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Biotechnical Faculty UL Secures up to 2.5 Million in European Funding for the ERA Chair - Foodomics Project
The Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana (UL BF) has successfully obtained 2.5 million euros through the Horizon Europe research and innovation program for the ERA Chair project titled "Chair of Metabolomics in Food and Nutrition (Foodomics)." This project will establish a new interdisciplinary Center for Metabolomics.
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New Ways of "Recognizing" Biological Molecules
For the normal course of all life processes, the cooperation of multiple biomolecules is required, such as various proteins, DNA molecules, etc. It is crucial that specific molecules form mutual 'contacts' to execute a particular biological process. But how do different molecules "know" which ones should meet?
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10 Steps to a National System for Monitoring the Physical Fitness of Children and Adolescents According to Recommendations from the FitBack Network
In an era where children and adolescents are increasingly exposed to sedentary lifestyles and screen time, the question arises on how to reverse the trend of their continuous decline in physical fitness. A recent study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, prominently featuring researchers from the SLOfit team, offers a solution—systematic monitoring of physical fitness at both individual and population levels. There are several such national systems currently in existence—how do they differ? What are their advantages, and where are their limitations? Most importantly, how can we design and establish such a system using the best practices in 10 steps?
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With a universal mechanism of cellular movement to new possibilities for treating cancer
Cell migration in the body is a fundamental biological phenomenon. Immune cells constantly search for pathogens throughout the body, while cancer cells migrate, causing metastases. To better understand the migration of immune and cancer cells, researchers, including Assoc. Prof. Dr. Samo Penič and Prof. Dr. Aleš Iglič from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, have developed a universal physical model of cell movement. This has also paved the way for new possibilities in the treatment of cancer.
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Food for thought: discussing the menu of the future with scientists
The University of Ljubljana invites you to the Food for thought Festival, a series of interdisciplinary events organised by the University in collaboration with the "Jožef Stefan" Institute and the Institute of Chemistry. The festival menu has a sustainable theme and brings together researchers, UL alumni and students around a common table to discuss current societal issues and the challenges of creating sustainable food systems. The events, which will take place between 23 and 25 April, are free of charge,intended for the broader public and (most of them) can also be attended online.
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A new discovery important for research and treatment of dementia and ALS
Slovenian researchers led by Prof. Dr Boris Rogelj from the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology University of Ljubljana, and the Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, have discovered new mechanisms associated with a mutation in the C9orf72 gene. This research is important because it further reveals the causes of two diseases – amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) - and, as a consequence, increases the potential for developing new treatments for these two diseases.
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Despite numerous cases, familial Hypercholesterolaemia is still insufficiently recognised and treated
Familial hypercholesterolaemia, an inherited disorder accompanied by increased levels of LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol and a greater susceptibility to the early onset of cardiovascular diseases, is still insufficiently recognised and treated, despite the high number of cases. This has been shown in the cross-sectional study ‘Familial hypercholesterolaemia in children and adolescents from 48 countries: a cross-sectional study’, which involved the participation of researchers from the University of Ljubljana Faculty of Medicine.
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Dr. Nina Vesel recieved prestigious EMBO Postdostoral Fellowship
Dr Nina Vesel of the University of Ljubljana Biotechnical Faculty is the recipient of a prestigious Postdoctoral Fellowship from EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization), aimed at supporting the mobility of postdoctoral researchers in Europe and around the world. This is a major success both for the researcher and for the UL Biotechnical Faculty, which succeeded in attracting back this outstanding researcher.
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How successful was psychology in policy-making during the pandemic?
The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound effect on people's daily lives. Decision-makers had to make decisions and implement measures to curb the spread of the virus, which impacted many. Because similar situations are likely to occur again in the future, it is important to explore how psychology can help develop more efficient measures to curb the pandemic. This was the focus of the study, published in thejournal Nature and conducted by researchers from over 30 countries, including Dr Žan Lep from the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana.
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Almost 2.8 million European funds for innovative student exercise programs
The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved almost 2.8 million euros in European funds for the zMIGAJ! program. This program will provide young students with two extra hours of exercise per week, which they will co-create with their teachers. Encouraging regular exercise is essential for young people's health and well-being, especially as they are increasingly exposed to stress, sedentary lifestyles, and digital screens. Regular exercise has been proven to improve mood, self-esteem, concentration, and academic success, as well as promote social bonds, cooperation, and mutual respect.
