Timeline

The Newsflash provides quick and bite-sized updates on what's happening at the Faculty of Science of Utrecht University. In the latest edition, you can learn more about research showing that the Greenland ice sheet temporarily stores large volumes of meltwater during the summer, contributing to sea level rise. Furthermore, the CloudRoots project, a collaboration between Utrecht University and Wageningen University, is set to investigate the interactions between the atmosphere and Amazon ecosystems.

Discover more news from the Faculty of Science here.

Photo by Thomas Nylen, Technical University of Denmark

On Friday 31 January, the focus areas Applied Data Science, Governing the Digital Society and Human-centered Artificial Intelligence from Utrecht University are organizing an interdisciplinary conference focused on the theme of “AI Transformations: Language, Technology, and Society” at the Railway Museum in Utrecht. The event aims to foster engaging and informed discussions on the pressing topics within the realm of AI Transformations regarding language, technology, and society.

Find out more about this event

Photo by © iStock/Suriya Phosri

Would you like to stay up to date with what is happening at the Faculty of Science of Utrecht University? The latest Newsflash highlights mathematician Jan-Willem van Ittersum, who received the prestigious Christiaan Huygens prize for his groundbreaking PhD research. Additionally, Jasper Kars conducted PhD research on the interplay between AI and democracy and the high-tech plant lab NPEC was visited by Dutch TV producers.

Discover more news from the Faculty of Science here.

Photo: Paul Voorham

AI Labs, inspiration, best practices

AI developments are moving at a rapid pace. But making AI work for the benefit of society requires going beyond technology and collaborating across disciplines and organisations.

On Tuesday November 26th, the Utrecht AI Event will bring together experts from business, government, research and education.

For more information and subscription details, keep an eye on: https://www.uu.nl/en/events/beyond-technology-utrecht-ai-event

Scientists continue to explore age-old physics problem

The popular Netflix series 3 Body Problem, which launched in March 2024, delves into many topics that the researchers at the Faculty of Science deal with on a daily basis. Virtual realities, extra dimensions, and advanced nano fibers weave throughout the storyline. However, the three-body problem is leading. What exactly entails this complex issue, and does it have real-world significance? PhD candidates in theoretical physics, Mick van Vliet and Arno Hoefnagels, shed light on these questions.

Continue reading about the research of Mick and Arno.

Iridescent bacteria even found in deep ocean

Some bacteria form colonies that display striking, reflective colours. New genetic insights into the formation of such colours allowed an interdisciplinary, international team of researchers to identify the environments and bacterial groups in which these colours are found. Doing so, the team has made a start in understanding the function of these colours in bacteria. The findings, which were published yesterday in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), might have implications for the development of new innovative materials that use bacteria to replace non-sustainable dyes.

The striking, vibrant colours that we know from butterfly wings and peacock feathers are not the result of dyes or pigments. Instead, they are created by tiny, ordered structures that interact with light, creating a vibrant display of hues that is often perceived as iridescence (changes in colours depending on the angle of view or illumination). Such ‘structural colour’ is widespread in nature, and also exist in bacteria.

"The new fundamental insights in structural colour in bacteria might serve as the foundation for the future development of innovative materials." - Colin Ingham, founder of biotech company Hoekmine BV and initiator of the study

Continue reading about this research at the UU Science website.

Image: Colin Ingham, Hoekmine BV.

How do we ensure that we can reuse plastic packaging material? Or how can dyes in PET bottles be reused and contribute to making plastics circular? Two research projects within the Inorganic Chemistry & Catalysis Group at Utrecht University will start within the Making plastics circular: technical innovations programme, which is part of the National Growth Fund programme Circular Plastics NL. Six million euros were divided over ten projects in total, and all studies will last five years.

Currently, 15 percent of the one million tonnes of discarded plastics produced annually in the Netherlands are recycled at high quality. The goal is for all plastics to be recycled by 2030 and production to be fully circular by 2050. With the National Growth Fund programme Circular Plastics NL, the Dutch government is investing in bottlenecks to close the cycles for existing plastics, provide sustainable growth opportunities for the Dutch economy and use subsidies to accelerate the transition.

Read more about the Utrecht University projects that have received funding via this UU-webpage.

The DRIVE-RM consortium, led by Professor of Experimental Nephrology Marianne Verhaar from UMC Utrecht, has been awarded €37.5 million under the prestigious NWO SUMMIT program. The SUMMIT grant recognizes world-class collaborations, while further strengthening these partnerships. The DRIVE-RM collaboration involves UMC Utrecht, Utrecht University, Eindhoven University of Technology, Maastricht University, and the Hubrecht Institute, focusing on smart materials that assist the body in healing. Within Utrecht University, the faculties of Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, and Science are involved.

"It is wonderful for Utrecht Life Science research that we are receiving this recognition and funding", says Prof. Jos Malda from Utrecht University and UMC Utrecht.

Regenerative medicine involves repairing or replacing damaged tissues and organs by leveraging the body's own healing processes. DRIVE-RM specifically focuses on material-driven regeneration, using intelligent, lifelike, or even living materials that can prompt the human body to generate new tissue. This approach could radically change the treatment of chronic diseases such as kidney failure, heart failure, and worn joints in the future.

Read full article about this collaborative consortium and the recognition as world leaders, bringing together techniques and disciplines.

Towards the sustainable production of future fuels, chemicals and materials

Would it be possible to build a refinery that is completely fossil-free, and thereby significantly contributing to a carbon-neutral society by as early as 2050? According to two chemists from Utrecht University it is. In a highly visionary Nature article, they present a roadmap in which oil refineries could be reinvented to be completely fossil-free. Processes will be electrified if possible, and raw materials will change to CO2, agricultural and municipal waste. “We wanted to see what would be needed to make a fossil-free refinery and took that to the extreme.”

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The Dutch government is investing 23 million euros in a major research project led by Utrecht University. The consortium of researchers involved in FLOW will, for the first time, comprehensively chart the supervision of specific proteins within the cell, from cradle to grave. Ultimately, leveraging this understanding, they aim to exert control over the fate of these proteins. Such insights could pave the way for novel therapeutic approaches targeting diseases like Parkinson's and cystic fibrosis.

The principal investigators are Ineke Braakman (Utrecht University), Mireille Claessens (Twente University), Friedrich Förster (Utrecht University), Mark Hipp (UMC Groningen), Stefan Rüdiger (Utrecht University) and Alfred Vertegaal (Leiden UMC).

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