News articles
World Metrology Day 2025
Today, we are celebrating both UNESCO World Metrology Day and the 150th anniversary of the Metre Convention. But what does that have to do with chemistry?
Gripping the green
When talking about better equipment for golf, probably the clubs first come to mind. But as it turns out, also the balls allow all kinds of tweaking. Including a new type of coating that really puts the player’s qualities to the test.
Small group of personalised antibodies in immune system much more stable than previously thought
It appears that a small group of antibodies dominates and personalises the entire repertoire of the immune system. Researchers at Utrecht University discovered that these antibodies remain virtually unchanged in composition and quantity, even after vaccinations.
Predator: the final droplet hunt
It was a hit on LinkedIn: a moving droplet being chased by another droplet, which then ‘catches’ it. This experiment by Peter Korevaar’s group provides insights into physico-chemical processes that can be found in everyday life.
Burgers from cashew waste
Food products in the supermarket often leave a big trail of waste. This is certainly the case with the cashew nut. In ACS Food Science & Technology, researchers from Colombia have come up with a solution: plant-based burgers made from the cashew apple.
A chirality with a nice ring to it
An international team has discovered that an eight-membered ring has a previously overlooked potential for chirality. Its surprising robustness opens up interesting applications, they report in ChemPhotoChem.
Nasty nematodes
Tiny worms are already causing havoc among beech in North-America. New research shows that also European beech is susceptible to this invasive pest, raising concerns for the health of European forests.
0.0, yet full of flavour
Alcohol-free beer still needs improvement in taste. Scott Lafontaine’s research in ACS Food Science & Technology looks at alternative yeasts that can be used to brew tastier beers.
Dutch biotech enters clinical phase
Nijmegen-based Tagworks has passed the investigational new drug (IND) review by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its antibody-drug conjugate TGW101. A Phase 1 clinical trial is now being initiated in the US.
Des solvants verts pour les membranes de purification du biogaz
Pour contribuer à rendre le secteur agricole plus durable, une équipe de la KU Leuven a mis au point une membrane utilisant une stratégie à base de solvants verts pour la purification du biogaz. « Nous ne visons pas une efficacité maximale du processus, mais plutôt un coût abordable. »
Bulles protectrices
Le tissu adipeux est une réserve essentielle d’énergie. Mais il joue aussi un rôle inattendu en servant de véritable « film à bulles » ultra-stable pour protéger les parties fragiles du squelette.
Poplar or eucalyptus? Lignin source influences fuel
In the search for the most suitable sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), researchers at KU Leuven have come up with a new approach that combines two catalytic steps, as reported in ChemSusChem.
L’Oréal For Women in Science fellowships 2025 awarded
On 17 April, at the NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam, the For Women in Science 2025 fellowships were awarded to four female scientists working at Dutch universities.
Glue as a new clue to treating diabetes
A collaboration between researchers from Eindhoven, Essen and New York is proposing a ‘molecular glue’ as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. The glue targets the ChREBPα protein involved in processing glucose and activating insulin production.
Bitter pill now easier to swallow
For (young) children, swallowing large pills or capsules is difficult or even impossible. The Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium succeeded in developing a modified version of an existing Schistosomiasis drug that is also suitable for young children.
Stress-resistant algae
Plants have a lot to endure. Burning heat, extreme drought, hungry insects, destructive fungi and so on. Researchers in Göttingen have looked at the response to these stress factors in detail from algae and compared them to land plants.
Bringing hidden chirality to vibrational light.
When a molecule is cryptochiral, it is particularly difficult to determine its stereochemistry. Using vibrational circular dichroism, a group from Groningen has managed to crack this tough problem, as they report in Chemistry A European Journal.
Stem cell switch
A single molecular ‘switch’ seems sufficient to activate stem cells. This finding has the potential to significantly improve the efficacy and reliability of cell therapies and bone marrow transplants.
Electrons for green molecules
Two papers from a group in Amsterdam show insights in electrochemical pathways. ‘If you want to transfer these processes towards the industrial scale, you need to understand the pathway.’
Organic semiconductor emits spinning light for more efficient OLED screens
Researchers at TU Eindhoven and the University of Cambridge have created an organic semiconductor in which electrons move in a spiral pattern. The light emitted could make OLED screens in televisions and smartphones much more energy efficient.
