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Highlighted Papers

New insights in metamaterials lead to better implants, robot hands, and bumpers
Published on:03 February 2026

Metamaterials are composites with a very precisely controlled structure. It is this structure that determines the properties of the metamaterial, not the substances it is made of. New research helps to predict the mechanics of metamaterials, so they can be designed with higher precision.

New framework verifies AI-generated chatbot answers
Published on:13 January 2026

University of Groningen researchers have developed a method for the customer service department of the company AFAS to check answers generated by AI. The system uses the same methods as human experts and is based on internal documentation as a knowledge base.

Atomistic model explains how memory alloys can change their shape
Published on:13 January 2026

Mechanical engineer Francesco Maresca and his team from the University of Groningen have worked out how memory metals change shape at the atomic level. ‘Based on our model, better shape memory crystalline materials could be designed for applications that require reversible deformations, vibration damping, or impact absorption.’

James Webb Space Telescope detects thick atmosphere around broiling lava world 
Published on:11 December 2025

An international team of astronomers, including Tim Lichtenberg and PhD student Emma Postolec, has found strong evidence for an atmosphere on a rocky exoplanet. The ultra-hot “super-Earth” TOI-561 b appears to be surrounded by a thick layer of gases above a global magma ocean.

Aeroplane spotting using a radio telescope
Published on:27 November 2025

An international team of scientists, led by University of Groninge professor Olaf Scholten, has observed radio wave-emissions originating from a commercial airliner, most likely caused by the discharge of static electricity.

Why are shiny colours rare yet widespread in nature?
Published on:26 November 2025

While the majority of colours are matte, some are shiny. Evolutionary biologist Casper van der Kooi wondered why shiny colours are so rare.

New conductive hydrogel is as soft as the brain
Published on:20 November 2025

Scientists from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands have developed a soft polymer hydrogel that can conduct electricity as well as metal can. This finding has the potential for a large numbers of applications, for example in biocompatible sensors and in wound healing.

More children, shorter lifespan? Clear evidence from the Great Finnish Famine
Published on:07 November 2025

Euan Young and colleagues show that under harsh conditions, the biological cost of reproduction can shorten women’s lifespans. Scientific theory indeed predicts that having more offspring leads to a shorter life span, but until now, evidence of this link in humans was mixed.

Weaseling out the best way to monitor small carnivores
Published on:28 October 2025

Researchers at the University of Groningen investigated which monitoring methods are most effective for monitoring small mustelids.

Shanghai Tower serves as an inspiration for the first synthetic dynamic helical polymer
Published on:21 October 2025

Researchers at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands have developed a polymer that adopts a coiled spring configuration at low temperatures and unfolds again upon heating. Furthermore, the molecule can break down into smaller molecules under certain conditions.

Older brothers close in age reduce their sisters’ chances of survival
Published on:16 September 2025

In various animal species, having older siblings impacts the chances of survival in the early years of life. Researchers of the University of Groningen (Netherlands), University of Exeter (UK) and University of Turku (Finland) discovered that in humans, the impact of older siblings is largely determined by their sex: having older brothers close in age negatively impacted girls, whereas having older sisters close in age had a positive effect on both girls and boys. 

Upconversion nanoparticles to aid the application of molecular motors
Published on:21 August 2025

Scientists from Groningen University and the University of Amsterdam have developed upconversion nanoparticles to assist in powering molecular motors.

Article highlight: New insight in how cells regulate gene activity
Published on:25 July 2025

A new study, led by University of Groningen molecular biologist Danny Incarnato, identifies hundreds of shapeshifting regulatory RNA switches in E.coli bacteria and human cells.

Highlighted papers June 2025
Published on:26 June 2025

Read our highlighted papers from June: a Precision Psychiatry Roadmap calls for more biological testing and treatments, and in the Wadden Sea, many species are declining, and only a few are thriving.

Highlighted papers May 2025
Published on:28 May 2025

A new study shows where and when a new climate arrives in the Arctic regions.

Highlighted papers April 2025
Published on:24 April 2025

The antimalarial drug mefloquine could help treat genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, as well as some cancers.

Highlighted papers February 2025
Published on:26 February 2025

Polymer scientists at the University of Groningen and NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences (the Netherlands) have developed a novel microwave-assisted chemical recycling process for aramid fibres.

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