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Monitoring migratory fish with sound signals

Familiarizing children with healthy food

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KennisOnline

KennisOnline brings you stories about research conducted by Wageningen University & Research with co-funding from the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN).

Melanie tags fish to save them

The number of migratory fish in the Netherlands is declining. Locks and dams are major barriers, which is why WUR researcher Melanie Meijer zu Schlochtern is tagging hundreds of fish to map their behaviour around the Haringvliet sluices.

Recent news articles (24)

News

Pushing the right button: fern guides its embryo’s sense of up and down

Ferns pass on ‘life lessons’ through pressure: Wageningen research reveals how an embryo knows where roots and leaves should grow.

Carbon benefits of forest management presented in new factsheets

Practical key figures from new factsheets help estimate CO₂ sequestration through forest management.

Room to reduce protein in the ration without loss of milk production

In a trial on the effects of lower protein levels in the ration, milk production and feed intake were hardly affected by a moderate reduction in protein content.

KB Commits to Supporting WUR Student Challenges Until 2028

During the recent Community Day of Kennisbasis, the organisation presented its programme for 2025-2028.

Biodiversity and resilient ecosystems

Research holds key to making global trade more nature-friendly

Global trading systems are damaging the very ecosystems that they rely upon to produce food and materials, with harmful impacts on nature and people, according to a group of leading European research institutes.

Marnix Medema appointed chair of Bioinformatics at WUR

Marnix Medema has been appointed Chair of the Bioinformatics Group at Wageningen University & Research as of 1 February. He aims to further strengthen bioinformatics as a connecting discipline within the life sciences.

Biobased and circular society

Wageningen researchers break materials theory with a new type of plastic

Researchers at Wageningen University & Research have developed a new type of plastic that, according to materials theory, should not be able to exist. Read more about it here.

Renate Wesselink appointed Personal Professor

Renate Wesselink is appointed personal professor as of 1 December 2025, combining professional learning with sustainable development.

When Wageningen turned into New Orleans for a night

For one evening, Wageningen briefly felt a lot more like New Orleans.

Options for designating 'non-sensitive areas' under Nitrates Directive are limited

The Committee of Experts on Fertiliser Law (CDM) has concluded that the options in the Netherlands for designating ‘non-vulnerable zones' under the Nitrates Directive are limited.

NitrogenKennisOnline

KennisOnlineDutch CaribbeanBiobased and circular society

Bonaire can benefit from circular waste management

Bonaire can take major steps towards a more sustainable and healthier future by managing its organic waste in a circular way, as shown by the results of the BonCirc project.

Genetic modificationHealth for all life

John van der Oost receives ERC grant for CRISPR research into targeted cancer therapy

Microbiologist John van der Oost has received an ERC Proof of Concept grant to develop an innovative CRISPR-based method that targets cancer cells from within, while minimising damage to healthy cells.

International team investigates the key to longer life in yeast

An international team of scientists led by WUR has commenced a study to investigate how and why yeast cells die – and, especially, how to delay that process. The insights gained could play a key role in making the production of food proteins, medicines and biofuels more sustainable and efficient.

Climate-proof futuresSustainable food systems

Carbon farming in Europe: when climate policy reassures more than it delivers

Carbon farming is increasingly promoted as a key element of European climate policy. Increasing carbon in soils is presented as a way to offset emissions from farming and other sectors. But how effective is this approach in practice?

First case of avian influenza antibodies in cow in Europe

Avian influenza (Avian influenza, HPAI H5N1) has been detected in a Dutch dairy cow. Research by Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (part of Wageningen University & Research) shows that the cow in question has antibodies against the avian influenza virus. No virus particles were found in the animal. This means the cow is not shedding the virus and does not pose a risk to public health.

KennisOnlineBird flu

Dugong in the Sangihe Islands, North Sulawesi.

Biodiversity and resilient ecosystems

Occurrence of the threatened dugong in Indonesia

In Indonesia, the dugong appears to be concentrated in specific regions, while bycatch in fishing nets is a major cause of death and few young animals are observed.

Animal ethicist Bernice Bovenkerk appointed as personal professor

As of 1 December 2025, philosopher Bernice Bovenkerk has been appointed personal professor.

Maize defence compound helps parasitic nematodes find their host

A compound that maize plants use to defend themselves against pests can unintentionally help parasitic nematodes locate their host. The key lies not with the plant or the nematode alone, but in a subtle interaction with soil bacteria.

ENW-M grant for research into electricity-powered bacteria

Wageningen environmental technologist Annemiek ter Heijne, together with the University of Antwerp, has received an NWO grant. Two PhD candidates will investigate whether purple bacteria can produce useful substances, such as dietary supplements, more efficiently when ‘fed’ with electricity.

WUR research identifies scope for higher wheat yields in north-west Europe

WUR research shows that the wheat yield plateau in north-west Europe cannot be explained by climate change or genetic potential, but is linked to on-farm management.

Wageningen microbiologist awarded NWO grant for medicines from sea sponges

Microbiologist Detmer Sipkema receives an NWO ENW-M grant to develop methods for producing medicines and bioactive compounds from sea sponges.

