Videos

"Scientific information has to play a bigger role in the process of decision-making in policy." This is Ante Ivčević firm belief. In his research, he seeks to understand how policymakers make decisions and, more importantly, how we can get them to make these decisions based on scientific information. To investigate this, he researches science and policy regarding coastal areas in the Mediterranean basin.

People suffering from a chronic brain disorder can be helped with long-acting injectables, medication that works for a long time and no longer requires them to take pills every day. But the traditional manufacturing process of long-acting medication is complex, time-consuming, and requires a lot of energy. Snehashis Nandi investigates how long-acting injectables can be produced sustainably and efficiently. 

Drugs in pill form work quickly, but their effects wear off just as fast. That's why people with chronic conditions have to take a pill every few hours. What if we could administer drugs in a different form so that they not only work fast but also last for weeks or even months? We can achieve this with long-acting injections, as Fatima Anjum explains 'crystal' clear in this video 😉

Have you ever wondered how pills are made? A powder flows through a production line, falls into a hole, and gets compressed into a pill. Easy, right? And yet a lot can go wrong, as chemical engineer Margot Coppens explains. That's why she uses computer models to virtually test the powder mixtures and anticipate possible production problems.

What impact does man, through sand extraction for example, have on life on the bottom of the North Sea? To find out, experts manually check which (often very small) animals they can find in samples of the seafloor. But this way, it can take up to 10 hours to analyse one sample. In her research, Laure Van den Bulcke is working on a faster and cheaper method.

How do you make a dairy cow emit less nitrogen without her producing less milk? To this end, Tine Van Den Bossche (ILVO - UGent) is doing tests with different feed additives that help the cow make milk proteins, among other things. Her goal: to provide milk that is not only good for all of us, but also better for the environment!

Potatoes are highly susceptible to diseases and pests. To better protect these crops, computer scientist Jana Wieme is deploying drones and artificial intelligence. With that extra eye, potato farmers can monitor each individual plant and thus intervene quickly when needed. In this video, she explains how it works.

In dry periods, is the grass greener on the other side? Then chances are it is reed fescue, a type of grass that is much more drought-resistant than traditional English ryegrass. Unfortunately, cows are not very fond of reed fescue: they find it less tasty and digest it less easily. At ILVO, Maarten Cromheeke and his colleagues are testing whether newly developed varieties of reed fescue are more popular with young cattle and dairy cattle.

How can farmers feed their dairy cows fresh green grass without using kilos of fertilizer? 🐮 At ILVO, they are working on a new diet for cows, with clovers and narrow plantain on the menu alongside grass ☘️ Researcher Thijs Vanden Nest explains the benefits of sowing these plants.

Milk is a source of many delicacies, such as cheese and ice cream. Unfortunately, milk also has a smell to it... Cows produce ammonia and methane through their breath and manure. These harmful gases are mainly released when cows are in their stables. In his Ph.D., Kobe Coorevits is looking for a way to accurately and affordably monitor the emission of these gases in dairy barns.

Making fries is something we Belgians are already very good at. But we can do even better, says Wout Vierbergen (ILVO - KU Leuven). He uses technology (Hyperspectral cameras! AI !) to detect black spots under the skin of a potato. In this way, he wants to help producers detect blistered potatoes so that they are left with only the finest ones to make our fries.

Students constantly talking in class, making crazy noises or just walking around... Recognise this? As a teacher, it is often difficult to deal with problem behaviour in pupils. To support teachers in this, Julie D'haeyer and her colleagues developed 'Leerkracht Veerkracht' (Teacher Resilience). A programme that allows you, together with your school team, to look for a solution that works for your school.