Videos

Maria

Culman

KU Leuven

VITO

Satellite images: giving computers better eyes for tree mapping

Trees are an important source of food and fuel for local communities all over the world. It is important to map them, so as to be able to protect them. But how do you start mapping millions of trees? Well, by combining satellite images with digital image processing technology. Problem solved? Not yet, as even computers have a hard time recognizing trees on top-down satellite images of the Earth's surface. Maria Culman (KU Leuven - VITO) explains how she intends to overcome this challenge.

Sébastjen

Schoenaers

FWO

UAntwerpen

How plants really grow

Biologist Sébastjen Schoenaers (UAntwerpen) watches his son Ferre grow rapidly. Yet Ferre grows 150 times slower than an ordinary corn leaf 🌱 We still don't understand how plants do this. Sébastjen zooms in on the plant up to molecular level to figure out how it really grows 🔬 This can help us grow plants better and faster.

Anastasia

Papangelou

KU Leuven

The circle of food

Our poo and pee are too precious to waste, says Angelou Papangelou. The phosphorus in our excrement and in animal manure can serve as the food of our food and shouldn't go to waste. That's why Anastasia Papangelou is mapping the nutrient stocks and flows in the country, so that we can put our poo and pee to good use!

Jinat

Hossain

KU Leuven

Staying afloat: how rural Bangladeshi women adapt to changing climate

The land of farmers in coastal Bangladesh remains flooded for almost half of the year. To tackle this, Bangladeshi farmers use 'floating farms'. Jinat Hossain tells you more about this innovative adaptation mechanism.

Sara

Petit-Jean

KU Leuven

White bread, but deliciously rich in fibre

Do you also love bread? Belgians eat an average of 33 kg of bread a year, about 1,000 slices. But that's mostly white bread, which doesn't contain much fibre. To make us eat more of that healthy fibre, Sara Petit-Jean (KU Leuven) is working on new, high-fibre white bread.

Janne

Spanoghe

UAntwerpen

Microbial protein as a sustainable meat substitute?

Meat is an important source of protein. But did you know that these proteins can also be obtained from microbes and bacteria? Janne Spanooghe wants to introduce a new source of protein on our plate: purple bacteria.