Faculteit Bètawetenschappen (Utrecht University)

13 October is International Failure Day. The plan was to publish this frank interview with alum Stefan Gaillard (History and Philosophy of Science) that day, but well… we failed. How about embracing failure every single day? After all, some of science’s biggest breakthroughs started with an error. #uuscience #failure #uualumni https://lnkd.in/eKWW6MZu

  Join the webinar about the very first assessment report on sea level rise in Europe! The online event takes place on November 8, from 11:00 – 13:00 and is free of charge. Register here: https://lnkd.in/eeDmj33h The report synthesizes the current scientific knowledge on sea level rise and its impacts across local, national, and European basin scales. It does so to support evidence-based policy and decision making primarily targeting coastal areas. Professor at Utrecht University Roderik Van De Wal, is lead author of the report’s chapter on impacts and consequences and will be one of the presenters during the webinar.     The report is a product of the Knowledge Hub on Sea Level Rise, which is a joint effort between JPI Climate and JPI Oceans with participation of 9 countries. Approximately sixty scientific and non-scientific European experts with varying backgrounds are involved. #KnowledgeHubonSeaLevelRise

Congratulations to Marc Baggelaar, Edwin van Leeuwen and Pieter Belmans who have been awarded with a Vidi grant of NWO (Dutch Research Council)! Chemical #biologist Marc Baggelaar for his project to explore #protein modifications that affect #inflammation. He will focus on a process where fatty acids attach to proteins, which seems to play a crucial role in diseases with an inflammatory component like #diabetes, #cancer, #asthma, #Alzheimer’s disease, and #atherosclerosis. The protein modification process is known as protein lipidation. Edwin van Leeuwen will investigate the #evolutionary origins of human culture by studying our closest living relatives, the non-human #primates, and testing whether they, like humans, learn by observing others, create social cultures, and pass down and build upon cultural innovations. In conjunction, this project holds the potential to quantify the importance of #culture and pinpoint the timing of the environment of its evolutionary adaptiveness. Pieter Belmans received the grant for his research into non-commutative #algebraic #geometry — a field that challenges the traditional rules of geometry. In ordinary algebraic geometry, the order in which you multiply objects doesn't matter; and x times y is always equal to y times x. In the non-commutative world, this is not always the case — a property that is also seen in quantum mechanics. Belmans will study existing non-commutative surfaces from new perspectives and search for new structures in higher dimensions. To do this, Belmans uses categories: abstract tools that allow him to translate geometric problems into other #mathematical theories, such as representation theory. 📷 Pieter Belmans: University of Luxembourg Read more on all 14 Utrecht University NWO Vidi grants: https://lnkd.in/eEPBV_ga #UUscience

On March 28th Brigit Van Brenk and Han Wösten received an innovationvoucher by Utrecht Holdings. Interested in the progress of their project, Utrecht Holdings recently checked in with them. Brigit and Han provided an update on their initiative: 'Fungi Waste Treats Water Waste. #uuscience #research #fungi #water

Mathematician Jan-Willem van Ittersum has been honored with the Christiaan Huygens Prize for his groundbreaking PhD research conducted at Utrecht University. This prestigious prize is awarded annually to a researcher who has made an innovative and significant contribution to the field of science. Van Ittersum received the award on October 16 from Eppo Bruins, the Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap. The jury for the Christiaan Huygens Prize was highly impressed by Van Ittersum's thesis. "Van Ittersum delivers remarkable new insights into complex mathematical topics," the jury noted in its report. "He demonstrates exceptional skill in linking diverse concepts and theories at a high level of abstraction, while also offering a presentation that is both clear and accessible." More faculty news? Read this newsflash, featuring: AI & democracy, and the NPEC on Klokhuis #uuscience #research #news

Professor Albert Heck of Utrecht University has been selected to deliver the prestigious Mendel Lecture today, october 17. As part of this honour, he will receive an accompanying Mendel Medal. The Mendel Lectures are regarded as one of the most distinguished events in the #biochemistry community and has previously been delivered by highly esteemed scientist, amongst them several Nobel Prize winners. The lecture series is held at a scientific iconic landmark: the refectory of the Augustian Abbey of St. Thomas in Brno, where Gregor Mendel established many of the rules of heredity. Read more on this lecture and Heck's work: https://lnkd.in/eBAXX38y #UUScience #antibodies #genetics #proteomics #massspectrometry

"The foundation of our work is to marvel at nature and investigate how it works. I believe that the discoveries we make will lead to new applications and that's really cool." Charissa de Bekker has been trained as a microbiologist and is now Principal Investigator of the Parasitic Behavioural Manipulation Lab at Utrecht University. Read her story about working at the Faculty of Science here: https://lnkd.in/ezMi-cNG #biology #inspiringpeople #interdisciplinary

Do new medicines really work better than existing ones? And what are we willing to pay for those new medicines? In his inaugural lecture, Professor Wim Goettsch called for a critical review of medicine costs. "We should have more focus on the actual need for new medicines", says Goettsch. Read more about his opinions and perspectives lined out during the inaugural lecture on the Utrecht University website: https://lnkd.in/eNcfCuQ3 Zorginstituut Nederland #UUscience #medicines #Pharmaceuticalsciences #oratie

Nitrogen deposition caused by air pollution, rather than climate change, turns out to be the primary driver behind shifts in the distribution of European forest plants. Accordingly, these plants are found to be moving westward more frequently than northward. An international team of researchers, including Utrecht University ecologist Jonas Lembrechts, demonstrates this in a publication in #Science. The results indicate that #biodiversity shifts are influenced not only by global warming, but by a combination of human-induced ecosystem disturbances. Lembrechts: “When people ask me why the disappearance of species is a concern, I like to use the more commonly made analogy of an airplane. An airplane is made up of many different parts, each serving a purpose. While a plane might not crash immediately if it loses a few components - though an observant passenger might feel uneasy seeing a screw fly past the window - there comes a point when the plane is no longer safe. You just cannot predict which missing part will be the last straw. Nature operates in a similar way. Every species has a role, and while we can afford to lose some species, it is like playing a lottery; you do not know with which species things will really turn bad in the end. And we do need healthy nature, as it provides essential services, such as clean air, clean water, healthy soil, and crop pollination.” Read more on this publication: https://lnkd.in/eDAiM4Wz #UUScience #biology #environmentalbiology

On Yu (Peter) Dung, a physicist, recently began a new role at Utrecht University. In this position, he won’t perform academic #research but focus on developing methods to facilitate dialogue among key players in the rapidly expanding #green #hydrogen industry. While this may seem like a surprising transition for a physicist, Dung sees it as a natural progression. "Academically and practically, I'm shifting towards the study of complex systems and tackling them. For me, the green hydrogen debate is just another example of such a system." According to Dung, ensuring that the future of green hydrogen is both sustainable and just, requires stakeholders to make fully informed decisions. This means considering all potential consequences. As he puts it, "People need a holistic mindset, where they view the issue as an integrated whole, rather than focusing on isolated parts." He emphasizes that this approach requires openness to diverse perspectives, as the green hydrogen debate is full of complexities and nuances. Read more on this project: https://lnkd.in/eeUn8P5F Pathways to Sustainability (Utrecht University) #UUscience #LivingLab #EnergyInTransition