news

Environment - Earth Sciences - 21.09.2023

Much potential to reduce methane emissions European energy industry
The oil industry in Romania has an enormous potential for reducing methane emissions. This has been demonstrated by a team of scientists led by Professor Thomas Röckmann from Utrecht University. In 2019, the amount of methane emitted by the Romanian oil industry was equal to the amount of methane emitted by all other European oil industries combined.

Linguistics / Literature - 20.09.2023

Speech from the throne not simpler, but more difficult than in previous years
As in previous years, the speech from the throne was difficult once again: it contained many complicated and unfamiliar words, phrases, and constructions. More even, than the speeches from the throne of the previous four years, analysis by linguists Leo Lentz and Henk Pander Maat shows. Difficult speech from the throne To measure the level of difficulty of the speech from the throne, Lentz and Pander Maat used LiNT, a software tool developed by Utrecht University.

Pedagogy - Computer Science - 20.09.2023

New teaching materials improve statistical numeracy
Data visualizations, including diagrams, are a frequent sight in the media. Histograms, in particular, are popular for their ability to present data concisely. Unfortunately, many people find these diagrams challenging to interpret. Lonneke Boels conducted an investigation into why this occurs, using artificial intelligence to analyse eye movements.

Politics - 15.09.2023

A simpler speech from the throne is better appreciated and understood
According to research by linguists Leo Lentz and Henk Pander Maat (Utrecht University), a simpler speech from the throne is better understood and more positively assessed. Lentz and Pander Maat rewrote the 2022 Dutch speech from the throne, leaving the content unchanged but the wording more accessible.

Health - Politics - 11.09.2023

’Every research project improves if you add some citizen science’
More and more often Utrecht researchers experiment with citizen science, research that involves collaboration with citizens. For instance, by having them collect data. PhD candidate Fleur Froeling went one step further: she asked Dutch people which subject they would like to research scientifically, and involved a group of citizens in every step of the process.

Environment - Chemistry - 31.08.2023

Another strong greenhouse gas is on the rise - and it spells trouble for hydropower
The Earth's warming climate is largely caused by the rise in greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane. However, there are additional gases capable of warming the planet. New research from climate scientists at Utrecht University reveals that emissions of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) from streams and reservoirs have more than tripled over the last century.

Health - Life Sciences - 22.08.2023

New antibiotic from microbial ’dark matter’ could be powerful weapon against superbugs
A new powerful antibiotic, isolated from bacteria that could not be studied before, seems capable of combating harmful bacteria and even multi-resistant 'superbugs'. Named Clovibactin, the antibiotic appears to kill bacteria in an unusual manner, making it more difficult for bacteria to develop any resistance against it.

Environment - 21.08.2023

Buzzed bus stops
The city of Utrecht made world news in 2019 by introducing bee-friendly green roofs on its bus shelters. High time to take stock. Erik Verhagen, a Global Sustainability Science student at Utrecht University, conducted research on the importance of the location of such a bus shelter. After all, how decisive is a green environment in attracting bees to green roofs? Green roofs throughout the city If you haven't seen them yet, look up the next time you wait for the bus in Utrecht.

Environment - 16.08.2023

Researchers from Utrecht University improve a web tool mapping global water challenges
Researchers from Utrecht University have improved the World Resources Institute's online Aqueduct 4. Water Risk Framework. In Aqueduct , the Water Resources Institute (WRI) compiles scientific information on global water scarcity and water-related hazards, and translates this information into clear but insightful maps for decision-makers and other non-scientific users.

Environment - Earth Sciences - 10.08.2023

Then vs. now: Did the Horn of Africa reach a drought tipping point 11,700 years ago?
'Wet gets wetter, dry gets drier'. That mantra has been used for decennia to predict how global warming will affect the hydrological cycle in different world regions. But if climate models predict that much of tropical Africa will enjoy a future with wetter weather, then why does it keep getting drier in certain parts of the African tropics, like the Horn of Africa? An international team of researchers have found a pre-historic climate tipping point that helps explain the disparity between these model predictions and the intensifying drought conditions in the Horn of Africa.