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The negative effects of the corona period still burden the development and health of children
They were less physically active, spent even more time in front of screens and slept longer, we all still remember the "new reality" of children and adolescents during the covid closure of society. But - how long-term harmful restrictions and (too) long school closures have really (re)shaped the behavior of our children, is one of the first to reveal a population cohort study based on the Slovenian system for monitoring physical fitness (SLOfit), which has just been published in the prestigious scientific journal The Lancet Regional Health Europe.
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Lea Rems, PhD, from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana, successful in the European Research Council’s call for proposals
The European Commission has published the results of the call for proposals for the European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant 2023. After a ten-month evaluation process, 400 projects were selected for funding from almost 2,700 applications from all over the world. Among the successful applicants is the researcher Lea Rems, PhD, who will lead the EUR 1.5 million, five-year ERC project REINCARNATION at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana (UL FE).
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Treating wastewater through cavitation and understanding the effects of bubbles on bacterial cells
Increasing environmental pollution and drinking water shortages are a growing socioeconomic problem, in which cavitation technology can contribute to a cleaner and greener approach to wastewater treatment. Cavitation is a physical phenomenon that describes the phase change from liquid to vapour and back at constant temperature. The mechanical, thermal and chemical effects of cavitation can be utilised for various purposes, including to inactivate microorganisms in drinking water and wastewater. It has been proven that cells are subjected to damage in the immediate vicinity of a bubble. Further numerical analysis has identified the formation of microjets as a possible mechanism of bacterial cell damage.
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New method for predicting adult height
Researchers from Jožef Stefan Institute and Faculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana, developed a new method for predicting adult height of children and adolescents. The method uses large population data collected in the framework of the SLOfit program over decades. It compares the growth curve of a child with those of the most similar individuals and substantially outperforms the existing height predicting methods.
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Hydrodynamic cavitation can be used to inactivate enveloped viruses
Researchers from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ljubljana, led by Prof. Dr. Matevž Dular, have shown in an experimental study that the phi6 virus, which belongs to the viruses with a lipid envelope, can be successfully inactivated using hydrodynamic cavitation. The study is significant in that it shows that hydrodynamic cavitation has the potential to inactivate pathogenic enveloped viruses in water under ambient conditions. Although the primary mode of transmission for enveloped viruses is not water, the recent pandemic has reminded us that we need to be prepared for the worst, given the possibility of the emergence of enveloped viruses or virus strains that can be transmitted through water in the future.
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Using cavitation to break down invisible water pollutants
Researchers from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the National Institute of Chemistry conducted an experimental study in which they achieved the degradation of a water-soluble synthetic polymer - poly(vinyl alcohol) PVOH - by acoustic and hydrodynamic cavitation. The use of PVOH is rapidly increasing, and as a result, increasing amounts of this material are being released into the environment. PVOH is widely used in the textile and paper industries, as well as in households, for example in the form of detergent pods. It is estimated that thousands of tons of it are washed into the aquatic ecosystem every year.
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Chronic disease risk prediction with artificial intelligence
Project SmartCHANGE - an innovative solution for drastically reducing the risk of chronic non-communicable diseases.
Although the future may seem like something we can only speculate about, the Jožef Stefan Institute, in collaboration with the SLOfit research group of the Faculty of Sport of the University of Ljubljana, within the Horizon Europe program, is starting to develop an innovative solution that would enable better prediction and drastic reduction of the risk of developing chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs; e.g. cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, various forms of cancer) with the help of artificial intelligence. -
New method for treating the cardiac arrhythmias through electroporation
Slovenian scientists have contributed significantly to the development of treating heart arrhythmia using electroporation. This involves a procedure of ablation of the heart muscle with high-voltage electric pulses, in which researchers from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana under the leadership of Professor Damijan Miklavčič are collaborating with the American company Medtronic, one of the leading medical equipment companies in the world. The results of the clinical study were presented at the beginning of March by Dr. Atul Verma, head of clinical research at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, at the congress of the American College of Cardiology in New Orleans, USA.
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Prof. Mirjam Mencej has won a prominent ERC Advanced grant project
Prof. Mirjam Mencej, PhD, from the Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Ljubljana's Faculty of Arts has won the European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant for established researchers for the project "The roles of the agency of the dead in the lives of individuals in contemporary society (DEAGENCY)". The project, worth almost EUR 2 million, will run for five years, starting on 1 September 2023.
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Reintroduction of the Healthy Lifestyle Intervention could radically boost the post-corona recovery of capacities in Slovenian youth
A newly published study by the SLOfit group at the Faculty of Sport of the University of Ljubljana has shown that interventions for increasing physical activity, such as the Healthy Lifestyle Intervention in Slovenian schools, are vital for preventing childhood obesity in developed countries.
