News
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Design METIS instrument for the Extremely Large Telescope finalised 16 May 2024
The design for the METIS instrument for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is final. The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has given the green ligh...
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Stiffness and viscosity of cells differ in cancer and other diseases 16 May 2024
During illness, the stiffness or viscosity of cells can change. Tom Evers demonstrated this by measuring such properties of human immune cells for the...
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Sticky insects: plants protected with biological glue 14 May 2024
Drained leaves and plants stripped bare. Insects can completely destroy crops. Soon, these situations may be behind us, with the new pesticide develop...
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Webb data suggest potential atmosphere around rocky exoplanet 08 May 2024
Researchers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope may have detected atmospheric gases surrounding 55 Cancri e, a hot rocky exoplanet 41 light-years ...
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Radio astronomers bypass disturbing Earth's atmosphere with new calibration technique 06 May 2024
An international team of researchers led by astronomers from Leiden University (the Netherlands) has produced the first sharp radio maps of the univer...
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Scouring the brain for causes of psychiatric illnesses 01 May 2024
What happens in the brains of people with psychiatric illnesses? With a €23.23 million gravity grant, scientists from different fields will search for...
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Green light to build revolutionary new experiment at CERN to search for unknown particles 30 April 2024
After many years of preparations, CERN has approved a groundbreaking new experiment: the Search for Hidden Particles (SHiP). Physicist Alexey Boyarsky...
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Surprise: No methane on the night side of exoplanet WASP-43b 30 April 2024
The night side of exoplanet WASP-43b, to the surprise of astronomers, does not appear to contain methane. It is likely that extreme winds do not allow...
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A computational tool that will transform bacterial genome analysis 26 April 2024
Whether a microbe is beneficial or harmful to a plant can now be predicted with high accuracy thanks to bacLIFE. This bioinformatic tool with an intui...
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Remarkable achievement: Leiden professor appointed AAAS Fellow 26 April 2024
Carlo Beenakker has been appointed a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the organisation behind the journal Sci...
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Simulation of infant gut makes predictions about optimal milk 25 April 2024
David Versluis successfully simulated an infant gut virtually. This is crucial for research on improvements in formula milk. Currently, such research ...
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Making sustainable biotechnology a reality: joined forces aim to improve biocatalysts 24 April 2024
Everything biobased: Plastic, medicine and fuel. It seems like a futuristic utopia. But for how long? A collaboration of researchers now proposes an ...
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Buzzing decline: Dutch landscape is losing insect-pollinated plants 22 April 2024
The Netherlands is losing plant species that rely on pollination by insects. Leiden environmental scientist Kaixuan Pan demonstrates this after analys...
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Gilles van Wezel steps down as SD of the IBL: Hubertus Irth appointed as temporary replacement 22 April 2024
Gilles van Wezel will step down as Scientific Director (SD) of the Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL) as of June 17th. He has held this position since ...
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Carbohydrate chemistry champion: Hermen Overkleeft claims prestigious award 19 April 2024
Professor Hermen Overkleeft has received the esteemed Roy L. Whistler International Award in Carbohydrate Chemistry for 2024 by the International Carb...