News articles
Green synthesis of aromatic nitriles
Leuven researchers have found a way to transform toluene into nitriles using electrochemistry, ammonia and… water! They report on this simple and potentially environmentally friendly procedure in ChemElectroChem.
Big Money for Big Chemistry
The National Growth Fund project, ‘Big Chemistry’, has provided eight consortia with €2.8 million. The projects focus on accelerating the search for chemicals with the desired properties.
Near-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.
ERC 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.
KNCV 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.
Polycyclic 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.
NWO 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.
The 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.
Nanoplastics 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.
NWO 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.
ERC 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.
Activating ‘reserve genes’ for gene therapy
Reactivated genes can compensate for other defective genes in hereditary blood disorders, Dutch researchers show in the journal Blood.
Catalyst-substrate couple in the spotlight
With the high-tech laser facility of HFML-FELIX, researchers succeeded in capturing a catalyst ‘in the act’ of catalysing a Michael addition, as they show in The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters.
Open Competition ENW-M grants awarded
The ‘creative’ ENW-M grants have been awarded once again, this time to 21 researchers looking to develop scientific innovations and ‘risky’ ideas. Among the recipients are members of the KNCV and NVBMB, who are highlighted here.
SN2 vs. E2: Competition Clarified
For organic chemists (in training), the question of how to determine whether a chemical reaction follows the SN2 or E2 route is timeless. A group in Amsterdam summarized its 25 years of research in Chemistry: A European Journal, offering concrete, simple concepts to overcome this dilemma.
Sweet victory: sugar molecule disrupts bacterial cell wall
Researchers in Groningen have synthesised a variant of a sugar molecule that is incorporated in the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria. However, as reported in JACS Au, they did not achieve the desired effect.
ERC Advanced Grants 2024 awarded
This year, a total of €721 million will be awarded to 281 European scientists through prestigious ERC Advanced Grants. This is an increase of €69 million and 26 scientists on last year’s figures. Two members of the KNCV and one member of the KVCV have been awarded a grant.
Peptide-like oligomers with much more information
Researchers from Wageningen have synthesised peptide-like oligomers for which the chirality of each monomer can be determined. They write in Nature Synthesis that there is huge potential for information storage.
Nutritional Needles
Although pest control is important for agriculture, it can also create environmental problems. Micro-needles can offer a way to apply pesticides and nutrients more precisely.
‘Metal next door’ is a successful anti-cancer agent.
The recent success of palladium-based anticancer drugs has prompted an international team to search for molecules in the chemical space with even greater efficacy. As a bonus, they report in the European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry that the synthesis does not even require solvents.
