Author: Andrea Cuschieri

Neuroscientists usually scan real brains to understand the mind. A team at the University of Malta is doing the opposite: they are building a fake brain first – not to think, but to keep neuroscience reliable. Their project, SARA, blends Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) with delicate biochemistry in an unlikely marriage that could make brain imaging more reliable and more reproducible.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, better known as fMRI, is one of the most powerful tools modern neuroscience has ever created. It does not photograph neurons firing. Instead, it tracks changes in blood flow that occur when brain regions become active. When a cluster of neurons works harder, it consumes more oxygen. Fresh blood rushes in to replenish it, subtly altering the magnetic properties of that blood. The scanner detects these tiny shifts and transforms them into colourful maps that appear to show ‘thought in action’. Over the past two decades, fMRI has allowed researchers to peer into memory, emotion, decision-making, movement, and even creativity. Clinically, it holds promise for understanding conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, and schizophrenia – all without a single incision. Yet behind its glossy images lies a much more complex reality.

WHEN BIG MACHINES GET IT WRONG

Like every scientific instrument, an fMRI scanner is imperfect. The signals it measures are weak, noisy, and heavily processed by complex software before scientists ever see them. What looks like brain activity is partly biology, partly physics, and partly statistics. Brains themselves make things even harder. No two are shaped the same, so researchers must warp each brain into a standard template by stretching and squeezing individual anatomy so that scans can be compared across people. That step is essential for research, but it also risks distorting the underlying data. The problem is not that fMRI is useless – far from it – but rather that it can be overtrusted. A bright blob on a brain image can look definitive even if it partly reflects scanner artefacts, software assumptions, or statistical quirks rather than true neural activity. As Dr Claude Bajada, the principal investigator of Project Synthetic Anatomy for Radiological Applications (SARA), explains, uncertainty is unavoidable: ‘Every analysis has noise… it is good practise to investigate what the noise is to validate how robust the analysis techniques are.’ This matters because if the technology is unreliable, the consequences could include misinterpretation of results or clinical trials built on unstable foundations. As Bajada bluntly put it: ‘If you get this wrong, you risk entering clinical trials on a foundation that doesn’t make sense, potentially wasting millions in funding.’ So, how do you test whether fMRI is producing accurate readings or not?

 FLIPPING THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD ON ITS HEAD

This is where Project SARA takes a radical turn. Normally, scientists scan real brains and try to infer what is happening inside them. SARA does the opposite: it works to create a fake brain where the answer is already known, then tests whether the scanner and analysis pipeline can find it. Instead of asking, ‘What is the brain doing?’ SARA asks, ‘If we already know what should be there, do the fMRI and data processing algorithms detect it correctly?’ This provides what researchers call ground-truth data, a reference reality against which every measurement, algorithm, and assumption can be checked. As Bajada described it, this is essentially neuroscience in reverse: ‘You know what to expect… it is more about calibration – if you know what the outcome is meant to be.
Unlike a real brain, the SARA phantom will never think, but it will always generate exactly the signal that it was designed to pro-duce.

THE TEAM BEHIND THE SYNTHETIC BRAIN

SARA is led by Dr Claude Bajada from UM’s Boundaries of the Brain (BOB) Lab, together with Prof. Therese Hunter from UM’s Biochemistry and Protein Science Lab. Dr Brandon Seychell and Sephora Galea contribute to the project through the physical construction of the phantom, experimental design, and data analysis. From the outset, the team faced two intertwined challenges: first, to make the phantom look like a real human brain; and second, to make it behave like one inside an MRI scanner. The shape matters enormously. Modern fMRI analysis depends on standardised brain templates, so a phantom that does not resemble real anatomy would be useless for testing real-world methods. As Bajada explains, ‘A lot of the analysis depends on preprocessing, and this needs to have the same shape of a brain to fit into the standard protocols.’

