Potential applications of CRISPR-Cas
CRISPR-Cas is a technique that allows the quick and easy alteration of genes. This technique has undergone a rapid development. This leads to the question: what do we want to achieve with CRISPR-Cas?
Combating irritable bowel syndrome symptoms with the right diet
Stomach pain isn’t easy to talk about. After all, the symptoms aren’t visible to others. But one in five people regularly experiences stomach pain after eating. A bloated belly, flatulence and problems with bowel movements resulting in constipation or diarrhoea are common symptoms of a spastic bowel. This means that…
Personalised nutrition as a driver of sports success
Vitamin tests can examine whether beginner or expert athletes have a vitamin deficiency based on blood-test results. However, even if the test results show a deficiency, you still have to identify its cause. Is it simply a dietary issue or is it something else? And if it does turn out…
Understanding river flow
A river naturally winds its way through the landscape. Here it nips a piece out of the riverbank, there it carves a new channel, and further on it shifts the sandbank or deposits sediment on the banks as it makes its way. This is how the flow affects the river’s…
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Changes to the weather and the climate affect nature. Rising temperatures mean spring is starting earlier and autumn is starting later. Not all plants and animals respond to these changes in the same way. For example, the first drumming by the great spotted woodpecker is now heard three weeks earlier…
Offshore wind farms and protection of nature
Wind energy is an indispensable element in the efforts to meet climate objectives. In Western Europe, there are plans to construct a great many wind turbines in the North Sea. As no one lives here, nobody will be inconvenienced by the noise from the turbines or the resulting change in…
Ecotourism in Botswana
The northern part of Botswana largely consists of national parks and forest reserves. The Chobe national park and Savuti nature reserve, the Okavango Delta, the Zambezi river and Victoria Waterfalls are located fairly closely together and are popular destinations for people who want to go on safari in Africa. Researchers…
Healthy through the correct dietary fibre
Dietary fibre contributes to good health. This is why it is important to eat enough foods that are high in fibre. Most people know this, but did you know that different types of fibre have their own health benefits? What is dietary fibre? Dietary fibre (or just “fibre”) can be…
The how and why of landscape considerations
With the ever-increasing claims on land, the importance of ‘poldering’ has also been growing. This is a Dutch concept that means that people solve issues in a certain area through compromises and cooperation. The term originated in the Middle Ages, when farmers, nobles, townspeople and other citizens had to work…
Preventing avian influenza
Each spring and autumn, there are mild outbreaks of bird flu (avian influenza, AI) on poultry farms in the Netherlands. This is especially true of free-range farms, where animals have access to outdoor areas. Wageningen University & Research (WUR) is studying how to prevent chickens and other poultry from becoming…