̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - European Commission

Clean, sustainable fuels made ‘from thin air’ and plastic waste

sc604 — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 15:15:53 +0000

̽��ֱ��researchers, from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, developed a solar-powered reactor that converts captured CO2 and plastic waste into sustainable fuels and other valuable chemical products. In tests, CO2 was converted into syngas, a key building block for sustainable liquid fuels, and plastic bottles were converted into glycolic acid, which is widely used in the cosmetics industry.

Unlike earlier tests of their solar fuels technology however, the team took CO2 from real-world sources – such as industrial exhaust or the air itself. ̽��ֱ��researchers were able to capture and concentrate the CO2 and convert it into sustainable fuel.

Although improvements are needed before this technology can be used at an industrial scale, the results, reported in the journal Joule, represent another important step toward the production of clean fuels to power the economy, without the need for environmentally destructive oil and gas extraction.

For several years, Professor Erwin Reisner’s research group, based in the Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, has been developing sustainable, net-zero carbon fuels inspired by photosynthesis – the process by which plants convert sunlight into food – using artificial leaves. These artificial leaves convert CO2 and water into fuels using just the power of the sun.

To date, their solar-driven experiments have used pure, concentrated CO2 from a cylinder, but for the technology to be of practical use, it needs to be able to actively capture CO2 from industrial processes, or directly from the air. However, since CO2 is just one of many types of molecules in the air we breathe, making this technology selective enough to convert highly diluted CO2 is a huge technical challenge.

“We’re not just interested in decarbonisation, but de-fossilisation – we need to completely eliminate fossil fuels in order to create a truly circular economy,” said Reisner. “In the medium term, this technology could help reduce carbon emissions by capturing them from industry and turning them into something useful, but ultimately, we need to cut fossil fuels out of the equation entirely and capture CO2 from the air.”

̽��ֱ��researchers took their inspiration from carbon capture and storage (CCS), where CO2 is captured and then pumped and stored underground.

“CCS is a technology that’s popular with the fossil fuel industry as a way to reduce carbon emissions while continuing oil and gas exploration,” said Reisner. “But if instead of carbon capture and storage, we had carbon capture and utilisation, we could make something useful from CO2 instead of burying it underground, with unknown long-term consequences, and eliminate the use of fossil fuels.”

̽��ֱ��researchers adapted their solar-driven technology so that it works with flue gas or directly from the air, converting CO2 and plastics into fuel and chemicals using only the power of the sun.

By bubbling air through the system containing an alkaline solution, the CO2 selectively gets trapped, and the other gases present in air, such as nitrogen and oxygen, harmlessly bubble out. This bubbling process allows the researchers to concentrate the CO2 from air in solution, making it easier to work with.

̽��ֱ��integrated system contains a photocathode and an anode. ̽��ֱ��system has two compartments: on one side is captured CO2 solution that gets converted into syngas, a simple fuel. On the other plastics are converted into useful chemicals using only sunlight.

“ ̽��ֱ��plastic component is an important trick to this system,” said co-first author Dr Motiar Rahaman. “Capturing and using CO2 from the air makes the chemistry more difficult. But, if we add plastic waste to the system, the plastic donates electrons to the CO2. ̽��ֱ��plastic breaks down to glycolic acid, which is widely used in the cosmetics industry, and the CO2 is converted into syngas, which is a simple fuel.”

“This solar-powered system takes two harmful waste products – plastic and carbon emissions – and converts them into something truly useful,” said co-first author Dr Sayan Kar.

“Instead of storing CO2 underground, like in CCS, we can capture it from the air and make clean fuel from it,” said Rahaman. “This way, we can cut out the fossil fuel industry from the process of fuel production, which can hopefully help us avoid climate destruction.”

“ ̽��ֱ��fact that we can effectively take CO2 from air and make something useful from it is special,” said Kar. “It’s satisfying to see that we can actually do it using only sunlight.”

̽��ֱ��scientists are currently working on a bench-top demonstrator device with improved efficiency and practicality to highlight the benefits of coupling direct air capture with CO2 utilisation as a path to a zero-carbon future.

