Text written in Basque and translated automatically by Elia without any subsequent editing. SEE ORIGINAL

European Research Network Award for Pathogenomics; Safe Burial of Nuclear Waste; Onion, Natural Choice for Food Preservation; Energy Harvesting on Paper

European Research Network Award for Pathogenomics

The Navarrese researcher Cristina Latasa Osta has developed her thesis on salmonella, with which she has received the award of the European Network of Pathogen Research. Salmonellak, beste zenbait bakteriok bezala, mikroorganismo-komunitateak edo biofilmak sortzen ditu. The aim of Latasa has been to elucidate the molecular mechanism of the formation of these biofilms, contributing to the understanding of the process of persistence and virulence of salmonella. The researcher of the Public University of Navarra will receive the award on April 22 in Hungary.

Buried safely by nuclear waste

Posiva, a Finnish company, has developed an innovative system with multiple security barriers for storing nuclear waste. A tunnel five kilometres long and 500 metres deep has been built. Below is the warehouse: a vertical network of holes. In these holes, copper containers specially created for waste will be inserted and covered with bentonite clay to be impermeable. The company assures that earthquakes, groundwater, microbes and other external agents will not be able to harm the system. If approved by the Finnish Government, the first waste will be buried in 2012.

Onion, a natural option for the conservation of food

Raw onion substances help to extend the life of the food. This is what the recent joint research of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and the University of Barcelona has to say. Certain components of onion, flavonoids, work both to delay the oxidation of foods and to prevent the development of certain bacteria that spoil foods. Therefore, raw onion can be a natural substitute for artificial additives used by the food industry.

Collecting energy on paper

A team of scientists at
Stanford University has created paper batteries and capacitors. The paper is impregnated with a special ink containing nanomaterials, heated and wrapped with aluminum foil. This method has allowed paper batteries to last longer than lithium batteries, and since they are made of paper, they are light and easy to mold. The ultimate goal is to collect electrical energy on paper.