Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EINSTEIN (EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE FOR NUTRIFOOD-BASED THERANOSTICS FOR HEALTHY EUROPEAN SOCIETY)
Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-03-31
The EINSTEIN project aims to mobilise local and regional resources with the objective to transform the higher education institution, from widening country, the University of Novi Sad (UNS), through cooperation with the surrounding ecosystem (from Vojvodina, Serbia) and EU leading universities (from Austria – JKU, The Netherlands – WUE and Denmark – DTU). UNS is expected to become the University of the Future, promote European ideals and culture, and revolutionize the competitiveness and excellence of European higher education. UNS will contribute to regional development, improving innovation through research, promoting business growth by contributing to human capital development and improving social equality. To contribute to this objective, UNS will play a leadership role in problem-solving and serve as a model of civic behaviour for society.
In the research component, the EINSTEIN project is developing organic crops with enhanced nutritional and bioactive properties, known as ‘nutricrops’, that will serve both as food for human consumption and as raw materials for the production of nutrifood-based sensors and microfluidic chips.
In the research component, the EINSTEIN project is developing organic crops with enhanced nutritional and bioactive properties, known as ‘nutricrops’, that will serve both as food for human consumption and as raw materials for the production of nutrifood-based sensors and microfluidic chips.
In the first reporting period (RP1), from 01/01/2024 to 31/03/2025, the EINSTEIN consortium has performed the following work and main achievements:
1) Within work package 1 (WP1), the EINSTEIN roadmap strategy was developed for creating an innovative education ecosystem based on transferring positive experience between JKU, WUR and DTU in the field of knowledge valorisation. The draft version of the structure for the EINSTEIN Stars Competition was also developed.
2) Within WP2, the EINSTEIN Agro Platform was developed, accessible through the project website. It contains the list of the agricultural crops/products with the highest potential to be used for edible electronic components. Similarly, we created the list of food-waste products for application in electronics. In order to spread these results to stakeholders, the agroextension leaflet was designed and printed.
3) Within WP3, we explored natural materials, food-based and food-waste-based materials for manufacturing substrates for responsible electronics, as well as for fabrication of electronic components, such as organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) or sensors. This research resulted in publishing journals papers in respectable peer-reviewed journals: Advanced Electronic Materials, Communications Materials, Advanced Engineering Materials and Polymer International.
4) Within WP4, work has commenced on Deliverable 4.1. The EINSTEIN team participated in international conferences, organized two webinars, and carried out a one-month staff exchange.
5) Within WP5, Deliverables 5.1 and 5.2 were successfully created and submitted. The project website and social media platforms were developed and launched. A promotional package featuring a clear visual identity for the project was designed and printed. Additionally, a newsletter was published at the end of Year 1. The EINSTEIN team also participated in a podcast and various dissemination and outreach events.
6) Within WP7, two in-person meetings (including the Kick-off Meeting) and two online project management meetings were organized. Deliverables 7.1 and 7.2 were successfully submitted. Several stakeholder meetings were also held, laying the groundwork for the project’s long-term sustainability and the valorisation of its innovative outputs.
1) Within work package 1 (WP1), the EINSTEIN roadmap strategy was developed for creating an innovative education ecosystem based on transferring positive experience between JKU, WUR and DTU in the field of knowledge valorisation. The draft version of the structure for the EINSTEIN Stars Competition was also developed.
2) Within WP2, the EINSTEIN Agro Platform was developed, accessible through the project website. It contains the list of the agricultural crops/products with the highest potential to be used for edible electronic components. Similarly, we created the list of food-waste products for application in electronics. In order to spread these results to stakeholders, the agroextension leaflet was designed and printed.
3) Within WP3, we explored natural materials, food-based and food-waste-based materials for manufacturing substrates for responsible electronics, as well as for fabrication of electronic components, such as organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) or sensors. This research resulted in publishing journals papers in respectable peer-reviewed journals: Advanced Electronic Materials, Communications Materials, Advanced Engineering Materials and Polymer International.
4) Within WP4, work has commenced on Deliverable 4.1. The EINSTEIN team participated in international conferences, organized two webinars, and carried out a one-month staff exchange.
5) Within WP5, Deliverables 5.1 and 5.2 were successfully created and submitted. The project website and social media platforms were developed and launched. A promotional package featuring a clear visual identity for the project was designed and printed. Additionally, a newsletter was published at the end of Year 1. The EINSTEIN team also participated in a podcast and various dissemination and outreach events.
6) Within WP7, two in-person meetings (including the Kick-off Meeting) and two online project management meetings were organized. Deliverables 7.1 and 7.2 were successfully submitted. Several stakeholder meetings were also held, laying the groundwork for the project’s long-term sustainability and the valorisation of its innovative outputs.