MIMICKING THE BRAIN: DEVELOPING HYDROGELBASED BRAIN PHANTOMS

Building a stable, detailed, brain like object that could survive inside a powerful MRI scanner required many rounds of optimisation, trial and error, and careful craftsmanship. The concept seems simple – to ensure that fMRI machines and associated data-processing algorithms are measuring what they intend to. Yet, as Hunter eloquently sums up, ‘The project started from a very simple place to create something that is not so simple for a very complicated and complex experiment.’ Such a complex undertaking requires creativity and an unlikely merger of two distinct disciplines on either end of the scientific spectrum. At first glance, fMRI neuroscience and biochemistry seem worlds apart – one deals with colossal magnets and radio waves, the other with delicate molecules and chemical reactions. Project SARA deliberately bridges this gap. The physical brain model is built from hydrogels, which are soft, water-rich materials that mimic the mechanical and magnetic properties of real brain tissue. These gels can be shaped to reproduce the brain’s intricate folds and differentiate between grey matter and white matter. But structure alone is not enough.

Most existing brain phantoms generate signals using simple electronics. The SARA team is trying something different by achieving
signals using biochemistry. They are experimenting with hemin, a molecule closely related to haemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells. By alternating hemin and saline solutions and exploring the magnetic changes in the presence and absence of hemin’s iron, the team aims to create controllable MRI signals that mimic changes of blood oxygenation in a living brain.
The goal is not to perfectly replicate human physiology, but to generate repeatable, predictable, brain-like signals that can be turned on and off at known locations inside the phantom. In a sense, SARA is a brain that rehearses activity without consciousness.

TOWARDS A BRAIN THAT ALREADY KNOWS THE ANSWER

One of the most powerful features of the SARA phantom is not just where the signal appears, but also how that signal switches on and off over time and whether analysis algorithms can correctly recognise that pattern. In human studies, many fMRI analyses are built around expectations. For example, during a task the brain should show a clear on–off–on–off pattern of activity that matches
the experimental design. Scientists then ask which parts of the brain follow that pattern. The problem is that this assumes both the scanner and the analysis are faithfully capturing what really happened. With SARA, that assumption is removed. The team can program a precise, known ‘on’ or ‘off’ signal into the phantom and then test whether the fMRI scanner and the analysis pipeline detect it as they should. This is especially important for newer, data-driven approaches such as resting-state fMRI, where people
lie still and researchers search for spontaneous patterns of connectivity. These methods are promising but difficult to validate because there is no obvious correct answer in a real brain. As Hunter emphasises, ‘You cannot assume anything is a real signal
– whether it is noted through an MRI or a huge DNA-sequencing machine.’ SARA therefore provides a controlled way to stress-test not just scanners, but the mathematical assumptions behind fMRI analysis itself, before those techniques are used to make big claims about how the human mind works.

FROM PHANTOM BRAIN TO REAL IMPACT

SARA is not meant to replace research on real brains; they will always be essential. Instead, the phantom acts as a quality-control
brain, a trusted benchmark that keeps the entire imaging system accurate. It helps scientists compare MRI scanners, identify sources of noise, test new analysis techniques, and understand how pre-processing and brain-warping affect results. In the long run, this could make fMRI more reliable in clinical settings.
Better-calibrated scanners and more trustworthy analyses may give doctors greater confidence when using fMRI to support diagnoses of conditions like schizophrenia, epilepsy, or neurodegenerative diseases. The impact is indirect but powerful: better tools lead to better science, which leads to better medicine. In many ways, SARA feels like science fiction: a manufactured brain built not to think, but to teach machines how to see thinking. Yet the aim is deeply practical. By reversing the usual logic of neuroscience, the team hopes to make one of science’s most dazzling tools more dependable.

The SARA research team gratefully acknowledges the provision of scanning services by the University of Malta’s MRI Platform (UMRI). Project ‘Synthetic Anatomy for Radiological Applications – Generating a Functional MRI Phantom (SARA)’ is funded by Xjenza Malta through the Research Excellence Programme (Grant no. REP-2024-033), on behalf of the Foundation for Science and Technology.

