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…
Displaying 273 - 280 of 532

Always on call: how does the immune system perform?

Our immune system recognizes and fights infections in a constantly changing environment, where new pathogenic threats emerge. At the crossroad between physics and biology, Prof. Aleksandra Walczak investigates the fascinating process that allows the…
Our immune system recognizes and fights infections in a constantly changing environment, where new pathogenic threats emerge. At the crossroad between physics and biology, Prof…
Our immune system recognizes and fights infections in a constantly changing environment, where new pathogenic threats emerge. At the crossroad…
Our immune system recognizes and fights infections in a constantly changing environment, where new pathogenic threats emerge. At the crossroad between physics and biology,…
Our immune system recognizes and fights infections in a constantly changing environment, where new pathogenic threats emerge…

Secrets of protein interactions unveiled

How do proteins trigger complex signal processing tasks, such as neurotransmission, in cells? Thanks to the development of innovative molecular simulation techniques, this ERC-funded project has brought new insights into the transmission of messages…
How do proteins trigger complex signal processing tasks, such as neurotransmission, in cells? Thanks to the development of innovative molecular simulation techniques, this ERC-funded…
How do proteins trigger complex signal processing tasks, such as neurotransmission, in cells? Thanks to the development of innovative molecular…
How do proteins trigger complex signal processing tasks, such as neurotransmission, in cells? Thanks to the development of innovative molecular simulation techniques, this…
How do proteins trigger complex signal processing tasks, such as neurotransmission, in cells? Thanks to the development of…

Understanding membrane trafficking in space and time

ERC grantee Prof. Maria Antonietta De Matteis studies membrane trafficking in cells and how its components interact and are regulated to guarantee a healthy cell function. Her work could revolutionise our understanding of this key biological process.
ERC grantee Prof. Maria Antonietta De Matteis studies membrane trafficking in cells and how its components interact and are regulated to guarantee a healthy cell function. Her work…
ERC grantee Prof. Maria Antonietta De Matteis studies membrane trafficking in cells and how its components interact and are regulated to guarantee a…
ERC grantee Prof. Maria Antonietta De Matteis studies membrane trafficking in cells and how its components interact and are regulated to guarantee a healthy cell function…
ERC grantee Prof. Maria Antonietta De Matteis studies membrane trafficking in cells and how its components interact and are…

Leukaemia: an epigenetic disease?

All cancers carry epigenetic alterations. But the biological function of these alterations is not well understood. In his ERC project, Prof. Christoph Bock explores their functional role by introducing these alterations into cancer and normal cells…
All cancers carry epigenetic alterations. But the biological function of these alterations is not well understood. In his ERC project, Prof. Christoph Bock explores their functional…
All cancers carry epigenetic alterations. But the biological function of these alterations is not well understood. In his ERC project, Prof…
All cancers carry epigenetic alterations. But the biological function of these alterations is not well understood. In his ERC project, Prof. Christoph Bock explores their…
All cancers carry epigenetic alterations. But the biological function of these alterations is not well understood. In his…

Building a multi-level simulation of organogenesis

Organogenesis is the process by which different cells grow, differentiate and interact with each other to create large structures, such as the heart, the brain, a limb. But what are the mechanisms behind these molecular, cellular and tissue…
Organogenesis is the process by which different cells grow, differentiate and interact with each other to create large structures, such as the heart, the brain, a limb. But what are…
Organogenesis is the process by which different cells grow, differentiate and interact with each other to create large structures, such as the heart,…
Organogenesis is the process by which different cells grow, differentiate and interact with each other to create large structures, such as the heart, the brain, a limb. But…
Organogenesis is the process by which different cells grow, differentiate and interact with each other to create large…

Computational Biology: Spotlight on ERC projects

Computational and systems biology are interdisciplinary sciences that have been greatly advancing in the last decades by harnessing the increased power of computation and mathematics. Their aim is to apply large-scale computational and numerical…
Computational and systems biology are interdisciplinary sciences that have been greatly advancing in the last decades by harnessing the increased power of computation and mathematics…
Computational and systems biology are interdisciplinary sciences that have been greatly advancing in the last decades by harnessing the increased…
Computational and systems biology are interdisciplinary sciences that have been greatly advancing in the last decades by harnessing the increased power of computation and…
Computational and systems biology are interdisciplinary sciences that have been greatly advancing in the last decades by…

What kind of support is needed for unaccompanied refugee minors?

Almost 30 million children across the world are currently forcibly displaced and many of them, the unaccompanied refugee minors, are travelling without the protection and support of parents or caregivers. What do we know about the impact of their…
Almost 30 million children across the world are currently forcibly displaced and many of them, the unaccompanied refugee minors, are travelling without the protection and support of…
Almost 30 million children across the world are currently forcibly displaced and many of them, the unaccompanied refugee minors, are travelling…
Almost 30 million children across the world are currently forcibly displaced and many of them, the unaccompanied refugee minors, are travelling without the protection and…
Almost 30 million children across the world are currently forcibly displaced and many of them, the unaccompanied refugee…

Religious integration: how to look beyond stereotyped images

Headscarves, mosques and halal shops — many EU citizens are Muslims, but visible signs of their faith are often viewed with distrust. What some Europeans see as a right to express their identity, others regard as a threat to societal core values…
Headscarves, mosques and halal shops — many EU citizens are Muslims, but visible signs of their faith are often viewed with distrust. What some Europeans see as a right to express…
Headscarves, mosques and halal shops — many EU citizens are Muslims, but visible signs of their faith are often viewed with distrust. What some…
Headscarves, mosques and halal shops — many EU citizens are Muslims, but visible signs of their faith are often viewed with distrust. What some Europeans see as a right to…
Headscarves, mosques and halal shops — many EU citizens are Muslims, but visible signs of their faith are often viewed with…