healthcare
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Phage therapy: From last resort to routine medicine
Ever more often, bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites stop responding to the medicines designed to treat them, such as antibiotics. This antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a growing threat, with an estimated 8.22 million deaths globally in 2050. Armed conflicts are escalating the situation: conflicts... -
‘The lifespan of cells is one of the holy grails of engineered living materials’
What are the possibilities and limitations of engineered living materials? Interview with biomedicine and smart materials expert Prof. Dr Andrés Díaz Lantada (Technical University of Madrid, Spain). He has served as principal investigator in several European projects, including TOMAX, UBORA, INKplant,... -
Living materials that can heal themselves - and maybe the planet too
Materials that can grow, adapt, sense, and repair themselves, much like living tissue: however futuristic this might sound, ‘living materials’ are already a reality, and the EU is positioning itself at the forefront of this rapidly evolving field. ‘Engineered living materials’ (ELMs) are composed, either... -
Heatwaves: how can Europe make its cities healthier and be better prepared?
Extreme weather events such as heatwaves are no longer merely an environmental concern; they are recognised as a global public health emergency. According to the WHO, approximately 175,000 deaths annually in the European region are linked to extreme heat. As these harmful events become more frequent,... -
A scientist's opinion: interview with Prof. Roel Vermeulen on extreme weather and the impact on our health
“We should treat extreme weather events as an important health issue in Europe,” says Prof. Roel Vermeulen, professor of Environmental Epidemiology and Exposome Science at the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. Across Europe, we’re seeing more extreme weather... -
Tackling antimicrobial resistance: from science to policy
Antimicrobial resistance, whereby antibiotics are no longer effective against bacteria or other microorganisms, is a growing problem. Every year, 33,000 people in the EU die from infectious diseases that cannot be treated with available medication. The European Parliament's Panel for the Future of... -
Prof. Karim Lekadir: Applications, risks, ethical and societal impacts of AI in healthcare
Interview with Prof. Karim Lekadir, Director of the 'Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Lab' at the Universitat de Barcelona (BCN-AIM). He co-authored a study for the European Parliament's Panel on the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) entitled 'Artificial Intelligence in healthcare: Applications,... -
Not going back to the way things were: climate change and Covid-19 recovery
Over the past year, the Covid-19 crisis has caused us to reflect on how we interact with our natural environment. As the world plans recovery from the pandemic and this November’s COP26 Climate Change Conference looms into view, now may be a key juncture in understanding how to best align these priorities...