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The SEA-EU Alliance has reached a major milestone in international higher education with the official accreditation of SeaBluE – the Joint Bachelor’s Degree in Sustainable Blue Economy, coordinated by the University of Cádiz (UCA). This recognition, granted for a period of six years until March 18, 2031, marks a significant step in the development of European joint degrees and strengthens SEA-EU’s leadership in innovative, transnational education.

A European Degree for a Global Future

SeaBluE is not just any undergraduate programme—it is one of the first Joint Bachelor’s Degrees in Europe to emerge from a European University Alliance, offering students a truly international academic experience. The programme is designed and delivered collaboratively by seven leading universities across Europe:

• University of Cádiz (Spain) – Coordinating institution
• University of Gdańsk (Poland)
• University of Split (Croatia)
• University of Malta (Malta)
• University of Algarve (Portugal)
• University of Naples Parthenope (Italy)
• Nord University (Norway)

This initiative follows the European approach to joint degrees, ensuring academic excellence, cross-border collaboration, and global recognition for its graduates.

One of the key highlights of SeaBluE is its mandatory mobility component, allowing students to study across multiple universities during their academic journey. This structure provides a multidisciplinary perspective on the sustainable blue economy, integrating subjects such as marine conservation, sustainable fisheries, coastal planning, and maritime policy. Students will also gain practical experience through hands-on projects, internships, and industry collaborations, preparing them for careers in marine sustainability, policy-making, and blue innovation.

With this accreditation, the University of Cádiz and the SEA-EU Alliance reaffirm their commitment to pioneering new models of higher education that break traditional barriers and foster a truly European learning environment.

“This achievement is a testament to the strength of European university collaborations. SeaBluE is not just a degree—it is a gateway to an international career in one of the most crucial sectors for the future of our planet,” said Irene Delgado, Coordinator of the programme.

With three accredited SEA-EU Joint Programmes now in place—STORM (Sustainability Transition for Organisations and Resilience Management), MIPMAL (Master in Port Management and Logistics), and SeaBluE (Sustainable Blue Economy Bachelor’s Degree)—the alliance is solidifying its role as a leader in European transnational education.

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Dr. Frederick Lia and Karen Attard

Deep eutectic solvents (DES) and natural DES (NADES) have emerged as sustainable alternatives to conventional organic solvents for the extraction of bioactive compounds from olive mill waste (OMW). These systems are formed through strong hydrogen-bond interactions between a hydrogen-bond acceptor (HBA) and donor (HBD), resulting in liquids with significantly reduced melting points and highly tunable physicochemical properties, including polarity, viscosity, and solvation capacity [1]. This tunability enables the design of task-specific solvents for selective extraction of phenolics, flavonoids, and other valuable compounds.

Figure 1: Deep eutectic and natural deep eutectic solvents mechanisms.

DES/NADES enhance extraction efficiency through synergistic intermolecular interactions (hydrogen bonding, van der Waals forces, and hydrophobic effects), often outperforming conventional solvents in both yield and selectivity [2]. Their performance is further improved when combined with advanced techniques such as ultrasound-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction, which enhance mass transfer, reduce extraction time, and lower energy and solvent consumption [3,1].

In OMW valorisation, DES/NADES systems have demonstrated substantial improvements in recovery (up to 30-fold increases) and reduced processing temperatures, supporting process intensification and circular bioeconomy strategies [4]. Additionally, their low toxicity, negligible vapour pressure, and reduced environmental impact align with green analytical chemistry principles [5].
 

However, challenges including high viscosity, water sensitivity, solvent recovery limitations, and scale-up constraints remain key barriers to industrial implementation.

Funding

Funding Project ‘A Complete Sustainable Route For The Utilization Of Olive Pomance: 
Production Of Bioactive Spurt Inhibtors And Alternative Proteins - SustainOlive’ financed by Xjenza Malta-TÜBİTAK Joint Call for R&I Proposals, 2024 Call. 