Earth Sciences - 07.08.2023

Less plastic in the ocean and easier to clean up
Significantly less plastic is estimated to be present in the global ocean than scientists previously thought. This new insight results from calculations with a computer model that includes a record number of measurements and observations of plastic in the ocean. Also, a relatively large proportion of the plastic in the ocean consists of large pieces that are easier to clean up.

Environment - 18.07.2023

Whereabouts of most Dutch plastic waste surprisingly unclear
Several hundred million kg of Dutch plastic waste remain off the radar. That applies to both plastic waste within the Netherlands and Dutch plastic waste that is exported to other countries. Researchers from Utrecht University and other organisations report this finding after mapping waste streams in the Netherlands.

Physics - Astronomy / Space Science - 18.07.2023

Hologram-based model allows for new sneak peek into pre-Big Bang events
A new physics model could help gain more insight into the events surrounding the birth of the universe. Combining principles of holography and string theory, researchers from Utrecht University, together with colleagues from other universities and Cern, developed the model that could potentially elucidate how the universe expanded, and gained enough heat in the final phase before the Big Bang.

Computer Science - Innovation - 17.07.2023

’As a researcher, this tool saves me a lot of work and stress’
In this series we show what contribution projects can make to FAIR research IT. The research teams of the projects in these interviews have received a grant from the FAIR Research IT Innovation Fund . Good news for scientists whose technological skills are limited, but who want to work with social media data in their research: now you can use 4CAT, a tool that helps you to harvest and analyse such research data in a simple way.

Environment - Health - 17.07.2023

Addressing the Future Challenges of Global Surface Water Quality
As the world's population continues to grow, ensuring access to clean and safe water has become an increasingly important concern, yet little is known about how surface water quality will change in the future. Recent scientific research has shed light on the potential challenges that surface water quality may face in the coming years, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Career - 06.07.2023

Emailing less is possible, but not easy
Many people use email for work. It is convenient, but also a source of stress. Email can constantly distract you from other work and disrupt your free time. At the same, the workload in many sectors, such as healthcare, can already be high. Cutting back on email use can reduce stress. Researchers at Utrecht University have developed and tested a number of simple solutions with healthcare workers.

Astronomy / Space Science - Physics - 29.06.2023

Pulsar clocks open new window on gravitational waves
A team of European astronomers, together with Indian and Japanese colleagues, has for the first time found strong evidence of ultra-low-frequency gravitational waves, which probably come from pairs of supermassive black holes at the centre of merging galaxies. It is the result of more than 25 years of observations with the most sensitive radio telescopes in Europe and India, including the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT).

Health - Life Sciences - 22.06.2023

Fully automatic monitoring of plant growth, development and disease progression with Helios
Thanks to Helios, a new research installation that is part of the Netherlands Plant Eco-phenotyping Centre (NPEC) , it is now possible to automatically monitor the growth and development of more than a thousand plants, while gaining insights into how microorganisms affect them. Housed within the NPEC building at the Utrecht Science Park, the installation consists of, among other things, a growth chamber, a system of conveyor belts, several special cameras and a 3D laser scanner.

Life Sciences - Physics - 15.06.2023

Proteins that play a key role in sperm motility identified using electron microscopy
By zooming in to near-atomic level using electron microscopy, Tzviya Zeev-Ben-Mordehai and her team were able to identify the proteins that form the molecular machinery that drives sperm motility. More than twenty of these proteins were not yet recognised as part of the sperm motor apparatus, all of which are promising candidates for future research on infertility.

Life Sciences - Chemistry - 15.06.2023

Eefjan Breukink appointed professor of Microbial Membranes and Antibiotics
Utrecht University has appointed chemist Eefjan Breukink as professor of Microbial Membranes and Antibiotics. Breukink and his group are engaged in research aimed at finding new antibiotics that target bacterial cell membranes, the structures that separate the inside and outside of bacteria. Breukink: "It is my dream to discover an antibiotic that will truly aid us in combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria." Cell membranes are a fundamental component of all living cells, whether they are bacterial, animal, plant, or fungal.