International – Pagina 3
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InternationalNear-infrared light drives molecular motors
In JACS, a team from Groningen and Amsterdam report that they were able to drive molecular motors with near-infrared light using upconverting nanoparticles for the first time.
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InternationalERC Starting Grants awarded
With a success rate of 12.2%, obtaining an ERC Starting Grant was no easy feat. Two KNCV- and two NVBMB-members managed to pass the selection and secure a grant.
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InternationalSpectrum with suggestions
Imagine scanning a spectrum of an unknown molecule and receiving a few suggestions from an AI assistant as to what it could be. Researchers at MIT and IBM are actively working on this technology and have already achieved powerful results. ‘Those who don’t embrace AI may find themselves left behind.’
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InternationalKNCV Gold Medal 2025 awarded to Bruno Ehrler
Bruno Ehrler, head of the Hybrid Solar Cells group at research institute AMOLF in Amsterdam and professor at the University of Groningen is the recipient of the KNCV Gold Medal 2025.
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InternationalTracing Biobased Plastics on the green path
For fifteen years, petrochemical company Braskem has been working hard on developing biobased polymers, like I’m green™ bio-based polyethylene.
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InternationalHow to make student supervision and teaching work for you
Teaching transformed Isabelle Kohler’s career from an anxiety-inducing PhD requirement to her greatest academic passion. Here, she offers practical strategies to PhD students and postdocs facing increased supervision duties.
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InternationalDeep-sea worm is little miss Sunshine
A worm that lives at hydrothermal vents a kilometer under the seasurface tolerates high levels of arsenic and sulfur by turning them into the bright yellow pigment orpiment.
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InternationalPolycyclic amino acids produce a fluorescent hydrogel
In the European Journal of Organic Chemistry, researchers from the VUB and the University of the Free State (South Africa) present a new fluorescent peptide hydrogel with easily adaptable sequences. This offers possibilities for targeted, modifiable drug delivery systems.
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InternationalOld technique awaits resurgence
Field-flow fractionation is a decades old technique with a lot of potential, though lack of knowledge and training keeps it from getting the attention it deserves. ‘You can couple FFF to all kinds of detectors, so the amount of information you can possibly gather is very rich.’
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InternationalFrom guidance to growth: join our mentoring program’s pilot phase!
Isabelle and the KNCV will join forces to launch a national mentoring program for early-career researchers. This column is both a reflection on the power of mentorship and an invitation to join the pilot phase of this initiative.
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InternationalNWO Open Competition ENW-M grants
The Open Competition ENW-M grants – intended for “creative, risky ideas and scientific innovations” – were awarded at the end of July, and several members of the KNCV and NVBMB were among the recipients.
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InternationalThe true gut feeling: the intestinal nervous system recognises nutrients.
According to biomedical scientists at KU Leuven, the function of the digestive system appears to be much more sophisticated than simply pumping food around. In an article published in Nature, they demonstrate how the nervous system in mouse intestines distinguishes between different nutrients.
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InternationalNanoplastics fill the North Atlantic Ocean
In a study published in Nature, Dutch researchers estimated that there are 27 million tonnes of nanoplastics in the ocean’s upper layer. This figure equals or exceeds the estimated amount of macro- and microplastics in the world’s oceans.
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InternationalNWO Veni grants awarded for 2024
Two hundred early-career scientists have received up to €320,000 in the form of a Veni grant from the NWO Talent Programme.
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InternationalERC Proof of Concept grants 2025 awarded
It’s always nice to receive a gift before the holidays. Eighteen Belgian and Dutch scientists were delighted to hear that their Proof of Concept Grant proposals had been successful.
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InternationalCareer path
Should fundamental research be adapted to meet the needs of businesses, Sjoerd Rijpkema asks himself. Or is there another solution?
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InternationalPodium: Katarina Cankar
Our members form the beating heart of our societies. Here, we regularly highlight one of them. This time, it’s NBV-member Katarina Cankar.
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InternationalSystems thinking approach wins major education award
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?
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InternationalRecalibrating your academic compass this summer
The summer break offers academics more than rest – it’s a rare opportunity to pause, reflect, and realign. Isabelle Kohler shares how a quieter pace can help you recalibrate your academic compass and make intentional choices for the year ahead.
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InternationalActivating ‘reserve genes’ for gene therapy
Reactivated genes can compensate for other defective genes in hereditary blood disorders, Dutch researchers show in the journal Blood.