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A second study by analytical chemists and immunologists of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Amsterdam University Medical Center (VUmc) on the presence of micro and nanoplastics in human blood confirms the team's previous findings (Leslie et al. The first study received overwhelming attention, including a lot of resistance and disbelief especially from the polymer industry.

Insomnia is a common problem that also increases the risk of depression. Unfortunately, we do not yet sufficiently understand the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Research by neuroscientist Tom Bresser shows that the white matter in the brain, which connects different brain areas, differs in people with insomnia compared to people without sleep problems.

A 3D model of imitation blood vessels will make it possible to see exactly how snake venom attacks blood vessels, without having to use laboratory animals. This new research model, called an organ-on-a-chip, was developed by a research team from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, MIMETAS and Naturalis Biodiversity Center.

The thaw of permafrost is not a global climate 'tipping point'. That is the conclusion of an international group of scientists, including earth scientist Moritz Langer. Rather, permafrost soils are thawing along with global warming. "There is no safe margin within which the Earth can warm up, as a tipping point suggests." Permafrost soils store large amounts of organic carbon in the form of dead plant material.

New research from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) suggests that individuals with higher levels of education have a lower risk of psychiatric problems. The study indicates that prolonged education may serve as a protective factor against conditions such as depression, ADHD, alcohol dependence, and anxiety.

What effect does climate change have on Arctic permafrost? Earth scientist Niek Speetjens conducted research in Canada and discovered that the small river systems provide a lot of insight into the thaw of permafrost. Permafrost, permanently frozen soil, is thawing due to climate change. This has consequences for water and carbon transport through river systems that flow into the sea from areas with permafrost.

2023 was an extraordinary year for climate: each month from June onward was warmer than the corresponding month in any previous year. In this last half year temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900), with some days even exceeding 2.0°C. Throughout the year, extreme weather hit nations around the world including heatwaves, droughts, floods and wildfires.

The Twinning Genetics Consortium announced the discovery of at least six genes influencing a woman's likelihood of having fraternal twins. Among the identified genes, four were associated with known roles in female reproduction, affecting the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) pathway, particularly relevant to women undergoing fertility treatments.

Pupils with a high level of self-control and grit generally achieve better grades. Many assume that this good working attitude results in better grades, but biological psychologists at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) have discovered that the relationship is less causal than thought. Children predisposed to a good work attitude also are also predisposed to good academic performance.

Boys who associate with delinquent friends are more likely to display antisocial behavior. A new study by neuroscientists and behavior experts from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Amsterdam UMC shows that this association is stronger in boys with an increased sensitivity to reward. For the first time, a scientific study on antisocial behavior has demonstrated an interaction effect between a brain mechanism, measured with functional MRI scans, and an environmental factor.

There are clear spatial patterns showing where tensions may arise between land conservation and the subsistence needs of inhabitants. That is the conclusion of a new publication in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), authored by environmental scientist Camille Venier-Cambron. In order to meet global biodiversity targets, large areas of land around the world must be restored to nature.

An international team of neuroscientists has constructed highly detailed maps of the adult ape and human brain. They have also depicted various developmental stages of the brain before and after birth. It is the most comprehensive and detailed map of mammalian brains ever created. VU Amsterdam neuroscientists Natalia Goriounova, Christiaan de Kock, and Huib Mansvelder, along with neurosurgeons from Amsterdam UMC, contributed to this atlas.

Cells are at the foundation of life. To gain a better understanding of essential life processes, we need to comprehend the language cells use to interact with each other. Biophysical scientist Christian Niederauer from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam has developed a new method to study this interaction.

An anti-gay protest by Muslims elicits more sympathy for the LGBTQ+ community than when it is organized by natives. This is especially true if the observer already held a negative view of ethnic minorities, according to an experimental study conducted by political scientists Alberto López Ortega and Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte (University of Southampton) among over 2,300 British and Spanish citizens.

Projects that reduce deforestation often sell carbon credits, for example to consumers buying flight tickets. However, over 90 percent of these credits do not actually offset carbon emissions. That is the conclusion of environmental scientist Thales A.P. West, who is the main author of a paper that was published in Science.

61 promising research projects, eight of which are at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, will start with Open Competition SGW XS funding from NWO. The researchers set to work with a promising idea or an innovative and risky initiative. For VU Amsterdam, these are the following promising researchers in alphabetical order: Social and organizational psychologist Hillie Aaldering with Are men allowed to be more selfish than women?

The climate promises of oil and gas companies are an 'empty box'. That is according to research conducted by scientist Mathieu Blondeel (Institute for Environmental Issues, VU Amsterdam) together with Gregory Trencher (Kyoto University, Japan) and Jusen Asuka (Tohoku University, Japan) on the fossil industry's climate strategy.

The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) has awarded 188 promising researchers from the full breadth of science, fifteen of whom are from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, with a Veni funding. This will allow the laureates to further develop their own research ideas over the next three years.

Without further implementation net-zero targets will not deliver their intended climate mitigation. Many net-zero targets are not legally binding, nor are they accompanied by either a long-term plan or effective short-term policies, a new study finds. For the Paris climate goals to come within reach this would need to happen.

Adaptation measures, like building dikes at coastal cities, can reduce internal migration due to sea level rise by 30 to 90 percent in 2100. This is concluded in a study by climate scientist Lena Reimann of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. This is concluded in a recently published study - Exploring spatial feedbacks between adaptation policies and internal migration patterns due to sea-level rise - in Nature Communications, led by Lena Reimann, a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.