̽��ֱ��research was supported in part by the Weizmann Institute of Science, the European Commission Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship, the Winton Programme for the Physics of Sustainability, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Erwin Reisner is a Fellow and Motiar Rahaman is a Research Associate of St John’s College, Cambridge. Erwin Reisner leads the Cambridge Circular Plastics Centre (CirPlas), which aims to eliminate plastic waste by combining blue-sky thinking with practical measures.

Reference:
Sayan Kar, Motiar Rahaman et al. ‘Integrated Capture and Solar-driven Utilization of CO2 from Flue Gas and Air.’ Joule (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.joule.2023.05.022

For more information on energy-related research in Cambridge, please visit Energy IRC, which brings together Cambridge’s research knowledge and expertise, in collaboration with global partners, to create solutions for a sustainable and resilient energy landscape for generations to come.

Researchers have demonstrated how carbon dioxide can be captured from industrial processes – or even directly from the air – and transformed into clean, sustainable fuels using just the energy from the sun.

We’re not just interested in decarbonisation, but de-fossilisation – we need to completely eliminate fossil fuels in order to create a truly circular economy

Erwin Reisner

Ariffin Mohamad Annuar

Carbon capture from air and its photoelectrochemical conversion into fuel with simultaneous waste plastic conversion into chemicals.

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright © ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – as here, on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

Yes

Driving on sunshine: clean, usable liquid fuels made from solar power

sc604 — Thu, 18 May 2023 15:01:02 +0000

̽��ֱ��researchers, from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, harnessed the power of photosynthesis to convert CO2, water and sunlight into multicarbon fuels – ethanol and propanol – in a single step. These fuels have a high energy density and can be easily stored or transported.

Unlike fossil fuels, these solar fuels produce net-zero carbon emissions and are completely renewable, and unlike most bioethanol, they do not divert any agricultural land away from food production.

While the technology is still at laboratory scale, the researchers say their ‘artificial leaves’ are an important step in the transition away from a fossil fuel-based economy. ̽��ֱ��results are reported in the journal Nature Energy.

Bioethanol is touted as a cleaner alternative to petrol, since it is made from plants instead of fossil fuels. Most cars and trucks on the road today run on petrol containing up to 10% ethanol (E10 fuel). ̽��ֱ��United States is the world’s largest bioethanol producer: according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, almost 45% of all corn grown in the US is used for ethanol production.

“Biofuels like ethanol are a controversial technology, not least because they take up agricultural land that could be used to grow food instead,” said Professor Erwin Reisner, who led the research.

For several years, Reisner’s research group, based in the Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, has been developing sustainable, zero-carbon fuels inspired by photosynthesis – the process by which plants convert sunlight into food – using artificial leaves.

To date, these artificial leaves have only been able to make simple chemicals, such as syngas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide that is used to produce fuels, pharmaceuticals, plastics and fertilisers. But to make the technology more practical, it would need to be able to produce more complex chemicals directly in a single solar-powered step.

Now, the artificial leaf can directly produce clean ethanol and propanol without the need for the intermediary step of producing syngas.

̽��ֱ��researchers developed a copper and palladium-based catalyst. ̽��ֱ��catalyst was optimised in a way that allowed the artificial leaf to produce more complex chemicals, specifically the multicarbon alcohols ethanol and n-propanol. Both alcohols are high energy density fuels that can be easily transported and stored.

Other scientists have been able to produce similar chemicals using electrical power, but this is the first time that such complex chemicals have been produced with an artificial leaf using only the energy from the Sun.

“Shining sunlight on the artificial leaves and getting liquid fuel from carbon dioxide and water is an amazing bit of chemistry,” said Dr Motiar Rahaman, the paper’s first author. “Normally, when you try to convert CO2 into another chemical product using an artificial leaf device, you almost always get carbon monoxide or syngas, but here, we’ve been able to produce a practical liquid fuel just using the power of the Sun. It’s an exciting advance that opens up whole new avenues in our work.”

