Measuring what we eat

17 December 2021 | Category: personal essay for college application

Can you remember what you ate last week? In a Wageningen food lab, sensors register the size of your serving, what it contains and the number of times you chew. They can even see right through the bread to determine what is on top. Here, nutrition scientists study how smart…

A climate-conscious diet

5 November 2021 | Category: personal essay for college application

Our global food production is responsible for 33 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions and, as such, contributes significantly to the climate crisis. Food processors, suppliers and consumers could contribute to slowing climate change by, for example, choosing locally produced, plant-based products. Wageningen researchers are studying how climate-conscious options…

Sharing knowledge to fight hunger

17 September 2021 | Category: personal essay for college application

Climate change calls for measures to make crops more resilient against drought, disease and plagues, to ensure the food supply is sufficient for the increasing global population. Wageningen scientists have discovered the basic principles behind the CRISPR-Cas technology, which enables the precise modification of crops. Wageningen University & Research will…

Art as inspiration for science

27 August 2021 | Category: personal essay for college application

Contrary to popular opinion, the scientific quest for knowledge is not a predictable and well-defined process. To make new discoveries, researchers need the freedom to be creative, fail, and learn by chance. There is an overlap with art in that respect. This is why Wageningen scientists look to artists for…

The climate on your street

Climate change is causing the Netherlands to experience prolonged periods of drought, heat waves, and heavy rainfall more frequently. Together with other research institutions, Wageningen researchers have created the Climate Impact Atlas, which shows the consequences your street or region is set to face in 2050. The atlas shows, for…

Designing for safe reuse

18 June 2021 | Category: personal essay for college application

Plastic food packaging is difficult to recycle and often end up in the environment. Cardboard packaging is often treated with a water-resistant film, which may even contain the toxic substance PFAS. Wageningen researchers are developing water-resistant, biodegradable coating for cardboard, allowing it to be disposed of and recycled with paper. In this way, they contribute to a circular economy in which packaging materials and other products, such as clothing, can be safely reused.

Drones deployed for a richer nature

Despite the efforts many farmers make to keep their meadows hospitable, pasture birds experience difficulties in the Netherlands. Wageningen researchers developed a method to determine what the birds need (such as whether or not to mow the grass) using drone images and self-learning image recognition software. Moreover, ecologists deploy drones…