European graphene-brain research receives £2.68bn boost

Scientists think graphene could also help cure Alzheimer’s disease Research into the wonder material graphene and the neurochemistry of the human brain will receive $2.68bn in funding under a project backed by the European Commission, scientists said on Monday .The two areas are beneficiaries of the European Union's Future Emerging Technology [FET] flagship programme, French researchers associated with the projects said.
The money, amounting to a billion euros for each initiative, will be allocated over 10 years, France's National Centre for Scientific Research [CNRS] said.
The winners will receive up to 54 million euros from the Commission this year, while "further funding will come from subsequent EU research framework programmes, private partners including universities, member states and industry," the EU executive said in a press release.
Graphene, discovered less than a decade ago, is a sheet of carbon that is one atom thick.
It is touted as having huge potential, with superior conductivity, mechanical strength and optical purity when compared with other materials.
The Human Brain Project, meanwhile, seeks to simulate the cells, chemistry and connectivity of the brain in a supercomputer, the goal being to better comprehend the brain's functions and development.
The hope is to find new treatments for brain diseases such as Alzheimer's and enhance "artificial intelligence" computing.
Source: AFP