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A breakthrough at the University of Twente is bringing new brain-like computers one step closer. An international group of researchers led by Professor Christian Nijhuis has developed a new type of molecular switch that can learn from previous behaviour.

By presenting his research findings at a major international meeting, Joeri Zwerts experienced how he makes societal impact as a scientist. Last month, Zwerts spoke at the general assembly of global forest certification organization the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). At this meeting, he presented his research about the effect of FSC conservation measures on wild mammal populations in Gabon and Congo.

Bregje de Wildt explored different ways to grow -mini-bones- in the lab that could be used to test newly developed medicines for bone diseases. Human bones can recover from small fractures, but if the fractures are too large or the regrowth process is unbalanced, as is the case with osteoporosis, treatment is required.

Bacteria living on the walls of a cave in Romania use methane as their only source of food. Researchers from Utrecht University and national and international colleagues describe the previously unknown microbes in a paper in Nature Microbiology . Knowledge about the new species might contribute to the development of new techniques that reduce the concentration of methane in the atmosphere.

It's not the individual brain regions but rather their connections that matter: neuroscientists propose a new model of how the brain works. This new view enables us to understand better why and how our brains vary between individuals. The researchers publish it in a special issue of Science on November 4th.

Neuroscientist Rik van der Kant (VU Amsterdam and Alzheimer Center Amsterdam UMC) and chemist Martin Giera (Leiden University Medical Centre) have been awarded a Neurodegeneration Challenge Network (NDCN) grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Scientists have developed a theory that can explain how flying insects determine the gravity direction without using accelerometers. It also forms a substantial step in the creation of tiny, autonomous drones. Scientists have discovered a novel manner for flying drones and insects to estimate the gravity direction.

The new Living Planet Report 2022 of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) reveals that populations of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish have declined by an average of 69% since 1970. The report highlights the stark outlook of the state of nature and warns governments, businesses and the public to take action to reverse the decline in biodiversity.

Oxytocin may be able to support memory in people with Alzheimer's disease. This is the conclusion of a study led by Maastricht University in which oxytocin was administered to mice with Alzheimer's-related problems. The research is based on epigenetics, the external effects that turn parts of our DNA on or off during our lifetime.

Domestic cats have smaller brains than their wild ancestors. Smaller brains need less energy. Cats might thus be able to spend more energy on other energetically costly organs. In the scientific journal Integrative Biology, a group of international researchers suggest that domestic cats have used this energy to enlarge their gut length to adapt their digestive system to the human environment.

An international team of biologists, including W. Daniel Kissling of the University of Amsterdam, has used artificial intelligence techniques to estimate the conservation status of nearly 1900 palm species across the world. They found that more than 1000 of the species may be at risk of extinction.

A previously unknown virus has been found to occur worldwide in the most widely studied plant species, thale cress ( Arabidopsis thaliana ). The presence of the virus, which was discovered by researchers at Utrecht University and Wageningen University & Research, potentially has far-reaching implications for research projects.

With the completion of NPEC at the end of this month, plant research enters a new era. The era of automation and a lot of data. NPEC stands for Netherlands Plant Eco-phenotyping Centre. The focus here is not the plant's genetic baggage - its genotype - but its outward appearance, or phenotype. The research entails measuring aspects of the plant's appearance and the influence of the environment.

Recently, researchers associated with Wageningen Marine Research published an article in the scientific journal Polar Biology, where they discuss anthropogenic debris in Arctic fox faeces from Iceland. Samples from different decennia show that plastic has been ingested since the 1990's but that frequencies of such uptake are low.

Cognitive psychologists Eliska Prochazkova and Mariska Kret from Leiden University have won an Ig Nobel Prize for their research into the romantic click between people.

Researchers Jaap Kaandorp, Rob Belleman of the Informatics Institute, Computational Science lab (CSL) and master student Inge Bieger have developed a new method to use the analysis of 3D images to quantify the morphology of complex-formed and branching corals.

In recent years, biologists have discovered an astounding diversity of all kinds of microorganisms: bacteria, archaea, eukaryotes and viruses. Using this information, multiple scientific teams have tried to delineate our evolutionary past. By studying our microbial relatives, we can better understand our own origins and the complex ecological communities of which they are part.

With the aid of physics and a minuscule magnet, researchers have discovered a new structure of telomeric DNA. Telomeres are sometimes seen as the key to living longer. They protect genes from damage but get a bit shorter each time a cell divides. If they become too short, the cell dies. The new discovery will help us understand ageing and disease.

"Maybe one day we can produce cell-based proteins on a rooftop in a city," says Julia Keppler from the Laboratory of Food Process Engineering. This lab looks into milk proteins made by cells instead of cows. Over the next four years, she and her colleagues will be taking major steps on this new path in the protein transition.

Tiny Forests form an excellent solution to drought and heat stress in urban areas. Research by Wageningen Environmental Research shows that temperatures in a Tiny Forest may be as much as 20 degrees below those in the streets. Moreover, the mini forests store much water during heavy precipitation, which is sorely needed in the increasingly dry Netherlands.