Should fundamental research be adapted to meet the needs of businesses, Sjoerd Rijpkema asks himself. Or is there another solution?
Our members form the beating heart of our societies. Here, we regularly highlight one of them. This time, it’s NBV-member Katarina Cankar.
The CLEAR initiative at the University of Twente won the Dutch Education Award 2025. The jury was impressed by the systems thinking approach, which creates chemists that are well-suited for the challenges of tomorrow. So, what’s next?
Reactivated genes can compensate for other defective genes in hereditary blood disorders, Dutch researchers show in the journal Blood.
With the high-tech laser facility of HFML-FELIX, researchers succeeded in capturing a catalyst ‘in the act’ of catalysing a Michael addition, as they show in The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters.
The ‘creative’ ENW-M grants have been awarded once again, this time to 21 researchers looking to develop scientific innovations and ‘risky’ ideas. Among the recipients are members of the KNCV and NVBMB, who are highlighted here.
For organic chemists (in training), the question of how to determine whether a chemical reaction follows the SN2 or E2 route is timeless. A group in Amsterdam summarized its 25 years of research in Chemistry: A European Journal, offering concrete, simple concepts to overcome this dilemma.
In the Netherlands, big steps are already taken in terms of the protein transition and precision fermentation. However, education is needed to ensure these major developments can continue. The English courses offered by Wageningen University & Research are a good start. ‘Training people to lead the field is important.’
Sjoerd Rijpkema recognises the merits of amending the Opium Act, but believes that this is only one side of the coin.
According to scientists at the University of Amsterdam, simple calculations show that the idea of a hydrogen economy emerging in the 21st century is completely unrealistic. They wrote about this in Green Chemistry.
By incorporating game-based learning in his courses, Michael Lerch provides his students with a new perspective on chemistry. ‘Turning complex concepts into something hands-on and fun like a puzzle, helps them to really understand the material.’