We're constantly on the go, and products that make our lives easier are always welcome. But keeping products safe is important. This is especially true for the food industry. When fats, oils and other food components are oxidised, the foods we eat lose nutrients and colours. Steering clear of oxidation is crucial for food packaging. An EU-funded team of researchers has developed a biomaterial from whey protein as well as a commercially viable method of producing multifunctional films on an industrial scale. This is steps ahead of the conventional films based on petrochemicals. The results are an outcome of the WHEYLAYER ('Whey protein-coated plastic films to replace expensive polymers and increase recyclability') project, which received more than EUR 2.5 million under the 'Research for the Benefit of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises)', Seventh Framework Programme Capacities Work Programme of the EU.

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Dutch and Swiss researchers have developed a biomimetic nanopore that offers a sophisticated test and measurement platform for the way proteins enter the nucleus of a cell. This study provides evidence of how a biomimetic nuclear pore can be created to monitor how single proteins move across the pore. Presented in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, the study was partially supported by the EU-funded NANOSCI-EPLUS and READNA projects.

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Les propriétés des nanomatériaux manufacturés ouvrent la voie à une grande diversité d’évolutions technologiques prometteuses. Cependant, l’évaluation des risques liés à ces substances se heurte à de nombreuses incertitudes qui ne seront levées qu’à mesure de la progression des connaissances. Fortement mobilisée sur ces questions, l’Anses publie un rapport d’expertise sur le développement d’un outil de gestion graduée des risques, spécifique aux nanomatériaux.

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