Helped by more than EUR 7 million of Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) and Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) funding, the EUROPRACTICE IC3 and EUROPRACTICE IC4 projects have produced state-of-the-art micromechanical and microelectronic technologies that are being used in universities and industry worldwide to create microchip applications for uses ranging from space technology to medical diagnostics.

A web browser that can understand technical terms in life sciences and automatically find additional resources and services has been developed by European researchers. It could lead to a new generation of intelligent search engines. The life sciences community has built numerous databases - such as for gene sequencing and information about diseases - that are available to researchers as 'grid' services.

The SmartHEALTH project is designed to develop and deliver the next generation of smart bio-diagnostic systems capable of being fully integrated into healthcare systems in Europe. Driven by key applications in cancer diagnostics, SmartHEALTH will enable enhanced medical diagnosis leading to earlier and more precise results and thus contributing to an increased quality of life.

Today two leading MEPs Dr Liese and Stephen Hughes, together with prominent healthcare professionals and leading European patient groups will launch a Parliamentary campaign to safeguard the future use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners. These scanners have a proven record and have saved the lives of thousands of cancer, heart and neurological patients.

Google.org has announced the expansion of Google Flu Trends to 16 additional countries, including Europe. The site now is available in 37 languages and it tracks flu-related search terms as an early predictor of flu trends.

Recent developments in ambient assisted living allow increasing autonomy and self-confidence for older people concerned about their health. A light wearable device measures vital signs, detects falls and automatically raises an alert to their care centre in case of an emergency.

EU-funded researchers have developed a technique that could allow surgeons to distinguish between cancerous and healthy tissue in real time as they carry out operations. The novel technique, which is described in an article in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition, could spare cancer patients from having to undergo a second round of surgery to remove tumour tissue that was missed during the first operation.