At present, the device is a proof of concept and shows only modest efficiency. ̽��ֱ��researchers are working to optimise the light absorbers so that they can better absorb sunlight and optimising the catalyst so it can convert more sunlight into fuel. Further work will also be required to make the device scalable so that it can produce large volumes of fuel.

“Even though there’s still work to be done, we’ve shown what these artificial leaves are capable of doing,” said Reisner. “It’s important to show that we can go beyond the simplest molecules and make things that are directly useful as we transition away from fossil fuels.”

̽��ֱ��research was supported in part by the European Commission Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship, the Cambridge Trust, and the Winton Programme for the Physics of Sustainability. Erwin Reisner is a Fellow and Motiar Rahaman is a Research Associate of St John’s College, Cambridge.

Reference:
Motiar Rahaman et al. ‘Solar-driven liquid multi-carbon fuel production using a standalone perovskite-BiVO4 artificial leaf.’ Nature Energy (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41560-023-01262-3

Researchers have developed a solar-powered technology that converts carbon dioxide and water into liquid fuels that can be added directly to a car’s engine as drop-in fuel.

Shining sunlight on the artificial leaves and getting liquid fuel from carbon dioxide and water is an amazing bit of chemistry

Motiar Rahaman

A photoreactor with an artificial leaf working under solar irradiation.

Yes

Self-healing materials for robotics made from ‘jelly’ and salt

sc604 — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 16:54:17 +0000

̽��ֱ��low-cost jelly-like materials, developed by researchers at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, can sense strain, temperature and humidity. And unlike earlier self-healing robots, they can also partially repair themselves at room temperature.

̽��ֱ��results are reported in the journal NPG Asia Materials.

Soft sensing technologies could transform robotics, tactile interfaces and wearable devices, among other applications. However, most soft sensing technologies aren’t durable and consume high amounts of energy.

“Incorporating soft sensors into robotics allows us to get a lot more information from them, like how strain on our muscles allows our brains to get information about the state of our bodies,” said David Hardman from Cambridge’s Department of Engineering, the paper’s first author.

As part of the EU-funded SHERO project, Hardman and his colleagues have been working to develop soft sensing, self-healing materials for robotic hands and arms. These materials can detect when they are damaged, take the necessary steps to temporarily heal themselves and then resume work – all without the need for human interaction.

“We’ve been working with self-healing materials for several years, but now we’re looking into faster and cheaper ways to make self-healing robots,” said co-author Dr Thomas George-Thuruthel, also from the Department of Engineering.

Earlier versions of the self-healing robots needed to be heated in order to heal, but the Cambridge researchers are now developing materials that can heal at room temperature, which would make them more useful for real-world applications.

“We started with a stretchy, gelatine-based material which is cheap, biodegradable and biocompatible and carried out different tests on how to incorporate sensors into the material by adding in lots of conductive components,” said Hardman.

̽��ֱ��researchers found that printing sensors containing sodium chloride – salt – instead of carbon ink resulted in a material with the properties they were looking for. Since salt is soluble in the water-filled hydrogel, it provides a uniform channel for ionic conduction – the movement of ions.

When measuring the electrical resistance of the printed materials, the researchers found that changes in strain resulted in a highly linear response, which they could use to calculate the deformations of the material. Adding salt also enabled sensing of stretches of more than three times the sensor’s original length, so that the material can be incorporated into flexible and stretchable robotic devices.

̽��ֱ��self-healing materials are cheap and easy to make, either by 3D printing or casting. They are preferable to many existing alternatives since they show long-term strength and stability without drying out, and they are made entirely from widely available, food-safe, materials.

“It’s a really good sensor considering how cheap and easy it is to make,” said George-Thuruthel. “We could make a whole robot out of gelatine and print the sensors wherever we need them.”

̽��ֱ��self-healing hydrogels bond well with a range of different materials, meaning they can easily be incorporated with other types of robotics. For example, much of the research in the Bio-Inspired Robotics Laboratory, where the researchers are based, is focused on the development of artificial hands. Although this material is a proof-of-concept, if developed further, it could be incorporated into artificial skins and custom-made wearable and biodegradable sensors.

