Tussen Lab en Leven

‘Alles doet ertoe, behalve de wetenschap’

De toewijzing van de felbegeerde Vici-subsidie heeft weinig te maken met wetenschap, ervaarde hoogleraar Jai Prakash toen hij, net als vele anderen, misgreep. ‘Het is alsof je van de tiende verdieping naar beneden valt.’

Between Lab and Life

‘Everything matters, except for science’

Winning the coveted Vici grant has little to do with science, as professor Jai Prakash discovered when he, like many others, fell short of the award. ‘It’s like plummeting down from the tenth floor.’

UT’er Boelo Schuur onderzoekt nieuwe scheidingstechnologieën

‘Afval omzetten in waardevolle bouwstenen voor de industrie’

Met een subsidie van 3,8 miljoen euro van de Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO), richt het project Renewable Building Blocks from Complex and Wet Waste Streams (ReBBlocCS) zich op het terugwinnen van waardevolle chemicaliën uit ‘complexe’ afvalstromen. UT’er Boelo Schuur, hoogleraar Scheidingstechnologie is betrokken bij de coördinatie van het project.

UT Professor Boelo Schuur investigates new separation technologies

‘Converting waste into valuable building blocks for the industry’

With a grant of 3,8 million euro, from the ‘Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), the project Renewable Building Blocks from Complex and Wet Waste Streams (ReBBlocCS), is dedicated to recover valuable chemicals from ‘complex’ waste streams. Boelo Schuur, UT Professor of Separation Technology, is involved in coordinating the project.

‘Produceren van hoogwaardige microcapsules opent deuren naar nieuwe toepassingen’

Wetenschappers van de Engineering Fluid Dynamics-vakgroep van de Universiteit Twente zijn erin geslaagd om snel en efficiënt microcapsules van uniforme grootte te maken. Deze capsules hebben vele belangrijke toepassingen, onder andere als het gaat om een gecontroleerde afgifte van medicijnen. De ontdekking verscheen in januari als coverartikel in het Advanced Materials.

'Producing high-quality microcapsules opens doors to new applications'

Scientists from the Engineering Fluid Dynamics group at the University of Twente have succeeded in efficiently producing uniform-sized microcapsules. These capsules have many important applications, including controlled drug delivery. Their finding was published as cover article last January in Advanced Materials.

Een onbehandelbare ziekte behandelbaar maken

Een behandeling vinden voor een ziekte met nul kans op overleving. Op die missie hebben UT-wetenschappers Loes Segerink, Andries van der Meer en Kerensa Broersen zich gestort, samen met kinderoncoloog Dannis van Vuurden en de Tobias Sybesma Foundation. Met behulp van organ-on-a-chip-technologie willen ze het onvermijdelijke voor hersenstamkankerpatiënten proberen te voorkomen.

The versatility of nanoparticles: from curing diseases to improving materials

Associate Professor Jos Paulusse and his colleagues developed a nanoparticle that could become a key player to combat diseases. This particle may carry medication to the desired location, to effectively kill cancer cells, but also cure parasitic diseases, like malaria. But it may also be used in the materials sciences to improve the properties of plastics.

Reliable detection of microplastics in water

Microplastics pose an increasing threat to human health and the environment. The absence of a reliable detection methods is an obstacle for legislation and restriction of these new contaminants. Associate Professor Alvaro Marin, Chair of Physics of Fluids, and his team are developing an efficient detection technology for microplastics in water. This is a first step towards better microplastic management.

UT scientists design a chip using light and sound waves

Novel chip may revolutionize data transfer

David Marpaung, UT professor of the Nonlinear Nanophotonics Group, and his team designed a high-performance chip that processes digital information using a combination of light and sound waves. This next generation chip could complement the traditional chips based on electrical currents, giving information transfer more volume and precision.

UT scientists are developing lung and kidney support for ill newborns

Artificial placenta to save babies’ lives

UT scientists Jutta Arens and Dimitrios Stamatialis are developing an artificial placenta, a device that could save lives of hundreds of thousands babies. The technology combines lung and kidney support for ill newborns and is much less invasive than current methods. ‘Our approach will result in better care for the baby and more involvement of the family. The impact is not only scientific, but also social.’

Geo-health research knows no limits

COVID-19, access to safe water, ticks, obesity, impact of heatwaves… all of these topics have been ‘put on the map’ by scientists at the Geo-health research group of the University of Twente. ‘There is no limit on topics that could be explored within geo-health,’ says professor Justine Blanford, the head of the chair at the Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC).

Energy-efficient data processing inspired by nature

Brain-like technology: ‘Smart molecules will open doors’

Christian Nijhuis, UT professor at Hybrid Materials for Opto-Electronics, developed a novel technology inspired by the human brain. Nijhuis and his team designed a system which is able to process and transfer information in a highly energy-efficient way. The technology might prove invaluable for use in self-driving cars and other applications.

Bored at work? That doesn't have to be a bad thing

For many managers, employees who get bored during working hours are a nightmare. But according to UT researcher Caroline Fischer, it doesn't have to be a problem. 'Boredom is a functional emotion.'

Better treatment for patients that suffered oxygen shortage in the brain

Mimicking a stroke to minimize brain damage

Neurologist and UT scientist Jeanette Hofmeijer studies how to improve the prognosis and treatment of patients that suffered brain damage due to oxygen shortage. Results from her research showed that activation of brain cells had positive effects on their recovery. This is at odds with the current treatment where the brain is actually calmed down.

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