News

Go to Inl in the News

COVID-19 EVENTS FUNDED PROJECTS GENERAL INL PICKS INNOVATION MOST POPULAR PEOPLE RESEARCH SCALE EXPERIENCES SCALE TRAVELS SPOTLIGHT WOMEN IN SCIENCE WOMEN IN STEM

INL contributes to the NGS Agenda

As part of Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), INL actively contributes to the NGS Agenda, engaging in various research initiatives spanning the entire battery value chain. This involves establishing a comprehensive battery ecosystem, encompassing the production of battery components and the exploration of novel materials and processes for battery manufacturing. Yesterday, INL hosted the NGS Networking Day, organised by dstgroup. The morning session featured two roundtable discussions addressing topics such as the ‘valorisation and advanced refining’ of batteries, and the installation and development of safer and sustainable ‘cells, modules, and components’. Before the lunch break, there was a dedicated moment to address crucial agenda management topics. The afternoon started with additional roundtable discussions covering ‘battery pack assembly’, ‘integration and applications,’ and the ‘recycling and second life’ aspects of batteries. Furthermore, participants had the opportunity to explore avenues for enhancing technical skills, advancing knowledge, and fostering education within the diverse partner organisations. Concluding the afternoon, the Battery Cluster PT introduced a new Technology Platform that will propel the industry to the forefront of the international battery sector. This event served as a valuable platform for all NGS Agenda partners to discuss significant matters, and collaborate in creating an innovative battery […]

Enhancing nutrition for older adults through nanotechnology

Aging often brings challenges such as alterations in taste, smell, chewing, and swallowing, leading to insufficient eating and malnutrition. To address these issues, INL scientists are actively developing advanced technologies for food fortification and customised textures, aiming to promote a more balanced diet for seniors. A particularly promising strategy involves the creation of personalised foods to meet the unique nutritional needs of the elderly. Arlete Marques, a PhD fellow supported by FCT, is developing her research in collaboration with INL and the Centre of Biological Engineering at the University of Minho. Arlete emphasises that “this approach not only ensures that seniors meet their nutritional requirements but also aligns with their individual preferences”. One aspect of this research focuses on crafting an alternative protein-based meat-like product tailored for older individuals with swallowing difficulties. The INL Food Processing and Nutrition research group explores nanotechnology to enrich the food with iron and folic acid. The group has developed micro and nanoparticles that can lead to a better absorption of the micronutrients in the digestive system. In terms of food texture, the team is working with Aspergillus oryzae, a filamentous fungus that is widely used in food fermentation, particularly in Asian countries. Aspergillus oryzae […]

Solar-powered textiles in automotive innovation

Exploring the integration of solar cells into textiles for the automobile industry presents an intriguing prospect. This innovation could extend to practical applications, such as using solar-charged fabrics to power electronic devices like phones, thereby enhancing the sustainability and functionality of future automotive designs. While textiles are primarily associated with clothing, they have a rich historical use in sailcloth, tents, and sacks. Leveraging textiles as substrates for solar cells could further expand their potential applications. However, the adoption of fabrics as photovoltaic substrates raises pertinent questions. Textiles must endure the necessary processing conditions to become photovoltaics; resulting solar textiles must withstand wear and tear, as well as washing and drying cycles. There might be a risk of solar cells compromising crucial physical or aesthetic features of textiles. Most commonly known photovoltaics typically consist of solar cells mounted on glass. However, their weight and fragility may pose challenges in certain applications. The exploration of lighter and more flexible solar cells presents potential advantages, including enhanced durability, cost-effectiveness, and resilience in harsh environments. “Integrating solar cells into textiles is technologically challenging,” explains Roma Raj, a researcher in the Nanochemistry research group. “A critical issue is the adhesion of thin photovoltaic films to […]

Regeneration after spinal cord injury, a project financed by CaixaResearch Health Research 2023 Contest

Alar Ainla from INL and Nuno Silva from the Institute of Research in Life and Health Sciences (ICVS) at the School of Medicine (EMed) won the CaixaResearch Health Research 2023 award, an initiative promoted by the “la Caixa” Foundation. The awardees were granted a prize of around one million euros for a project on spinal cord injuries that is based on the creation of a new device and treatment in order to regenerate nervous tissue leading to functional gains. ICVS leads this unique project and will allow a close collaboration between both institutes that will enable the interaction between experts in biology and technology in an area where it will be possible to boost innovation and the development of advanced solutions for the regeneration of spinal cord injuries. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, annually, there are between 40 and 80 cases of spinal cord injuries per one million inhabitants. Although the survival rate of these people has increased significantly in recent decades, this type of injury continues to cause neurological disorders with enormous repercussions on the lives of affected individuals. Although some treatments allow partial recovery of neuronal functions, taking advantage of an intrinsic property of the central […]

Recent research reveals neuro-behavioural changes associated with exposure to diesel exhaust particles

Air pollution is known to increase the likelihood of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. However, the exact mechanism involved in this relationship remains poorly understood. Diesel exhaust particles stand out as a prominent air pollutant with proven human carcinogenic properties, posing significant health risks, especially in the context of neurodegenerative diseases. Nivedita Chatterjee, a researcher from the Nanosafety research group at INL, is studying how diesel exhaust particles affect neurodegeneration, i.e. the slow and progressive loss of neurons. The INL team found that exposure to diesel exhaust particles causes significant neuro-behavioural alterations. Ernesto Alfaro-Moreno, Nanofatey research group leader explains that “this research work was developed under the project iCare – one of the objectives of this EU-funded project is to develop an integrated model system that can characterise and predict the potential impact of nanomaterials on brain health, thereby preventing nanomaterials toxicity”. Nivedita adds “to establish these models, we use Caenorhabditis elegans, often referred to as C. elegans, which is a very small and transparent roundworm that has been extensively studied in the field of biology. The knowledge gained from these studies on C. elegans often has broader implications for understanding more complex organisms, including humans.” The […]

INL celebrates the Iberian Science Day with a joint initiative between Spain and Portugal

On November 17th, INL celebrated the Iberian Science Day: “An ode to the long years of scientific cooperation between Spain and Portugal”. Fostering a broad reflection on this relationship, the initiative was structured around two core moments: the introduction of the new INL Director General, Professor Clivia Sotomayor, and The European Chips Act event. The programme brought together high-level representatives of the European Commission and leading experts from Research & Technology Organisations to explore the forward position of both countries in the semiconductor industry and their potential to be a catalyst in the European Chips Act. Starting the event and focusing on the Iberian Strategy in the Semiconductor Industry, Lucilla Sioli, Director for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Industry in the European Commission, reinforced the importance of assessing and identifying the needs of the semiconductors’ industry alongside international patterns, like the US and Japan. Presenting the Pilot Lines for the Joint Undertaking (JU) and following the importance of a cooperation between research and the industry, Yves Gigase, Head of Programmes of the Chips Joint Undertaking, highlighted the steps towards the application of the work done by universities and the EU’s goals: with an increased budget of 4.175 billion euros, this is […]

Prev 1 … 11 12 13 14 15 … 163 Next