This work was supported by the Self-HEaling soft RObotics (SHERO) project, funded under the Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) programme of the European Commission.

Reference:
David Hardman, Thomas George-Thuruthel, and Fumiya Iida. ‘Self-Healing Ionic Gelatin/Glycerol Hydrogels for Strain Sensing Applications.’ NPG Asia Materials (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41427-022-00357-9

Researchers have developed self-healing, biodegradable, 3D-printed materials that could be used in the development of realistic artificial hands and other soft robotics applications.

It’s a really good sensor considering how cheap and easy it is to make

Thomas George-Thuruthel

Self healing robot developed by Cambridge Uni engineers

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright © ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – as here, on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

Yes

Machine learning to help develop self-healing robots that ‘feel pain’

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 09:11:57 +0000

̽��ֱ��goal of the €3 million Self-healing soft robot (SHERO) project, funded by the European Commission, is to create a next-generation robot made from self-healing materials (flexible plastics) that can detect damage, take the necessary steps to temporarily heal itself and then resume its work – all without the need for human interaction.

Led by the ̽��ֱ�� of Brussels (VUB), the research consortium includes the Department of Engineering ( ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge), École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la ville de Paris (ESPCI), Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), and the Dutch Polymer manufacturer SupraPolix.

As part of the SHERO project, the Cambridge team, led by Dr Fumiya Iida from the Department of Engineering are looking at integrating self-healing materials into soft robotic arms.

Dr Thomas George Thuruthel, also from the Department of Engineering, said self-healing materials could have future applications in modular robotics, educational robotics and evolutionary robotics where a single robot can be 'recycled' to generate a fresh prototype.

“We will be using machine learning to work on the modelling and integration of these self-healing materials, to include self-healing actuators and sensors, damage detection, localisation and controlled healing,” he said. “ ̽��ֱ��adaptation of models after the loss of sensory data and during the healing process is another area we are looking to address. ̽��ֱ��end goal is to integrate the self-healing sensors and actuators into demonstration platforms in order to perform specific tasks.”

Professor Bram Vanderborght, from VUB, who is leading the project with scientists from the robotics research centre Brubotics and the polymer research lab FYSC, said: “We are obviously very pleased to be working on the next generation of robots. Over the past few years, we have already taken the first steps in creating self-healing materials for robots. With this research we want to continue and, above all, ensure that robots that are used in our working environment are safer, but also more sustainable. Due to the self-repair mechanism of this new kind of robot, complex, costly repairs may be a thing of the past.”

Researchers from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge will use self-healing materials and machine learning to develop soft robotics as part of a new collaborative project.

Self-healing robots that ‘feel pain’

Bram Vanderborght

Robotic hand made of self-healing material that can heal at room temperature

Yes

Graphene goes to space

Anonymous — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 23:00:01 +0000

̽��ֱ��MAterials Science Experiment Rocket (MASER) 14 was launched from the European Space Centre in Esrange, Sweden, in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC).

̽��ֱ��experiment aims to test the possibilities of printing graphene inks in space. Graphene inks can be used in the production of batteries, supercapacitors, printed electronics, and more. If researchers are able to demonstrate how these inks work in space, astronauts could potentially print their own devices on the go, or they can repair electronics with graphene ink printers.

̽��ֱ��experiments conducted this week were a collaboration led by the ̽��ֱ�� of Brussels, with Cambridge, Pisa, and ESA. ̽��ֱ��inks that were tested in the experiments were produced by the research group of Professor Andrea Ferrari, Director of the Cambridge Graphene Centre.

Studying the different self-assembly modes of graphene into functional patterns in zero gravity will enable the fabrication of graphene electronic devices during long-term space missions, as well as help understand fundamental properties of graphene printing on Earth.

Cambridge researchers pioneered the use of liquid phase exfoliation, one of the most common means of producing graphene, to prepare inks from graphene and related materials. Such inks are now used to print devices ranging from flexible electronic sensors and gauges to batteries and supercapacitors.

̽��ֱ��experiments will allow researchers to better understand the fundamentals of the printing process on Earth, by removing the presence of gravity and studying how graphene flakes self-assemble.