References

1. Li, G. & Row, K.H., 2019. Utilization of deep eutectic solvents in dispersive liquid –liquid microextraction. Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 120, 115651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2019.115651
2. Elicit (systematic review team), 2024. Enhancing Bioactive Extraction with NADES – Report. Mechanistic synthesis across 25 studies; H-bond networks, supramolecular assembly, and comparative performance versus conventional solvents).
3. Lanjekar, K.J. & Rathod, V.K., 2021. Application of ultrasound and natural deep eutectic solvent for the extraction of glycyrrhizic acid from Glycyrrhiza glabra: Optimization and kinetic evaluation. 
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 60(26), pp.9532–9538. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.1c00862.
4. Fernández-Prior, M.A., Charfi, A., Bermúdez-Oria, A., Rodríguez-Juan, E., Fernández-Bolaños, J. and Rodríguez-Gutiérrez, G., 2020. Deep eutectic solvents improve the biorefinery of alperujo by extraction of bioactive molecules in combination with industrial thermal treatments. Food and Bioproducts Processing, 121, pp.131–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbp.2020.02.001

5. Coscarella, M., Nardi, M., Alipieva, K., Bonacci, S., Popova, M., Procopio, A., Scarpelli, R. & Simeonov, S., 2024. Alternative assisted extraction methods of phenolic compounds using NaDESs. Antioxidants, 13(1), 62. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13010062

The program aims to identify, develop, and implement innovative solutions supporting modern hospital management as well as improving the quality of healthcare delivery. This initiative serves as a collaborative platform connecting the medical, academic, and innovation sectors, enabling the development and implementation of solutions with international potential.

MCSC Hospital Leadership Innovation is an international competition organized by the Institute of Mother and Child, supported by a network of hospitals from across Poland. Its goal is to identify and support the development of breakthrough solutions that set new standards in healthcare and medical facility management.

MCSC creates a dynamic ecosystem of collaboration between hospitals, academia, and technology partners — enabling rapid testing, implementation, and scaling of modern solutions that meet the current needs of the healthcare system.

Detailed information regarding the program and recruitment process is available at: www.mcsc.pl

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📣 PRIMA is proud to announce the launch of the PRIMA Young Innovators Award 2026, a new recognition prize celebrating the creativity, leadership, and determination of young innovators from Southern Mediterranean countries who are shaping a more sustainable future for the region.

🔑 Why this Award matters

The Mediterranean faces urgent challenges: water scarcity, climate stress, food insecurity, and ecosystem degradation. Young people across the region are already responding with innovative solutions, from water-saving technologies and resilient farming practices to community-driven initiatives that strengthen livelihoods and social inclusion.

The PRIMA Young Innovators Award recognizes these changemakers. It celebrates youth who have personally led or significantly contributed to solutions aligned with PRIMA’s mission, and it encourages the leadership, initiative, and problem-solving capacity needed to address the region’s sustainability challenges.

🔬 What we’re looking for

The Award seeks young innovators who have conceived, developed, or implemented solutions that:

• Address key Mediterranean challenges in sustainable agriculture, water management, resilient food systems, or responsible use of natural resources
• Demonstrate relevance to local contexts and respond to real societal, environmental, and economic needs
• Show measurable or credible expected impacts on environmental sustainability, livelihoods, or social inclusion
• Have potential for replication, scalability, and youth empowerment, including inspiring and mentoring other young innovators, with particular attention to women innovators

💰 The Prize

Two equivalent recognition prizes of EUR 10,000 each will be awarded to the two highest-ranked eligible applications following a transparent evaluation by an independent panel of experts.

↪️ Who Can Apply

The Award is open to natural persons aged 18–35 who are nationals and residents of one of the PRIMA Participating States bordering the Mediterranean Sea: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, or Türkiye.

Applicants may submit individually or as a group, provided all applicants meet the eligibility criteria. The Award is addressed exclusively to individuals, applications based on affiliation with or representation of companies or organizations are not eligible.

