The EU supports scientists, researchers and innovators in pushing the boundaries of knowledge. Meet Anna and Anja, who are using fungi in Izola to help construction go greener.
Paints and protective coatings on buildings often contain chemicals that harm the environment. In Slovenia, researchers are turning to nature for a solution – developing a self-healing, bioactive coating inspired by fungal biofilms. This ‘living skin' can be used on wood, concrete or plastic surfaces to shield it from weather. It can also clean the air and regenerate itself – just like fungi in the wild. Unlike chemicals, fungi are safe for people, making this research a fresh, eco-friendly alternative to conventional materials in construction.
The EU stands for science. Do you?
The full story
Amidst the relaxed charm of Izola, one of Slovenia’s main coastal attractions, surprising innovations are unfolding. In the town’s quaint centre, an EU-supported team of researchers are creating a natural construction material that may transform our buildings.
Dr Anna Sandak, the principal investigator, had a vision she is now turning into reality. With EU support, her team at the InnoRenew Centre of Excellence is using the power of fungi to create a living, self-healing biofilm. This eco-friendly coating aims to replace conventional, toxic materials.
Our coatings are inspired by nature and empowered by science. We’re engineering fungal biofilm to actively protect building materials.
As part of a five-year research initiative called ARCHI-SKIN, with a budget of nearly €2 million from the Horizon Europe programme, the undertaking unites a 13-member team from 6 countries, drawing on expertise in microbiology, biotechnology and materials science.
Led by the ambition to make homes greener, the team explores engineered living materials to create truly adaptive, sustainable architecture. Such international collaboration aligns with the EU’s criteria for funding research, connecting expertise across borders to promote creativity in scientific innovation. It also helps turn research into real-world value, ensuring that people and communities can actually use and benefit from it on the ground.
By 2027, the team aims to test its fully biobased coating under real conditions, marking a new era of sustainable architecture with potential impact across Europe and globally.
Fungi can thrive in diverse environments, making them ideal for creating healthier, eco-friendly products
As part of a five-year research initiative called ARCHI-SKIN, with a budget of nearly €2 million from the Horizon Europe programme, the undertaking unites a 13-member team from 6 countries, drawing on expertise in microbiology, biotechnology and materials science.
Led by the ambition to make homes greener, the team explores engineered living materials to create truly adaptive, sustainable architecture. Such international collaboration aligns with the EU’s criteria for funding research, connecting expertise across borders to promote creativity in scientific innovation. It also helps turn research into real-world value, ensuring that people and communities can actually use and benefit from it on the ground.
By 2027, the team aims to test its fully biobased coating under real conditions, marking a new era of sustainable architecture with potential impact across Europe and globally.
Science4EU gallery image Slovenia 3Science4EU gallery image Slovenia 3 
Science4EU gallery image Slovenia 11Caption text 
Science4EU gallery image Slovenia 10Science4EU gallery image Slovenia 10 
Science4EU gallery image Slovenia 9Science4EU gallery image Slovenia 9 
Science4EU gallery image Slovenia 8Science4EU gallery image Slovenia 8 
Science4EU gallery image Slovenia 7Science4EU gallery image Slovenia 7 
Science4EU gallery image Slovenia 6Science4EU gallery image Slovenia 6 
Science4EU gallery image Slovenia 5Science4EU gallery image Slovenia 5 
Science4EU gallery image Slovenia 4Science4EU gallery image Slovenia 4
Other project examples
Until recently, it was difficult to monitor what happens in the brain as someone moves, limiting scientists’ understanding of brain responses in everyday situations compared to those when a person is at rest. However, the ability to observe such activity could provide crucial insights for detecting and treating serious neurological diseases affecting brain-to-body coordination, such as Parkinson’s. In light of this, researchers from Slovenia collaborated with teams in Germany, Italy and Switzerland to advance imaging technology that enables simultaneous monitoring of brain activity and body movement.
Mercury pollution from a range of products used in everyday life poses a threat to both environmental and human health, including entering the food chain through its accumulation in fish such as tuna and halibut. Researchers modelled mercury’s chemical behaviour and movement through land, air and marine environments, with a view to aiding public health initiatives and helping people make more informed dietary choices.