These experiments are a first step towards making graphene printing available for long term space exploration, since astronauts may need to print electronic devices on demand during long-term missions. Graphene-based composites may also be used to offer radiation protection, a compulsory requirement for human spaceflight, for example during Mars-bound missions.

During its short flight, the MASER rocket experiences microgravity for six minutes, during which time the researchers carry out the tests of graphene’s properties. When the rocket returns to Earth, the samples are retrieved and analyses are carried out. ̽��ֱ��rocket tests are an extension of a zero-gravity parabolic flight in May 2018, where experiments were conducted during just 24 seconds of microgravity.

“There is no better way to validate graphene’s potential than to send it to the environment it will be used in,” said Carlo lorio, leader of the space activities carried out by the Graphene Flagship, and a researcher at Graphene Flagship partner Université Libre de Bruxelles. “Graphene has unique conductivity properties that scientists are continuing to take advantage of in new processes, devices and in this case, coatings. Experiments like these are fundamental to graphene’s success and integral for building the material’s reputation as the leading material for space applications.”

“ ̽��ֱ��Graphene Flagship has pioneered the exploration of graphene for space applications since 2017,” said Ferrari, who is also Science and Technology Officer of the Graphene Flagship and Chair of its Management Panel. “With three microgravity campaigns in parabolic flights already concluded and a fourth one on the way, this rocket launch is the next step towards our major milestone: bringing graphene to the International Space Station. Space is the limit for graphene. Or, is it?"

Partners in the European Commission’s Graphene Flagship, including the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, launched a rocket this week to test graphene – a two-dimensional form of carbon – for potential applications in space.

This rocket launch is the next step towards our major milestone: bringing graphene to the International Space Station

Andrea Ferrari

Christophe Minetti, ULB

̽��ֱ��MASER14 rocket taking off from Esrange, Sweden

Yes

Restless legs syndrome study identifies 13 new genetic risk variants

cjb250 — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 23:01:27 +0000

As many as one in ten people of European ancestry is affected by restless legs syndrome, in which sufferers feel an overwhelming urge to move, often in conjunction with unpleasant sensations, usually in the legs. Rest and inactivity provoke the symptoms, whereas movement can lead to temporary relief. ̽��ֱ��condition is chronic and can get progressively worse, with long-lasting effects on patients’ mental and physical health. People with restless legs syndrome have substantially impaired sleep, reduced overall quality of life, and increased risk of depression, anxiety disorders, hypertension, and, possibly, cardiovascular disease.

For around one in 50 people, the condition can be severe enough to require chronic medication, which may in turn have potentially serious side effects.

Studies of families and twins have shown that there is a strong genetic component to the disorder and led to the discovery of six genetic variants that increased the risk of developing the condition.

“We have studied the genetics of restless legs syndrome for more than 10 years and the current study is the largest conducted so far,” says Dr Barbara Schormair from the Institute of Neurogenomics at the Helmholtz Zentrum München, first author of the study. “We are convinced that the newly discovered risk loci will contribute substantially to our understanding of the causal biology of the disease.”

Now, an international team of researchers has compared the genetic data from over 15,000 patients with more than 95,000 controls, and identified a further 13 genetic risk variants. ̽��ֱ��findings were then replicated in a sample of 31,000 patients and 287,000 controls. ̽��ֱ��results are published today in Lancet Neurology.

“Restless legs syndrome is surprisingly common, but despite this, we know little about what causes it – and hence how to treat it,” says Dr Steven Bell from the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, also one of the first authors on the study. “We already know that it has a strong genetic link, and this was something we wanted to explore in more detail.”

Several of the genetic variants have previously been linked to the growth and development of nerve cells – a process known as neurogenesis – and to changes in the formation of neuronal circuits. These findings strengthen the case for restless legs syndrome being a neurodevelopmental disorder whose origins may go back to development in the womb as well as impaired nerve cell growth in later life.