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Montalto, M., Bonnici West, L., Scerri, D., Gatt, A., Deguara, D., Debono, D., Galea Vella, M., Theuma, L., Delicata, F. and Gauci, S.A.

🛞 The REACH-ETHICS project, led by the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), introduces an innovative approach to research ethics education through the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR). The project aims to transform how students and researchers engage with ethical principles by moving beyond traditional, theory-heavy instruction toward immersive, scenario-based learning. The system employs AI-powered “expert” avatars within virtual environments to simulate real-life ethical dilemmas in healthcare and animal research contexts. Through interactive dialogue, users can explore key issues such as informed consent, confidentiality, and participant welfare in a more applied and reflective manner. This approach fosters active engagement, critical thinking, and experiential learning, thereby making ethics education more accessible, practical, and meaningful. Ultimately, the project seeks to enhance ethical awareness and decision-making while supporting educators through innovative teaching tools.

🔉 This work was presented by Dr Shirley Ann Gauci at the DHBW AI Transfer Congress on 24th April 2026 in Heilbronn, Germany, where the focus was on the evaluation of the AI-driven VR avatar prototype from the perspective of research supervisors. The study adopted a qualitative focus group design, complemented by quantitative evaluation. Supervisors from health and animal studies interacted with the avatar by posing ethics-related questions and assessing its responses across four key dimensions: relevance, correctness, completeness, and clarity.

🔬 Findings suggest that the REACH-ETHICS prototype has strong potential as a supplementary tool, rather than a replacement, for traditional research supervision and ethics teaching. Overall, the project, as presented at DHBW AI Transfer Congress, demonstrates the promise of combining AI and VR to create engaging, scalable, and pedagogically robust ethics training environments, contributing to the ongoing modernization of research ethics education.

💰 Project REACH-ETHICS is financed by Xjenza Malta through the FUSION: R&I Research Excellence Programme under grant agreement number REP-2024-006.

Dr. Frederick Lia and Karen Attard

Closed-loop hydrocarbon extraction is an efficient and selective technique for recovering non-polar compounds from complex matrices, with growing relevance in olive mill waste (OMW) valorisation. Hydrocarbons, composed solely of carbon and hydrogen, range from simple alkanes to complex aromatic structures and are widely used in industrial applications due to their chemical stability [1].

Traditional separation methods such as cryogenic distillation and open solvent extraction suffer from high energy demand, solvent loss, and environmental impact [2]. Closed-loop systems overcome these limitations by operating under sealed, pressurised conditions that enable full solvent recovery. Liquefied hydrocarbons such as n-butane and n-propane selectively dissolve lipophilic compounds, while continuous recirculation enhances mass transfer and reduces emissions, aligning with green chemistry principles [3,4].

These systems consist of integrated components including a solvent tank, extraction column, collection vessel, recovery pump, and vacuum system. Under subcritical conditions, compounds such as lipids, waxes, and terpenes are extracted, and solvent removal occurs under mild thermal or vacuum conditions due to low boiling points, preserving thermolabile compounds and improving product quality [4].

Applications include petroleum recovery (e.g., VAPEX), supercritical extraction of hydrocarbons from sludges, and analytical workflows requiring containment of volatile compounds [3,5,6]. However, in OMW research, focus has largely remained on polyphenol recovery via membranes or liquid–liquid extraction [7]. The hydrocarbon-based recovery of lipophilic fractions remains underexplored despite its potential.

Key advantages include high efficiency, solvent recyclability, reduced energy consumption, and improved extract quality. Limitations include safety concerns due to flammability, reduced efficiency for heavier fractions, and challenges in scale-up [8,9].

Overall, closed-loop hydrocarbon extraction represents a promising yet underutilised approach for integrated OMW valorisation, supporting circular bioeconomy strategies through combined recovery of polar and non-polar fractions.

