Projects

Synthetic receptors known as Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) were engineered and combined with various sensing platforms to create fast and cost-effective analytical tools applicable for medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring. These MIPs were targeted towards clinically relevant proteins as well as emerging environmental pollutants such as antibiotics, and then integrated with piezoelectric or electrochemical portable transducers to create sensors capable of detecting the specified analytes. The resulting MIP-based sensors demonstrated the capability to quantitatively detect analytes within relevant concentration ranges, with rapid responses occurring within 15-20 minutes. Notable successes included the detection of neurotrophic factor proteins (BDNF and CDNF) as potential biomarkers of neurological disorders, as well as viral proteins (HCV-E2, N and S1 of SARS-CoV-2) for diagnosing hepatitis C and COVID-19. Additionally, the ability to detect antibiotics, including sulfamethizole and macrolides, in water at nanomolar concentrations was demonstrated. One of the most notable achievements was the development of prototype sensors for rapid detection of coronavirus antigens from patient samples. These sensors outperformed commercially available lateral-flow immunochromatography-based SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests in terms of their ability to determine the concentration of the virus proteins in the sample, as well as a noticeably lower detection limit, which potentially allows the detection of infection at an earlier stage. Potentially, MIP layer in these sensors can be quickly adapted to detect virtually any pathogen, thereby contributing to the development of rapid diagnostic tests to address new pandemics. Thus, the outcome of the project contributes significantly to the fabrication of affordable, precise, and rapid sensors suitable for point-of-care (PoCT) and infield applications, offering an alternative to expensive and labor-intensive methods.

Solid state fermentations (SFF) are one of the most environmental friendly methods for food valorization. It has been used for thousands of years for production of fermented foods in the orient, using aerobic fermentation with filamentous fungi. By contrast, in Western world it has been used in anaerobic fermentations to alter the sensory properties of bread, meat and cheese. The aim of this project is to apply the SFF for production of bio control agents using side products of food production (spent brewers grains, kernels, whey) as a carrier or substrate. The biocontrol agents studied are propionic acid bacteria and filamentous fungi. The propionic acid bacteria have potential to increase the shelf life of bakery products while fungi (e.g. Chlonostachys rosea, Thrichoderma etc) are being widely used as biopesticides and biofertilizers. To optimize the SFF processes a unique solid state fermention system enabling to control the pH, T, pO2 and growth rate will be constructed.

Sustainable thermoplastic polymers are developed and investigated to partly or fully replace non-renewable-resources-based materials for melt processing technologies. Cellulose appears to be a nearly unlimited renewable resource for polymeric materials. Discovery of dissolution processes of cellulose in ionic liquids opens several new routes for functionalization. Thermoplastic cellulose derivatives can be prepared without use of plasticizers, by attaching long-chain ester branches to the macromolecule of cellulose. Effect of functionalization agents and conditions in medium of ionic liquids on rheology, crystallization behaviour, morphology and mechanical properties of the novel thermoplastic materials is investigated. A laboratory line for pilot production of the novel thermoplastic materials will be started. Producing and processing parameters of the novel materials will be clarified for further commodity applications.

"The pilot project aims to bridge the gap between urban planners and urban residents developing a well-being score. This is an innovative method and tool integrating quantitative physiological and subjective psychological indicators for assessing environments that are not only safe and convenient, but also interesting or pleasant or vice versa to define environments that are unsafe, stressful, overstimulating, or unattractive. The result is a visualization of well-being score (WBS) and related parameters as map layers including guidelines for interpretation and use in city planning workflow. The WBS can also be used as an input for solving climate challenges in the city planning. Increased well-being in the city, e.g. better human-environment relations, in turn, creates an overall spill-over effect contributing to secure and mentally, physically, socially, economically healthier city. Narva is the project pilot partner city where the WBS will serve as an additional input for making decisions about the improvements in their living districts to find new options for keeping and attracting citizens and investments. The pilot project team will involve also other cities as the goal is to develop and validate a new service for the FinEst Centre for Smart Cities relevant for many cities in Europe."

NORDeHEALTH aims to identify the challenges and opportunities in digitalization of health services, especially when national portals are implemented to give patients online access to their electronic health records (PAEHR) and increase self-management and transparency in healthcare. The goal is to enable further digitalization of the public health sector by providing concrete feedback to the national authorities in the respective countries, provide guidelines and frameworks for design, implementation and evaluation of personal eHealth services (PeHS).

Studies on semi-industrial scale extraction of hemp, optimisation of conditions. Destillation of extracts, CBD crystallization. CBD fractionation by flush-chromatography.

This project took a closer look at how BDNF, an important protein usually studied in neurons, is regulated in heart cells and in special brain cells called astrocytes. First, we figured out signals that “switch on” BDNF, such as noradrenaline (similar to adrenaline), and studied DNA regions that help controlling this switch, specifically in cardiac cells. We then focused on astrocytes, a kind of brain cell that supports neurons, among other functions. We observed that when neurons and astrocytes are maintained together and neurons are activated, astrocytes respond by producing more BDNF. BDNF is an actively studied protein, given its critical roles in the central nervous system and especially in neurons. More recently, BDNF expression and function have been studied in other cell types as well, revealing a larger spectrum of roles for this neurotrophin. Furthermore, its dysregulation in several pathological conditions make it an interesting target for therapeutic interventions. The results obtained in the frame of this project are therefore interesting to the neurotrophin community, and more broadly to the neurobiology and cardiac biology fields, and provide the fundamental knowledge required to design and implement treatment strategies. Different methodologies needed to be put in place an optimized in order to achieve the goals of this project. As a result, these are now part of the group’s diverse tool kit and can be implemented to address several of our research questions, which I find to be an important outcome of the project. Finally, the successful defence of the MSc thesis of a co-supervised student is an important milestone and a key achievement associated with this grant.