Agricultural exports continue to grow, imports grow faster

Dutch trade in agricultural goods continues to expand. According to new estimates, exports will reach €137.5 billion in 2025, an increase of 8.4 percent compared with the previous year.

Avian influenza diagnostics in foxes provide valuable addition to mammal surveillance

WBVR and DWHC show foxes can be infected with HPAI H5N1, making fox testing a valuable addition to avian influenza monitoring in mammals.

KennisOnlineBird flu

Reinskje Talhout appointed as special professor Product appeal and prevention of harmful consumption behaviour

With effect from 1 January, the Executive Board of Wageningen University & Research (WUR) has appointed Reinskje Talhout as special professor of Product appeal and prevention of harmful consumption behaviour.

Recent background stories (11)

Background stories

No sustainability without justice

We are living beyond the limits of our planet. For years we have been depleting ecosystems, and without addressing social inequality, true sustainability remains little more than an ideal on paper. That is why researchers at Wageningen University & Research want to give new momentum to the concept of a “safe and just operating space.” A healthy planet and a fair society cannot exist separately — they urgently depend on one another.

Wadden seaSustainable water and land use

‘Protection of the Wadden Sea still needs to be made much better’

Huge mussel beds and large numbers of flatfish have surprised the researchers studying underwater life in the Wadden Sea over the past year. The area needed some good news for a change. Numbers of migratory fish have been declining for years, and the impact of climate change and human activities remains significant.

How Wageningen expertise helps tackle urban challenges

From waste collection and repairs of quayside walls to energy poverty: for over a decade, AMS Institute has been helping to resolve problems faced by cities. The collaboration between scientists, the municipality and businesses ensures academic knowledge israpidly put to practical use.

The ‘poo machine’ reveals the link between gut bacteria and health

Our intestines probably have an influence on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, as well as depression and stress. With the help of artificial intestines – aka the poo machine – scientists are trying to figure out how that relationship functions in humans and animals.

Robots grow sugar beets after consulting the farmer

Agricultural robots are already sowing, mowing and ploughing, but each robot has its own app, screen and language. That means farmers waste time on apps and settings that they could have spent tending their crops. Wageningen researchers want to change that. They are working on a smart interface that will let farmers talk to their machines like you would to ChatGPT: discussing the weather, the harvest or the nitrogen rules in their own words.

five deer in forest and heather landscape

Hunting is deeply rooted in our landscape

What we call nature has often been shaped by centuries of hunting. Eugenie van Heijgen, a researcher at Wageningen University & Research, shows in her dissertation how decisive these hunting landscapes are for our perception of nature.

CRISPR-Cas pioneer John van der Oost: ‘Chance has been a determining factor in my scientific career’

When John van der Oost arrived in Wageningen all those years ago, no one had heard of CRISPR-Cas – not even him. His path to discovering this revolutionary technique was determined in part by random chance and in part by seizing the opportunities that arose. Van der Oost will be retiring this year.

Genetic modification

The stomach contents of fulmar reveal a lot about plastic soup in the North Sea

Wageningen Marine Research has been monitoring the amount of plastic encountered in the stomachs of beached fulmars since 1980. Their diet provides an accurate indication of the plastic saturation of the North Sea. Why is this seabird so suited for this study?

General publicBiobased and circular society

The search for circular potting soil for growers and garden lovers

Biochar, a type of charcoal, could be a likely candidate. But is replacing peat with biochar really that easy?

Science aims to outsmart extreme, unpredictable wildfires

Wildfires can sometimes suddenly escalate into an unpredictable and life-threatening inferno. The cause of such behaviour is occurring increasingly often – even in the Netherlands. How can researchers and firefighters gain better control over this phenomenon, known as pyrocumulus?

Climate-proof futures

Removing medicine residues from water

A new Wageningen water purification technology removes medicine residues from sewage. The first full-scale system will be built this year in Zeist.

Wageningen World

Subscribe to Wageningen World

Wageningen World is the magazine for associates and alumni of Wageningen University & Research. The magazine keeps you up to date on developments in the Wageningen domains of nutrition, nature, climate, the circular economy and the environment.

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Current topics (6)

Current topics

Wolves

After an absence of approximately 150 years, the wolf has re-established itself in the Netherlands. This dossier provides you with the latest news, background information and results of Wageningen University & Research on wolves in the Netherlands.

Wolves

Cellular agriculture

Cultivated meat and fish, and animal-free dairy products are rapidly becoming viable alternatives to animal-based products and could significantly reshape our future protein supply.

Cellular agriculture

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Wildfires

Wageningen University & Research conducts research into the effects of forest fires, heathland fires and roadside fires on nature. For example, the causes of erosion and flooding after a wildfire are being investigated. Researchers in Wageningen also provide advice to authorities, enabling them to focus on the rapid restoration of ground-covering vegetation after a wildfire. This helps the soil remain as intact as possible and recover quickly.

Wildfires

Methane

Dutch livestock farmers have already made considerable strides towards a sustainable livestock sector. A critical task, as one of the climate agreement goals, is to further reduce the emission of methane (CH4).

Methane

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Nitrogen

Nitrogen is an essential building block for life, but high nitrogen deposition on natural areas causes biodiversity loss.

Nitrogen