Funding

Funding Project ‘A Complete Sustainable Route For The Utilization Of Olive Pomance: Production Of Bioactive Spurt Inhibtors And Alternative Proteins - SustainOlive’ financed by Xjenza Malta -TÜBİTAK Joint Call for R&I Proposals, 2024 Call.

References

1. Ponce-Espinosa, H., Ponce-Cruz, P. & Molina, A., 2013. Artificial Hydrocarbon Networks. In: Artificial Organic Networks: Artificial Intelligence Based on Carbon Networks. Studies in Computational Intelligence, Vol. 521. Springer, pp. 73–111. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-37844- 1_4

2. Yang, L., Qian, S., Wang, X., Cui, X., Chen, B. & Xing, H., 2020. Energy-efficient separation alternatives: metal–organic frameworks and membranes for hydrocarbon separation. Chemical Society Reviews, 49(15), pp.5359–5406. https://doi.org/10.1039/D0CS00289A

3. Butler, R.M. & Mokrys, I.J., 1998. Closed-loop extraction method for the recovery of heavy oils and bitumens underlain by aquifers: The VAPEX process. Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology, 37(4). DOI: 10.2118/98-04-04

4. Wu, Y., Wei, S. & Xi, J., 2025. Liquefied petroleum gas extraction: an innovative, green, and sustainable approach for extracting natural lipophilic compounds. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 24(9), e70258. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.70258

5. Ávila-Chávez, M.A., Eustaquio-Rincón, R., Reza, J. & Trejo, A., 2007. Extraction of hydrocarbons from crude oil tank bottom sludges using supercritical ethane. Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, 29(23), pp.2327–2345. DOI: 10.1080/01496390701446449

6. Lucke, R.B., Campbell, J.A., Ross, G.A., Goheen, S.C. & Hoppe, E.W., 1993. Closed-system, solid-phase extraction cleanup method for removal of normal paraffin hydrocarbon from samples prior to purge-and-trap volatile analysis. Analytical Chemistry, 65(17), pp.2420– 2424. DOI: 10.1021/ac00065a024

7. Tapia-Quirós, P., Montenegro-Landívar, M.F., Reig, M., Vecino, X., Saurina, J., Granados, M. and Cortina, J.L., 2022. Integration of membrane processes for the recovery and separation of polyphenols from winery and olive mill wastes using green solvent-based processing. Journal of Environmental Management, 307, 114555. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114555

8. Monin, J.C., Barth, D., Perrut, M., Espitalié, M. & Durand, B., 1988. Extraction of hydrocarbons from sedimentary rocks by supercritical carbon dioxide. Organic Geochemistry, 13(4–6), pp.1079–1086. DOI: 10.1016/0146-6380(88)90292-6

9. Song, Y., Furtos, A., Fuoco, D., Boumghar, Y. & Patience, G.S., 2022. Meta-analysis and review of cannabinoids extraction and purification techniques. The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, 101(6), pp.3108–3131. https://doi.org/10.1002/cjce.24786

Building on its digital infrastructure, the second phase of the SOLEATECH project—developed in collaboration with Bahçeşehir University (Türkiye) and funded under the bilateral call PRIMA Xjenza Malta–TÜBİTAK 2023—focuses on transforming raw data into actionable insights through Artificial Intelligence. By integrating advanced analytics into a Decision Support System, the project empowers farmers to make precise, timely decisions.

Two core AI models drive this innovation. A Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model forecasts soil water potential, enabling proactive irrigation planning. In parallel, an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) evaluates environmental variables to predict olive quality, categorizing outputs into four performance levels. To enhance accuracy and scalability, techniques such as Principal Component Analysis reduce data complexity while maintaining predictive power.

To bridge the gap between technology and practice, the system incorporates a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making framework. This approach combines AI output with agronomic expertise, identifying irrigation strategy as the most critical factor for productivity.

The expected impact is significant: a 20% increase in productivity alongside a 20% reduction in water use and operational costs. Beyond efficiency, SOLEATECH supports knowledge transfer and policy development, contributing to the long-term sustainability of Mediterranean olive farming.

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