news 2023

KWF honors four projects in which UT researchers are involved. Three projects focus on patients with breast cancer, with two projects focusing on early monitoring of the side effects of chemotherapy and another project focusing on seeing whether tumor tissue remains during surgery. Another project uses advanced tissue culture models to enable the early detection of pancreatic cancer.

International research team succeeds for the first time in analysing different signals simultaneously A new method to study the signals associated with merging neutron stars can help researchers to collect data through multiple channels in parallel. The method was developed by an international team of scientists, including the Institute for Gravitational and Subatomic Physics (GRASP) , Utrecht University, and Nikhef.

Along with ElaadNL, PhD researcher Tim Slangen studied the phenomenon known as supraharmonic disturbances, which can adversely affect the operation and efficiency of electrical appliances. With the growing and obvious concerns about climate change, the transition from fossil to renewable energy is accelerating.

More than a decade of research at TU/e, led by Fons van der Sommen, has culminated in a scientific publication in The Lancet Digital Health this December. The study focuses on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to detect incipient esophageal cancer in people with Barrett's esophagus. It is 2011.

After two years of research, researchers from Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Daniëlle Cattel, Frank Eijkenaar, and Celine Hendriks, release the BUNDLE final report 'Developing and implementing alternative payment models: doing, learning, and evaluating.' The report was conducted as part of the ZonMw program 'Outcome-Based Organizing and Payment,' which falls within the broader program 'Outcome-Based Health Care 2018-2022' of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.

Utrecht scientists, under the supervision of Marc-Etienne Moret, have discovered a new mechanism to build molecular catalysts. The new mechanism involves the earth-abundant metal nickel instead of precious metals that are often used as part of molecular catalysts. Moret: "This discovery initiates a new area of research that brings about a whole new concept for the design of more sustainable catalysts." In 2017, chemistry researcher Marc-Etienne Moret received an ERC Starting Grant  to study new catalysts with better properties.

For the first time ever, research led by one of Utrecht University's earth scientists - Dr  Dan Palcu - has earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. His fascinating research shows the immense proportions of the largest lake the Earth has ever seen: the Paratethys. Guinness World Records published a whole page about the 'Largest lake ever' on their website, as well as a highlight in the print edition.

Anna Bergefurt defended her PhD thesis cum laude at the Department of Built Environment on December 18th. How do plants, noise, and the view outside affect your stress level, concentration or mood? PhD researcher Lisanne Bergefurt examined how different aspects of the physical workplace can influence employees' mental health.

New research has revealed that Rembrandt impregnated the canvas for his famous 1642 militia painting 'The Night Watch' with a lead-containing substance even before applying the first ground layer. Such lead-based impregnation has never before been observed with Rembrandt or his contemporaries. The discovery , published today in Science Advances, underlines Rembrandt's inventive way of working, in which he did not shy away from using new techniques.

The pilot whale found dead on Vlieland's beach in early December was examined at Utrecht University's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Investigations revealed that the animal was seriously ill and had inflammations in several organs. The adult female had meningitis and pneumonia as well as abnormalities in her teeth and hearing organs.

Most people can relate to having a laptop charger break right where the flexible cable meets the solid adapter. This is just one example of how difficult it is to effectively interface hard and soft materials. Using a unique 3D printing process, TU Delft researchers produced hybrid multi-material interfaces that reached a remarkable closeness to nature's design of bone-tendon connections.

Physical experiments and simulations offer more insight into mathematical phenomenon 'sausage catastrophe' Researchers from Utrecht University and the University of Twente have investigated the mathematical sphere packing problem through physical experiments and computer simulations. The study illustrates how a finite quantity of spheres can be packed most efficiently.

For the first time ever, wireless millirobots navigated a narrow blood vessel both along and against arterial flow. Researchers from the University of Twente and Radboudumc inserted the screw-shaped robots in a detached aorta with kidneys where they controlled them using a robotically controlled rotating magnet.

Researchers at TU Delft designed novel 3D-engineered scaffolds inspired by the geometry of the brain microvasculature. The micro-structures were co-cultured with both glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, and endothelial cells, the building blocks of blood vessels. This model enabled researchers to study the effect of proton therapy on glioblastoma and uncovered a possible protective role of endothelial cells on cancer cells.

Volunteers are of great value to society, both individually and economically. Although the number of volunteers has increased slightly this year in The Netherlands, it is still not back to pre-COVID levels. A decline in the number of volunteers is also visible worldwide. New research provides insight into volunteer turnover and offers tools for organizations to counter this turnover.

The Twinning Genetics Consortium announced the discovery of at least six genes influencing a woman's likelihood of having fraternal twins. Among the identified genes, four were associated with known roles in female reproduction, affecting the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) pathway, particularly relevant to women undergoing fertility treatments.

The structure of one of the most abundant antibodies in our blood, Immunoglobulin M (IgM), turns out to be different than previously thought: it contains an additional protein known as CD5L. This discovery, made by Utrecht researchers under the guidance of Albert Heck and colleagues at Sanquin in Amsterdam, is now published in the scientific journal PNAS .

Researchers have so far underestimated methane emissions from canals in five major Dutch cities. That is the conclusion of microbiologist Koen Pelsma, who will defend his PhD thesis on this topic at Radboud University on 13 December. In calculations of methane emissions from water, far too little is known about emissions from urban waters such as canals, says researcher Koen Pelsma.

A major, international research report is released today at the COP28 climate conference in Dubai: the Global Tipping Points Report. The report shows that crucial tipping points in the Earth's climate system are getting closer. These tipping points occur when a small change triggers an irreversible transformation.

A key factor in the rapid spread of the so-called British coronavirus variant appears to be stronger attachments between the virus and human cells. In a study led by Utrecht University professor Jan Lipfert, scientists show that the variant has a significantly stronger attachment to human cells compared to the original strain.