models – the Second Generation in Europe

The child of Turkish parents may feel an outsider in the Netherlands or Switzerland, yet still be completely at home in Amsterdam or Zurich. In France, the migrant’s child is more likely to go to university but is also more likely to drop out. The child of Turkish parents in Germany could be at an...

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