“ ̽��ֱ��genetic risk variants that we’ve discovered add more weight to the idea that this condition is related to the development of our nervous system,” says Dr Emanuele Di Angelantonio, also from the Department of Public Health and Primary Care. “It also gives us some clues to how we may treat patients affected by the condition.”

Prof Juliane Winkelmann, who heads the Institute of Neurogenomics at the Helmholtz Zentrum as well as a restless legs syndrome outpatient clinic at the Klinikum Rechts der Isar in Munich, adds: “Our genetic findings are an important step towards developing new and improved treatment options for our patients.”

One particular biological pathway implicated by the findings is known to be a target for the drug thalidomide. While the drug has a controversial reputation due to its previous use when treating pregnant women that led to serious birth defects in their offspring, it is now used to treat some cancers. ̽��ֱ��researchers suggest that thalidomide or similar drugs may offer potential treatment options for male patients with restless leg syndrome and female patients beyond reproductive age, but they stress the necessity of rigorous clinical testing for efficacy and side-effects before any such use.

̽��ֱ��study was largely funded by NHS Blood and Transplant, National Institute for Health Research, British Heart Foundation, European Commission, European Research Council, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, UK Medical Research Council, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and Helmholtz Zentrum München.

Reference
Schormair, B., Zhao, C., Bell, S. et al. Identification of novel risk loci for restless legs syndrome in genome-wide association studies in individuals of European ancestry: a meta-analysis. Lancet Neurology; 10th October 2017; DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(17)30327-7

A new study into the genetics underlying restless legs syndrome has identified 13 previously-unknown genetic risk variants, while helping inform potential new treatment options for the condition.

StockSnap

Guy

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For image use please see separate credits above.

Yes

Licence type:

Public Domain

Opinion: Brexit, Euratom and Article 50

ag236 — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 13:30:50 +0000

̽��ֱ��European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) has become a focal point for the Brexit debate in the UK. ̽��ֱ��UK’s departure from this organisation does not simply raise important questions about the future supply and use of radioactive materials in hospitals. It also dramatises wider debates about the need for transitional arrangements when the withdrawal negotiations are completed, and whether the UK’s ‘Article 50’ withdrawal letter can be revoked.

̽��ֱ��United Kingdom is withdrawing not just from the treaties that establish the European Union, but also the 1957 treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom). Euratom provides the legal framework for the European nuclear energy industry on issues like the handling of nuclear waste and the decommissioning of nuclear power plants, as well as promoting international cooperation on nuclear issues with the USA, Canada and Japan. But Euratom also regulates the wider use of radioactive materials, including their use by the medical profession for the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions such as cancer.

Although Euratom is governed by a separate treaty, it is EU institutions and EU agencies that provide the administrative and judicial framework for its application and enforcement.

In her March ‘Article 50’ letter to European Council President, Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister Theresa May notified the EU of the UK’s intention to withdraw not just from the treaties establishing the EU, but also from Euratom. That leaves open not just the issue of how the nuclear industry will be regulated in the UK in the future, but also how European and international cooperation for the safe movement, supply and use of radioactive material will be secured. Understandably, some worry about the UK leaving the EU without an appropriate replacement legal framework in place and there have been calls from different quarters for transitional arrangements to be in place. Rather late in the day, there now seems to be an acceptance within government that transitional frameworks will be needed to secure an orderly Brexit.

Yet for some Brexit supporters, the risk of a transitional framework is that it might be a way of avoiding Brexit, or at least prolonging the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice –a ‘red line’ for many. It is worth noting that the Court has delivered only a handful of rulings involving Euratom and the UK, relating primarily to its implementation of directives to protect workers against exposure to radiation. After Brexit, regulation and enforcement activities will be transferred to national institutions.

However, there have been calls for the UK to remain within Euratom, with the UK Parliament set to debate the issue on 12 July. ̽��ֱ��problem is that the UK has already notified its intention to withdraw from the Euratom Treaty. Any attempt to remain in Euratom would beg the question whether the Article 50 letter can be subsequently amended or indeed, revoked.