The European Commission is promoting various initiatives within the scope of digital strategy. It aims at several focused areas such as increasing training in digital skills, modernising education across the EU, and harnessing digital technologies for learning. From the educational perspective, teaching engineering-related topics, such as robotics and automation, often requires access to a lab environment where many resources can be used, demonstrated, and tested. However, the current COVID-19 pandemic has forced more than 1.5 billion students to stay home and access teaching and education through the internet and other digital resources. Although the transition to online can be done without many issues for teaching theoretical classes, the current e-learning tools, such as Zoom and Teams, are not sufficient to replace practical classes and direct experience in real labs. Some online platforms provide engineering tools, for example, Autodesk TinkerCAD for 3D and circuit design, but they do not represent an immersive physical engineering lab, and the contents on many subjects are missing, e.g. robot control and automation. VirLaDEE aims at giving access to physical engineering labs through their digital twins that will be available in an innovative online platform. These virtual lab facilities will provide a playground that is complementary to the existing learning methods delivering quality and inclusive engineering education through state-of-the-art virtual technologies.

The project is primarily aimed at counteracting the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the academic education process at technical universities. In accordance with the restrictions and with an aim to prevent spread of the virus many universities made a decision to transfer all studies, including practical classes, at fully online from. Due to that fact that practical classes were either not implemented at all or were carried out in a very narrow and simplified (impractical) manner. The goal of the RELABEMA project will be the development of a set of laboratory exercises in mechatronics and electric drive and their integration into a commonly used e-learning tool, which is the Moodle platform.

The EuroTeQ Engineering University builds on the belief that societal developments of recent years call for strong University Alliances to make the Knowledge Square of Education, Research, Innovation and Service to Society a reality and its impact a benefit to Europe and beyond. As six leading Universities of Science and Technology, spread across Europe, situated in innovation eco-systems and with great collaboration experience, we are equipped to introduce a paradigm shift in the engineering education of the future, aspiring responsible value co-creation in technology. In three years' time all these measures will have notably promoted the cooperation between the individual Partner Universities, across faculties and central units. It will have significantly improved the seamless mobility of students and faculty, who have to a great extend joined in the pilots. The joint efforts of the Partner Universities aim to develop and integrate training formats that expand the perspective to non-academic target groups and professionals, which will diversify the skills and competence base of Europe. Bridging the gap between different groups in society will enhance social permeability. The students participating in the new formats of the EuroTeQ Engineering University will have gained a deeper understanding of the specific qualifications of other professional groups, especially non-academics, international fellow students and experienced practitioners. They will have acquired multilingual skills necessary for the interaction with non-academics involved. The developments will have provided already notable impulses for extended eco-systems beyond the Partner Universities for collaborative education in technology-oriented occupational fields.

The project builds on the results and novel technology developed in BioStyrene project (ER30) and focuses on extending these results

This project is a side project of the superior research project that has been supported by the Estonian Research Council under grant PSG453, "Digital twin for propulsion drive of an autonomous electric vehicle". It is conducted by the TalTech Mechatronics and Autonomous Systems Research Group. So far, the vehicle's drive but not the wheels' properties have been considered for the development of the digital twin. The task of this sub-project is the development of a test bench for wheels with the associated simulation. The influence of the different properties of wheels on the entire vehicle should be simulated as realistically as possible. Additionally, this project includes knowledge exchange and laboratory visits both in Germany and Estonia. The aim is to popularize knowledge among young people, introducing digital twins to aspiring engineers.

In 2016 serious concerns on the achievement of the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020 targets, due to the continuing loss of biodiversity and degradation of aquatic habitats, led to the urgent adoption of a new Resolution for implementing ecosystem restoration measures. Moreover, on December 2018 the EU raised to 32% the binding renewable energy target for 2030, bringing further input to hydropower development. Meeting these targets sets challenging issues for mitigating the impacts of man-made structures in rivers that fragment habitats and prevent movement and migration of aquatic organisms. The proposed ETN will train 15 ESRs in the interdisciplinary field of Ecohydraulics to find innovative solutions for freshwater fish protection and river continuity restoration in anthropogenically altered rivers. The 15 ESRs will carry out an innovative and integrated research programme within a multidisciplinary and intersectoral Network, including 8 leading European Universities, consultancy companies, public agencies and hydropower industry, encompassing experts in fish biology, river ecology, environmental fluid mechanics and hydraulic engineering. The 15 ESRs will have access to a number of laboratory and field facilities, modelling techniques, experimental practices and instrumental technologies, to expand current understanding of key fundamental fish bio-mechanical, behavioural and physiological processes, and to promote development of novel tools and management solutions in the area of freshwater fish protection. ESRs will be enrolled in specific PhD training programmes according to the rules of 6 host countries and will undertake a Network-wide training programme inclusive of research activities in at least 2 EU countries, short courses at 5 Network Schools, and a series of dissemination and public outreach actions, with the fundamental goal of forming a group of young scientists and practitioners who will play a key role in the water sector at the European scale.

The aim of the centre is to translate the rapid progress in the field of genomics and other “-omics” technologies into improved understanding of molecular and evolutionary mechanisms of disease as well as improved prevention, diagnosis and clinical care. The Centre integrates 12 research units from University of Tartu, Estonian Biocentre and Tallinn University of Technology.