EU Project Takes ACTION with Bio, Grid and Nano Technology Development

European researchers have forged a partnership with counterparts in the Western Balkans, North Africa and Latin America to strengthen cooperation in the fields of biomedical informatics (BMI), grid technologies and nanoinformatics. Their work is being carried out through ACTION-Grid, a project supported by the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) with funding totalling some €1 million. ACTION-Grid kicked off in June and will run for a period of 18 months.

The ACTION-Grid consortium aims to maximise the potential of biomedical data and computing resources. The project partners' work effectively reinforces the European Commission's position that research groups improve their understanding of activities carried out in target countries such as those from the Western Balkans and Latin America. The partners will focus on finding and fuelling cooperation, as well as identifying viable activities for the future. Besides establishing a collaborative environment between the regions, the seven-member consortium will exchange research results and contribute to improving the EU's Research Programme in a specific area.

Their work will develop training and mobility in BMI, grid and nanoinformatics. The consortium says the results will be integrated with data from an automated 'resourceome', an inventory of BMI/grid/nano methods and services developed by the ACTION-Grid team. This inventory can be accessed by researchers and users. Ultimately, the resourceome will enable researchers - from the across the board - to access the new technologies developed in the EU.

With support from a panel of recognised experts, the consortium will also develop a White Paper, which will be presented to the EC so as to initiate new plans in the regions in question.

The dissemination of the ACTION-Grid results will be made possible via an international symposium on BMI and grid, as well as scientific publications, newsletters, press releases and a website.

The upshot of the ACTION-Grid project is that major achievements in the fields of BMI and grid computing, including tools, expertise and methods, can be reused and transferred to the Western Balkans, North Africa and Latin America. The knowledge gained in ACTION-Grid will also be incurred from key successes achieved by the consortium in the past. Examples include past EU-backed GRID-based projects, including Gripps, MediGrid, GLOP and eDiamond.

The EU has been relentless in its pursuit over the last 10 years to establish and implement initiatives linking clinical data and results from a myriad of projects, methods and tools in the BMI area. It should be noted that EU research in the areas of genomic and personalised medicine has encouraged scientists to participate in the various research projects that have got off the ground in the region.

Specifically, the link between ACTION-Grid and the field of medicine is nanoinformatics; ACTION-Grid is the EU's maiden project targeting the development of this discipline. The consortium says nanomedicine has the capacity to meliorate existing diagnostic methods and treatments.

Coordinated by the Biomedical Informatics Group at the Madrid Polytechnic University in Spain, ACTION-Grid brings together partners from Argentina, Chile, Croatia, France and Greece.

For further information, please visit:
http://www.action-grid.eu/

Related article:

Copyright ©European Communities, 2008
Neither the Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, nor any person acting on its behalf, is responsible for the use, which might be made of the attached information. The attached information is drawn from the Community R&D Information Service (CORDIS). The CORDIS services are carried on the CORDIS Host in Luxembourg - http://cordis.europa.eu. Access to CORDIS is currently available free-of-charge.

Most Popular Now

Qure.ai to Launch AI Playbook for Radiol…

Qure.ai, one of world's leading providers of AI for healthcare, will launch its artificial intelligence (AI) playbook for radiology at this year's European Congress of Radiology. Developed with its European...

NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Dri…

One of England's integrated care systems proved the benefit of modern, cloud-telephony during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is now working with X-on on new ideas to support GPs and patients...

The NHS Needs a Health Tech Evolution; a…

Opinion Article by Brian Murray, Director, Orion Health. The NHS needs help, it's not broken - we all depend upon it. Turn on the radio, open a webpage, and there will...

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foun…

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLAG) has launched new NHS App features to transform the way patients access and manage their appointments within the NHS. The programme, known...

FDB (First Databank) Achieves ISO 13485:…

FDB (First Databank) announced that it has achieved ISO 13485:2016, the Quality Management System (QMS) for medical devices. This is a significant step for FDB, the UK's leading supplier of...

First Transient Electronic Bandage Speed…

Northwestern University researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind small, flexible, stretchable bandage that accelerates healing by delivering electrotherapy directly to the wound site. In an animal study, the new bandage healed diabetic...

Orion Health Strengthens French Business…

Orion Health is strengthening its presence in France with the appointment of digital health industry heavyweight, Tristan Debove, to lead its operations. Tristan Debove has more than 25 years of experience...

Genomics England Deploys Sectra Imaging …

Genomics England has completed installation of an enterprise imaging system that will help to support a world-pioneering initiative for cancer research. The programme is linking whole genome sequencing, pathology and...

AI Approach may Help Detect Alzheimer's …

Although investigators have made strides in detecting signs of Alzheimer's disease using high-quality brain imaging tests collected as part of research studies, a team at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) recently...

AI Predicts Cancer Patient Survival by R…

A team of researchers from the University of British Columbia and BC Cancer have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that predicts cancer patient survival more accurately and with more...

Will Future Computers Run on Human Brain…

A "biocomputer" powered by human brain cells could be developed within our lifetime, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers who expect such technology to exponentially expand the capabilities of modern...

Rewired 2023 Programme Explores the Futu…

14 - 15 March 2023, London, UK. Digital Health Rewired, the premier conference, exhibition and networking show for the UK digital health community, has published its 2023 programme showcasing the very...