Science stories

Will we run out of groundwater?
13 Nov 2025

Will we run out of groundwater?

Groundwater supplies half the world’s drinking water and irrigates a third of its crops, yet it is disappearing fast. How much can we still use before it is gone? ERC grantee Marc Bierkens is among the first to map the global overuse of groundwater and its consequences for…
Groundwater supplies half the world’s drinking water and irrigates a third of its crops, yet it is disappearing fast. How much can we still use before it is gone? ERC grantee Marc Bierkens is among the first to map the global overuse of groundwater and its consequences for…
Groundwater supplies half the world’s drinking water and irrigates a third of its crops, yet it is disappearing fast. How much can we still use before it is gone? ERC grantee Marc Bierkens is among the first to map the global overuse of groundwater and its consequences for…
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Mini organs in a dish

Toxicology and pharmacology assays are currently carried out in cell lines or experimental animals. Scientists of the TOXANOID project developed mini organs in a dish, which outperform existing in vitro systems.
Toxicology and pharmacology assays are currently carried out in cell lines or experimental animals. Scientists of the TOXANOID project developed mini organs in a dish, which outperform…
Toxicology and pharmacology assays are currently carried out in cell lines or experimental animals. Scientists of the TOXANOID project developed mini…
Toxicology and pharmacology assays are currently carried out in cell lines or experimental animals. Scientists of the TOXANOID project developed mini organs in a dish, which…
Toxicology and pharmacology assays are currently carried out in cell lines or experimental animals. Scientists of the…

Organoids to treat liver diseases

Cell transplantation is a promising new approach for organ regeneration in disease or after injury. To support the differentiation of hepatocytes from stem cells, European researchers developed ex vivo organoids which precisely mimic liver…
Cell transplantation is a promising new approach for organ regeneration in disease or after injury. To support the differentiation of hepatocytes from stem cells, European researchers…
Cell transplantation is a promising new approach for organ regeneration in disease or after injury. To support the differentiation of hepatocytes…
Cell transplantation is a promising new approach for organ regeneration in disease or after injury. To support the differentiation of hepatocytes from stem cells, European…
Cell transplantation is a promising new approach for organ regeneration in disease or after injury. To support the…

Organoids in the fight against cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths. European researchers developed novel ex vivo three-dimensional organoid cultures that replicate genetic events in CRC, as tools to test novel therapeutics.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths. European researchers developed novel ex vivo three-dimensional organoid cultures that replicate…
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths. European researchers developed novel ex vivo three-dimensional…
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths. European researchers developed novel ex vivo three-dimensional organoid cultures that…
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths. European researchers developed novel ex…

Heritage at Risk: EU research and innovation for a more resilient cultural heritage

Neglect, pollution, natural hazards and climate change are all playing their part in the damage to cultural heritage. This non-renewable resource, in all its diverse physical forms, needs safeguarding for future generations. EU-funded research…
Neglect, pollution, natural hazards and climate change are all playing their part in the damage to cultural heritage. This non-renewable resource, in all its diverse physical forms,…
Neglect, pollution, natural hazards and climate change are all playing their part in the damage to cultural heritage. This non-renewable resource, in…
Neglect, pollution, natural hazards and climate change are all playing their part in the damage to cultural heritage. This non-renewable resource, in all its diverse physical…
Neglect, pollution, natural hazards and climate change are all playing their part in the damage to cultural heritage. This…

From animal behaviour to football statistics

What do ant colonies, fish schools, and football teams have in common? Similar logical structures that govern their behaviour. With an ERC Starting Grant, mathematician Prof. David Sumpter developed models to understand how individual animals…
What do ant colonies, fish schools, and football teams have in common? Similar logical structures that govern their behaviour. With an ERC Starting Grant, mathematician Prof. David…
What do ant colonies, fish schools, and football teams have in common? Similar logical structures that govern their behaviour. With an ERC Starting…
What do ant colonies, fish schools, and football teams have in common? Similar logical structures that govern their behaviour. With an ERC Starting Grant, mathematician Prof…
What do ant colonies, fish schools, and football teams have in common? Similar logical structures that govern their…

Regenerating bones and teeth

ERC grantee Alvaro Mata, from Queen Mary’s School of Engineering and Materials Science, has developed a new way to grow mineralised materials which could regenerate hard tissues such as dental enamel and bone. The findings are reported today in…
ERC grantee Alvaro Mata, from Queen Mary’s School of Engineering and Materials Science, has developed a new way to grow mineralised materials which could regenerate hard tissues such…
ERC grantee Alvaro Mata, from Queen Mary’s School of Engineering and Materials Science, has developed a new way to grow mineralised materials which…
ERC grantee Alvaro Mata, from Queen Mary’s School of Engineering and Materials Science, has developed a new way to grow mineralised materials which could regenerate hard…
ERC grantee Alvaro Mata, from Queen Mary’s School of Engineering and Materials Science, has developed a new way to grow…

How did human brains get so large?

The human brain is a remarkable organ, but how did it evolve to give us such unprecedented cognitive abilities? ERC grantee Pierre Vanderhaeghen and his team from ULB, VIB-KU Leuven turned to the genome for answers: a specific set of genes, found…
The human brain is a remarkable organ, but how did it evolve to give us such unprecedented cognitive abilities? ERC grantee Pierre Vanderhaeghen and his team from ULB, VIB-KU Leuven…
The human brain is a remarkable organ, but how did it evolve to give us such unprecedented cognitive abilities? ERC grantee Pierre Vanderhaeghen and…
The human brain is a remarkable organ, but how did it evolve to give us such unprecedented cognitive abilities? ERC grantee Pierre Vanderhaeghen and his team from ULB, VIB-KU…
The human brain is a remarkable organ, but how did it evolve to give us such unprecedented cognitive abilities? ERC grantee…

Shut up and heal - possible strategy to cure sick livers

'Silent killers'. This is how liver diseases are often described. But, are they really that silent? ERC grantee Mathieu Vinken, a pharmacist by training and worldwide expert in toxicology based at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), has just proven…
'Silent killers'. This is how liver diseases are often described. But, are they really that silent? ERC grantee Mathieu Vinken, a pharmacist by training and worldwide expert in…
'Silent killers'. This is how liver diseases are often described. But, are they really that silent? ERC grantee Mathieu Vinken, a pharmacist by…
'Silent killers'. This is how liver diseases are often described. But, are they really that silent? ERC grantee Mathieu Vinken, a pharmacist by training and worldwide expert…
'Silent killers'. This is how liver diseases are often described. But, are they really that silent? ERC grantee Mathieu…