In the spotlight
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may offer years-long protection against Covid-19, scientists say
forbes, 28.06.2021
Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are likely to offer long-lasting protection against Covid-19, according to a study published on Monday, indicating that people who are already inoculated with either of the mRNA vaccines may not need a booster dose for years.
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Hopes are high for the mRNA technology that is leading us out of the pandemic
spiegel-en, 23.06.2021
The vaccine success stories at BioNTech and Moderna may only be the beginning. Doctors and researchers want to use the revolutionary mRNA technology to fight the world’s worst scourges: from cancer to dementia.
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CureVac COVID vaccine let-down spotlights mRNA design challenges
scientificamerican, 22.06.2021
Scientists are searching for explanations to disappointing final-stage trial results of the CureVac vaccine. These insights could help guide the future development of mRNA vaccines.
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A biologist has ‘excavated’ partial viral genome sequences from the beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic that were deposited — but later removed — from a US government database. https://t.co/YtplN9sej3
— nature (@Nature) June 25, 2021
Digital transition
Unbroken: New soft electronics don’t break, even when punctured
eurekalert, 25.06.2021
Want a smartphone that stretches, takes damage, and still doesn’t miss a call? A team of Virginia Tech researchers from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Macromolecules Innovation Institute has created a new type of soft electronics, paving the way for devices that are self-healing, reconfigurable, and recyclable.
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More than 22,500 people apply to be next ESA astronaut
standard, 23.06.2021
During the European Space Agency’s last call for astronauts in 2008, the number of applicants who provided a medical certificate and finalised their online application form was 8,413.
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Bitcoin has disrupted the financial system. We explain how it is mined, and why environmentalists are concerned https://t.co/EnuWSHy4LU pic.twitter.com/P2FBYg9O8D
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) June 25, 2021
How can #AI 🧠, #robots 🤖 and #blockchain ⛓️ transform education?@SchleicherOECD with some answers 👇#NewFrontiersForEducationhttps://t.co/g0SeP9HJMX
— OECD Education (@OECDEduSkills) June 25, 2021
📖 New study published / #ArtificialIntelligence diplomacy, #AI governance as a new EU external policy tool 👉 https://t.co/IUEculjD1k
— AIDA Committee Press (@EP_ArtifIntel) June 21, 2021
Environmental sustainability
Eastern Europe has some of EU’s most polluted cities – What are the challenges facing the region and what solutions exist?
eureporter, 29.06.2021
According to Eurostat, the highest concentration of dangerous fine particles is in urban areas of Bulgaria (19.6 μg / m3), Poland (19.3 μg / m3), Romania (16.4 μg /m3) and Croatia (16 μg / m3).
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3 key considerations for global collaborations on sustainability
forbes, 29.06.2021
All the talk of international collaboration on sustainability is a good start. Now, it’s time for more actual collaboration. There is no shortage of agreements and pacts revolving around the climate.
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Germany supports climate projects in developing countries with €601 million
authorityngr, 23.06.2021
The German Federal Environment Ministry has supported a total of 385 ongoing and new projects in developing countries and emerging economies with €601.2 million under the International Climate Initiative (IKI). In 2019, investments totalled €467 million and some €410 million in 2018.
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How a green wall could help Africa combat climate change https://t.co/IimEK8CC1b @tangem2009 @GreenWallAfrica @1t_org pic.twitter.com/qbdCh3KG5h
— World Economic Forum (@wef) June 25, 2021
Tere, Eesti! 🇪🇪
We woke up with great news from our #LIFEproject LIFE IP CleanEST – they've installed Estonia's first floating islands! 🌱
The 1️⃣1️⃣ plants installed on these islands will clean water bodies, contributing to the aquatic environment 👉 https://t.co/pgobHpZ2P2 pic.twitter.com/yvglnMqs6d— LIFE Programme (@LIFEprogramme) June 25, 2021
Mobility & Energy
How Europe can stay at the heart of the hydrogen economy
sciencebusiness, 29.06.2021
Having established hydrogen valleys across the continent, Europe is at the forefront of the development of integrated hydrogen technologies and supply chains. Globally, other countries have followed suit, with new projects coming on stream on a regular basis.
