Research highlights of 2019

2019 was a special year for the UG. Not only did we celebrate our 405^th anniversary, we also said goodbye to two valued Board members, and welcomed two new Board members: Rector Magnificus Cisca Wijmenga and Hans Biemans. We clocked up 32,000 students and 180 degree programmes. The construction of the Feringa Building has started at Zernike Campus and we celebrated the opening of the new faculty building De Beurs in Leeuwarden. But above all, a great deal of academic research was conducted at the UG, often in cooperation with other institutions.
It was not easy, but we selected the best international research highlights of the past 12 months. This is a mix of our own publications and representations in the media.

Enjoy your holidays and happy reading!

• January
  Ecology: Climate change intensifies war of the birds; Research from RUG biologists published in Current Biology

• February
  Climate / Psychology: 'Meta-analyses of factors motivating climate change adaptation behaviour'

• March
  Ecology: The Serengeti-Mara squeeze – one of the world’s most iconic ecosystems under pressure; new finding alters our view on what is needed to protect biodiversity

• April
  Physics: Why lightning often strikes twice; Highly charged particles in thunderclouds aren't all released at the same time

• May
  Psychology: Gas extraction policy causes long-term stagnation to the lives of Groningers

• June
  Astronomy: Spinoza Prize 2019 for astronomer Amina Helmi; highest Dutch scientific prize awarded to University of Groningen Professor

• July
  Biochemistry:
  Closing the door: breaking new ground related to a potential anticancer drug target; publication in Nature Communications

• August
  Climate: Cold winters not caused by Arctic climate change

• September
  Ecology: Wild geese change routes to cope with climate change

• October
  Medical / genetics: Which foods are beneficial for a healthy gut microbiome?

• November
  Archeology: Oldest evidence of salt production in Bronze Age Italy found along Tyrrhenian coast; new insights from the Caprolace settlement published in PLOS ONE

• December
  Chemistry: Using a molecular motor to switch the preference of anion-binding catalysts