During this reporting period significant progress has been made in terms of collecting, analyzing and reinventing the use for nutritional foods.
Extensive research into current and emerging food and health trends in Europe has shown there is a growing demand for high-protein, gut-friendly, and sustainable food products, particularly those that support healthy aging. In response to these trends/needs, a functional food concept has been proposed: a prebiotic, fiber-rich, plant-protein-enhanced bar or smoothie formulated from sustainably grown, local crops. On the other hand, progress has been made by utilizing these nutri crops and plants, milling them into fine powder and fabricating substrates for electronic and sensoric purposes. These electronic components fabricated on edible nutri food-based substrates have high applicable potential. Aside from flexible substrates, which easily adhere to the human body, rigid substrates with mechanical characteristics comparable to that of FR4, have been developed out of food waste. These substrates, then can be used as a green and non-toxic alternative during printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication.
The previously presented achievements have been best described in joint publications from the EINSTEIN consortium, as they describe what is beyond the state of the art. Food waste-based substrates have been used as the base for LC structures and interdigitated capacitors, with their scaling being a possibility. They were completely electrically and mechanically characterized and it was shown that they can be used for detection of changes in the oral cavity. To further upgrade these structures, it is planned to change the conductive paths from gold to food waste-based edible materials.
Additionally, a comprehensive investigation into biodegradable organic electronic films made from bio-sourced materials, more precisely Sepia melanin-shellac inks onto silver-patterned paper, was carried out. The key contributions of this research in the field of edible electronics are the successful demonstration of electronic conduction via inter-granular melanin paths, protection against moisture by the shellac binder, and enhanced conductivity. The films exhibited strong biodegradability, achieving up to 97% mineralization into CO2 within 85 days under composting conditions. This work introduces, for the first time, the use of small bioreactors for composting electronic materials, and sets the stage for further exploration into microbial engineering, real-world composting, and life-cycle assessment of Sepia melanin extraction.
Furthermore, by utilizing food ingredients, more precisely spaghetti, completely edible solenoids have been fabricated and characterized. The solenoids exhibit inductance which is linearly dependent from the number of turns the coil has. The inductance of these solenoids is in nH scale, with little parasitic effects, shown by their phase angle. On top that, edible resonant circuits operating above 200 MHz were successfully demonstrated as a proof of principle, fully constructed by integrating edible gold foils with food-based materials.
Extensive research into current and emerging food and health trends in Europe has shown there is a growing demand for high-protein, gut-friendly, and sustainable food products, particularly those that support healthy aging. In response to these trends/needs, a functional food concept has been proposed: a prebiotic, fiber-rich, plant-protein-enhanced bar or smoothie formulated from sustainably grown, local crops. On the other hand, progress has been made by utilizing these nutri crops and plants, milling them into fine powder and fabricating substrates for electronic and sensoric purposes. These electronic components fabricated on edible nutri food-based substrates have high applicable potential. Aside from flexible substrates, which easily adhere to the human body, rigid substrates with mechanical characteristics comparable to that of FR4, have been developed out of food waste. These substrates, then can be used as a green and non-toxic alternative during printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication.
The previously presented achievements have been best described in joint publications from the EINSTEIN consortium, as they describe what is beyond the state of the art. Food waste-based substrates have been used as the base for LC structures and interdigitated capacitors, with their scaling being a possibility. They were completely electrically and mechanically characterized and it was shown that they can be used for detection of changes in the oral cavity. To further upgrade these structures, it is planned to change the conductive paths from gold to food waste-based edible materials.
Additionally, a comprehensive investigation into biodegradable organic electronic films made from bio-sourced materials, more precisely Sepia melanin-shellac inks onto silver-patterned paper, was carried out. The key contributions of this research in the field of edible electronics are the successful demonstration of electronic conduction via inter-granular melanin paths, protection against moisture by the shellac binder, and enhanced conductivity. The films exhibited strong biodegradability, achieving up to 97% mineralization into CO2 within 85 days under composting conditions. This work introduces, for the first time, the use of small bioreactors for composting electronic materials, and sets the stage for further exploration into microbial engineering, real-world composting, and life-cycle assessment of Sepia melanin extraction.
Furthermore, by utilizing food ingredients, more precisely spaghetti, completely edible solenoids have been fabricated and characterized. The solenoids exhibit inductance which is linearly dependent from the number of turns the coil has. The inductance of these solenoids is in nH scale, with little parasitic effects, shown by their phase angle. On top that, edible resonant circuits operating above 200 MHz were successfully demonstrated as a proof of principle, fully constructed by integrating edible gold foils with food-based materials.