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What does the story of the lithium-ion battery reveal about the nature of innovation? Find out on the first episode of “Gamechangers”, a new podcast series from @TheEconomist, sponsored by @MorganStanley https://t.co/mx1eGRcVmr
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) June 25, 2021
📣Just adopted: #Naiades III –a 35-point action plan to boost inland waterway transport⚓
▶Shift more cargo by 🇪🇺rivers and canals
▶Facilitate transition to zero-emission barges by 2050
▶In line with #EUGreenDeal objectives and #MobilityStrategy
▶ https://t.co/iJu5mVVOVJ pic.twitter.com/VMx0tz23Xe— EU Transport (@Transport_EU) June 24, 2021
Agriculture & Food
Environmental claims of new EU farm subsidy policy are questioned
guardian, 25.06.2021
A new five-year common agricultural policy (CAP) was provisionally agreed by the European parliament, European Commission and the 27 member states on Friday after two and a half years of negotiations. But ‘eco schemes’ to be supported are undefined and three-quarters of €387bn CAP budget will go to intensive farming, say critics.
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Nature article: Dieting and its effect on the gut microbiome
eurekalert, 23.06.2021
Researchers from Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the University of California in San Francisco were able to show for the first time that a very low calorie diet significantly alters the composition of the microbiota present in the human gut.
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Today's agreement starts a real shift towards a greener & fairer CAP: we’ll dedicate more farmland to biodiversity, reward farmers who go the extra mile for climate & nature, and more funds will flow to small farms. It’s not perfect, but still a big step in the right direction.
— Frans Timmermans (@TimmermansEU) June 25, 2021
Health
Covid-19 helps drive electronic skin patches market to $10bn in 2021 finds new IDTechEx report
prnewswire, 28.06.2021
Diabetes management is the largest and most successful sector. Cardiovascular monitoring is the other sector generating revenue in the billions of dollars each year.
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Blood test that finds 50 types of cancer is accurate enough to be rolled out
guardian, 25.06.2021
A simple blood test that can detect more than 50 types of cancer before any clinical signs or symptoms of the disease emerge in a person is accurate enough to be rolled out as a screening test, according to scientists.
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Covid-19 boosters will be needed yearly for most at risk, WHO says
businessday, 24.06.2021
The World Health Organization (WHO) forecasts that people most vulnerable to Covid-19, such as the elderly, will need to get an annual vaccine booster to be protected against variants, an internal document seen by Reuters shows.
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Science policy & Communication
Across 20 countries where publishers have been pushing digital subscriptions, 17% say they have paid for online news in the last year, up 2 points since 2020 and 5 since 2016. However, most people still resist paying for online news
📚 Explore #DNR21 here https://t.co/D0M0uYlODW
— Reuters Institute (@risj_oxford) June 25, 2021
"More #communication and #collaboration between scientists and communicators is needed, even though the academic system is still not rewarding enough", says Dan Larhammar in the #FSCC21 panel on #disinformation #scicomm @nhelberger @philipplenz6 @kakape https://t.co/2jN9hzidsi pic.twitter.com/GURwCJojKc
— ALLEA (@ALLEA_academies) June 25, 2021
"Social media posts are twice as likely to go viral if they are negative about politicians they oppose"
This new @Cambridge_Uni study of US data makes it clear: #algorithms reward & fund #disinformation. https://t.co/O2B04a2xmv
— The Global Disinformation Index (@DisinfoIndex) June 22, 2021
EU initiatives
Call for targeted EU research into heart disease
sciencebusiness, 29.06.2021
The MEP Heart Group of MEPs, EU officials and health stakeholders, is urging the European Commission to issue targeted calls for cardiovascular disease research. “There is an innovation gap […] in research and this needs to be addressed,” said Birgit Beger, CEO of the European Heart Network, at the launch of the call to action.
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A historic success!
Our agreement to prevent unregulated fishing in the Central Arctic Ocean enters into force today!
It will help protect the Arctic’s fragile marine ecosystems and fills an important gap in the international ocean governance framework.https://t.co/najqe0zlh5 pic.twitter.com/H0cf7zWbCt
— Virginijus Sinkevičius (@VSinkevicius) June 25, 2021
How does the European Union regulate migration? https://t.co/BfN08qwDqs
— European Parliamentary Research Service (@EP_ThinkTank) June 25, 2021
Curious news
Nature is ‘sexier word’ than biodiversity and should be replaced in environment bill, parliament told
independent-UK, 22.06.2021
Argument over semantics of long-awaited legislation divides peers.
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Bones belonging to a "new type of early human" previously unknown to science have been found in Israel, as researchers say the discovery will shed new light on human evolutionhttps://t.co/28f9LXHI8A
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) June 25, 2021
“You see the drone overhead, it opens up its belly, and out comes a parachuted box that lands safely at the feet of the hospital”. Moz Siddiqui of @gavi tells us how drones are being used to deliver covid-19 vaccines to remote areas, on “The Jab” podcast https://t.co/GaPA9zGShu pic.twitter.com/EfuIDGxJJC
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) June 25, 2021
