Videos

Tim
Croes
FWO
KU Leuven

Making plastic out of wood

What if we could make plastic out of... Wood waste? This is already possible today, but unfortunately the technology to make such bioplastics is not yet fully developed. Tim Croes wants to help change that.
Matteo
Rossi
FWO
KU Leuven
VIB

Finding the weak spot of breast cancer cells

Despite recent advances in breast cancer treatment, too many women still die once this cancer has spread throughout their body. That's why Matteo Rossi is looking to find weaknesses of breast cancer cells, in order to defeat them.
Alice
Cavolo
FWO
KU Leuven

How far can we go to save extremely premature babies?

Extremely premature babies often need to be resuscitated at birth. While this might help them to survive, they will sometimes live on with severe disabilities. Is resuscitation therefore always in the best interest of the babies? Alice Cavolo wants to help parents and physicians in making this extremely difficult decision.
Ben
Somers
FWO
KU Leuven

How can we make hearing implants smarter?

A cochlear implant makes it possible for the deaf and hearing impaired to hear well. This is a wonderful invention, but it requires some work to properly set up and keep the device up to date. But Ben Somers has a solution for that!
Gwenny
Thomassen
UAntwerpen
UGent
UHasselt
VITO

How to reduce the environmental impact of new inventions?

Too often, companies take too little account of the environmental impact of these inventions when developing new products. Gwenny Thomassen wants to change this: she developed a model to calculate both the cost price and the impact on the environment for products based on micro-algae.
Willem
Vercruysse
UHasselt

From biomass to renewable bioproducts

Ever heard of pyrolysis? Then chances are you have a self-cleaning oven. But pyrolysis more than a fancy option in a modern oven. Willem Vercruysse uses this method to make fertilizers and water purification products from microalgae and ivy. 
Tori
Langill
UHasselt

How to grow healthy crops on bad lands

Once upon a time there was a bright and passionate young microbiologist who dreamt of growing healthy crops on bad lands. But how on earth could she grow crops on land devoid of life? ... Are you wondering how this fairy tale continues? Let Tori Langill take you along in her 'magical' research story.
Nora
Reinolsmann
UHasselt

The impact of Variable Message Signs on our driving behaviour

Do you ever feel overloaded with information when you drive by a digital sign displaying traffic information on a highway? Nora Reinolsmann investigates the impact of these displays on our driving behaviour. Do they really help us to better respond to a driving situation ahead?
Jolien
Robijns
UHasselt

Can light therapy prevent burns?

Many cancer patients undergo radiotherapy as a treatment. Unfortunately, due to this treatment they often suffer from painful burns. Jolien Robijns (Hasselt University International) tries to prevent these burns. How? By using laser light.
Leila
Paquay
UHasselt

Industrial hemp's unexpected friends

Leila Paquay turns to funghi and bacteria to grow high-quality industrial hemp - not to be confused with drug type cannabis.
Elien
Derveaux
UHasselt

How lung cancer leaves useful traces in the blood

Every year about 8,000 people in Belgium develop lung cancer. These people may get the same diagnosis, but their bodies react differently. Elien Derveaux (Universiteit Hasselt) examines whether, on the basis of these differences, we can predict which treatment is most suitable for the patient.
Nicolas
De Neuter
FWO
UAntwerpen

Your immune system hacked

Why do some people get sick more easily than others? This is often due to differences in our immune systems. Nicolas De Neuter (UAntwerp) hopes to understand these differences, in order to develop better and more efficient personalized immune therapies.