̽��ֱ��wording of Article 50 does not tell us whether amendment or revocation is possible. A European Commission Press Release does state that notification is a ‘point of no return’ and does not provide for ‘unilateral withdrawal of notification’. This is simply the opinion of the Commission and has no binding legal quality. Only the Court of Justice can decide this question. And there is legal opinion which considers that notification is open to revocation, including without the consent of the other EU governments.

̽��ֱ��important point is that if it is possible for the UK to change its mind on Euratom, it can change its mind on Brexit. ̽��ֱ��same Article 50 process applies to both. But beyond the legal questions, the difficulties thrown up by withdrawal from Euratom are not any different from those of leaving the EU more generally. ̽��ֱ��debate about leaving Euratom may become a catalyst for a wider reflection on the real costs and benefits of Brexit.

Kenneth Armstrong’s book, Brexit Time – Leaving the EU: Why, How and When? published by Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� Press is out now.

Kenneth Armstrong, Professor of EU law, explains why discussions about UK membership of Euratom are a bellwether for wider Brexit negotiations

Any attempt to remain in Euratom would beg the question whether the Article 50 letter can be subsequently amended or, indeed, revoked.

Kenneth Armstrong

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For image use please see separate credits above.

Yes

Artificial pancreas trial in young children with diabetes receives €4.6millon grant from European Commission

sjr81 — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 10:55:21 +0000

Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in children; around one in 4,000 children under 14 years of age is diagnosed with the disease each year in the UK. ̽��ֱ��disease causes the pancreas to stop producing sufficient insulin to regulate blood sugar (glucose) levels, and poor glucose control can lead to complications including eye, heart and kidney disease. Episodes of very low glucose levels can cause serious complications and may be life threatening.

People affected by the condition have to manage their condition through long term treatment. This usually involves regular insulin injections – in some cases, several times a day. However, a team at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� Hospitals hopes to replace these treatments with an artificial pancreas, a small, portable medical device designed to carry out the function of a healthy pancreas in controlling blood glucose levels, using digital technology to automate insulin delivery. ̽��ֱ��system is worn externally on the body, and is made up of three functional components: continuous glucose monitoring, a computer algorithm to calculate the insulin dose, and an insulin pump.

̽��ֱ��artificial pancreas promises to transform management of type 1 diabetes. Several trials have already shown that it is effective for use both school children and adults in the home environment, and last year saw the first natural birth to a mother fitted with an artificial pancreas. However, there has as yet been no research into its use by young children at home.

Now, KidsAP, a collaboration led the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and involving institutes across Europe and in the US, has received a €4.6millon under the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme to carry out a trial of the artificial pancreas among children aged one to seven years with type 1 diabetes. Cambridge has received a €1.6m share of the grant to act as coordinator of the project.

“We’ve already seen that the artificial pancreas can have a very positive effect on people’s lives and now, thanks to funding from the European Commission, we can see whether young children will also see these same benefits,” said Dr Roman Hovorka from the Department of Paediatrics at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and Addenbrooke’s Hospital, who is leading the project. “At the moment, children have to have frequent insulin injections that are at best inconvenient, but at worst painful. We hope this new technology will eliminate this need.”

An initial pilot of 24 children, the main study will split 94 children into two groups: one will be treated over a year by the artificial pancreas and the other half by state-of-the-art insulin pump therapy, already used by some adults and teenagers. ̽��ֱ��researchers will measure quality of life and investigate the impact of the two approaches on the children’s daily life, as well as looking at which is the more effective, and cost-effective, approach.

“If the artificial pancreas is shown to be more beneficial than insulin pump therapy, then we expect that it will change how type 1 diabetes is managed both nationally and internationally, with a much improved quality of life for young children,” added Professor David Dunger, collaborator on the project.

An international trial to test whether an artificial pancreas can help young children manage their type 1 diabetes will begin next year, thanks to a major grant awarded by the European Commission.

We’ve already seen that the artificial pancreas can have a very positive effect on people’s lives and now, thanks to funding from the European Commission, we can see whether young children will also see these same benefits.

Roman Hovorka

Diabetes UK

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For image use please see separate credits above.

Yes

Licence type:

Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike