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In recent years, mayors in the Netherlands have closed an average of between one and five premises per year in connection with drug trafficking. This is according to research carried out by the Faculty of Law at the University of Groningen.

25 years ago, biologist Christiaan Both was one of the researchers who discovered a mismatch between birds’ breeding season and the timing of peak food supply, with many birds breeding too late with spring coming earlier. Follow-up research has shown that birds are capable of adapting, but does this apply to all species and can they adapt quickly enough?

Scientists at the University of Groningen studied cells growing under different conditions and found that some conditions led to changes in molecular mobility inside the cells. This was caused by the clustering of proteins that produce amino acids. These findings could improve cell factories.

Sepide Taleb builds brains (embedded control systems) for tiny robots that operate in a swarm. Together, they can inspect pipes or bridges for structural faults. Designing and testing these brains is a challenge. ‘Some work on software, others on hardware. My job is to do both and design a robot that is robust enough for practical use.’

On April 2^nd 2026, the Second National Congress on Autonomous Systems took place in Drachten. It brought together scientists, technology suppliers, businesses, and policy-makers to explore the potential of autonomous systems and how we can deploy them responsibly and effectively.

The XR Hub on 21 May 2026 will focus on the use of VR in aphasia: how VR can help people with aphasia to participate in everyday life again, the use of VR to ensure safe handling of radioactivity in laboratories, and a VR game that enables dental students to practise dealing with acute medical situations.

'Potje Nederlands' is the new interactive podcast from the University of Groningen Language Centre, designed to help non-native speakers practise Dutch at A1 level. A new episode will be released each week from Monday 13 April. The introductory episode is already available for listeners to familiarize themselves with the format.

1 April sees the start of round #5 of the University of the North Booster Fund. Now featuring a new set-up, the fund is designed to encourage broad-based teaching and research collaborations, which contribute to broad prosperity in the Northern Netherlands. Applicants have until 30 June 2026 to submit proposals.

Chronic lung diseases such as COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) have a profound impact on patients, but are difficult to treat. Patient care focuses primarily on managing symptoms. University of Groningen (UG) researchers Luke van der Koog and Erik Frijlink (FSE) want to change that: through their company, MimeCure, they are developing a revolutionary treatment method. The initial results are promising.

What are the most impactful actions we can take towards creating a circular economy? Environmental psychology PhD candidates Isabel Pacheco and Julia Koch have been researching the role of personal behaviour in accelerating the transition to circularity and what things we can do that make the biggest difference.