Three FSE researchers win Rubicon travel grant

Three young researchers from the Faculty of Science and Engineering (formerly known as the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences), University of Groningen, will be able to conduct research abroad thanks to funding from NWO. NWO offers recent PhD graduates the opportunity to gain research experience at internationally renowned institutes abroad via its Rubicon programme.

Enzyme blocker to prevent antibiotic resistance
Dr A.A. (Andreas-Alexander) Bastian, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials
-> University of Notre Dame, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (US), 24 months Since the first antibiotics were introduced, bacteria have defended themselves against them by developing resistance. The rise of resistance, particularly multidrug resistance (MDR), is becoming a serious problem and means that current antibiotics are insufficient medication. The research will concentrate on developing new antibacterial compounds to tackle these problems. It will examine in particular those substances that help to counteract resistance to carbapenems, a class of antibiotic currently regarded as the lakoersst resort against resistant bacteria.

Domino effect of disease in wild birds
Dr A. (Arne) Hegemann, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies (CEES ) -> Lund, physiological ecology (SE), 24 months A cold usually only lasts a few days. It can have long-term effects, however, for example if you miss an important event. The same effects can occur with animals. The researchers fit birds with tiny transmitters to work out what the effects of a brief illness can be on migratory behaviour and breeding.

Symbiosis between lice, ants and their intestinal flora
Dr A.B.F. (Aniek) Ivens, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies ( CEES ) -> Laboratory of Insect Social Evolution – The Rockefeller University (US), 24 months Meadow ants farm aphids under the ground. The honeydew produced by the aphids serves as ‘milk’ for the ants and is chockfull of nutrients. The biologists will investigate the role played by the intestinal flora of the aphids and ants in the transfer of nutrients.