Features
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EnglishThe lab coat: essential for working safely
Along with safety goggles and gloves, a lab coat is part of a lab technician’s standard equipment. And with good reason, because a good lab coat is essential for working safely. But not all lab coats are created equal. Here are some tips to help you choose the right lab ...
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EnglishUniversity of Twente
The Dutch government is drastically cutting the budgets for scientific research and education and, at the same time, plans to lure US-scientists to The Netherlands. Sjoerd Rijpkema struggles to make sense of it all.
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EnglishHave a break, have a breakthrough
In the relentless world of academia, taking intentional breaks is often dismissed as an indulgence rather than a necessity. Isabelle Kohler shares the lessons learned during her recent “company retreat” in Lisbon.
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EnglishSHINE takes in operando measurements to the next level
Everything, all at once - that would be a suitable tagline for SHINE, the brand-new TEM facility at AMOLF in Amsterdam. ‘Now we can study real-world materials in real-world conditions, both in space and time.’
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EnglishSafety goes beyond gloves
Health and safety in the laboratory is an issue that most researchers give too little thought to, according to occupational hygienist Arco Engelen. During the LabSafety event on 20 May, he will not only point out the elephant in the room, but also provide tools for dealing with health and ...
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EnglishThe struggle of timely PhD completion
Isabelle Kohler explores the structural issues behind PhD delays and shares practical advice for both PhD students and supervisors to support timely and sustainable PhD completion
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EnglishPutting the F in pharma
Adding fluorine to drug molecules can be tricky, but is often worthwhile. Rachel Brazil talks to the chemists trying to tame the ninth element.
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EnglishPodium: Kevin Neumann
Our members form the beating heart of our societies. Here, we regularly highlight one of them. This time, it’s KNCV-member Kevin Neumann.
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EnglishThe unfortunate generation
Our new columnist Sjoerd Rijpkema distills his thoughts and opinions about chemistry and society into a meme. This week: the compensation for students in the Netherlands who didn’t get a ‘basisbeurs’.
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EnglishFirst detected 40 years ago, a byproduct in chloraminated drinking water has finally been identified
The nature of an ‘unidentified product’ in drinking water disinfected with chloramines, which serves over 113 million people in the US alone, has finally been revealed by researchers in the US and Switzerland.
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EnglishTake charge of your finances
Isabelle Kohler shares her journey from financial uncertainty to financial confidence and offers practical advice to help early-career researchers take control of their financial future.
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EnglishFinding your writer’s voice
Writing is an essential skill in academia, yet many early-career researchers find it challenging. In this column, Isabelle Kohler shares her personal relationship with writing and offers practical advice to help researchers transform writing from a daunting task into a rewarding practice.
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EnglishProducing antibodies non-stop
Huge batch reactors are still the norm in the bioprocessing industry. But they are not really sustainable, nor are they cheap. Start-up company SimAbs is now introducing a steady-state system in which antibodies are produced continuously.
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EnglishThe power of looking backwards
Isabelle shares how her personal journey taught her the value of looking backwards rather than forwards or sideways. She applies these insights to academia, encouraging PhD students and postdocs to acknowledge their progress and small wins.
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EnglishE-boiler reduces gas consumption at Vopak Vlaardingen
Tank storage company Vopak has recently installed an e-boiler at its terminal in Vlaardingen. This could reduce gas consumption by a third. ‘The benefits lie in sustainability and CO2 reduction.’
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EnglishPrioritise your next step
Career planning is often overshadowed by the demands of research, leaving many PhD students unprepared for their next step. That’s why they should start planning their next career move early, says Isabelle Kohler.
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EnglishGreen solvents for biogas membranes
To help make the agricultural sector more sustainable, a team from KU Leuven designed a membrane with a green solvent strategy for biogas purification.
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EnglishSolid composite electrolyte outperforms on all fronts
A team from the University of Hasselt and the research institute imec presents in Advanced Science a new electrolyte that combines the properties of solid and liquid electrolytes in batteries. ‘We actually cheat a little.’
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EnglishWhat does success mean to you?
Isabelle Kohler explores the personal nature of success and guides early-career researchers through the process of defining what success means to them.