Sunscreen research by Wybren Jan Buma in C2W
Buma and co-workers have laid the groundwork for using urocanic acid and its derivatives as a novel class of sunscreen filters.
► Eerste laag voor natuurlijke zonnebrand. C2W, 17 December 2024.

Arian van Asten at NOS Nieuws on the explosion in a residential area in The Hague
Arian is one of several experts interviewed by NOS Nieuws about what may have caused the large explosion in a residential area in The Hague, which wiped out part of a flat and killed several people.
► Forensisch experts zoeken minutieus naar oorzaak explosie Den Haag. NOS, 10 December 2024.

Frances Pope and Gadi Rothenberg in C2W on 3D printed catalyst

The catalyst is made entirely of stainless steel and aluminium and works extremely well for borohydride hydrolysis. Unexpectedly, it performs even better than a previous version made with cobalt.
► 3D printed sustainable cat. C2W, 3 December 2024.
► Duurzame kat uit de 3D-printer. C2W, 3 December 2024.

Former HIMS PhD Marie Brands in C2W
Marie is interviewed about her start-up company Elexel, an independent electrolyzer testing and scale-up service company.
► Elexel: Accelerating electrochemical innovation. C2W, 2 December 2024.

Gert-Jan Gruter explains about sustainability in plastics for NPO Klassiek radioshow
Radioshow De Ochtend on NPO Klassiek reported on the plastics summit in Korea where an agreement on plastic waste reduction is discussed. Gert-Jan Gruter explained what plastic has brought us, where things went wrong, and how to best fix that.
► Plastictop in Korea, wordt de afvalberg kleiner? NPO Klassiek, De Ochtend, 30 November 2024.

The Dutch Sherlock in print and on the radio
Arian van Asten and Maurice Aalders, his co-director at the Co van Ledden Hulsebosch Center (the Netherlands Center for Forensic Science and Medicine), took the initiative for a translation of the memoires of the Dutch pioneer of forensic science after which the center was named. The book was featured in the Dutch newspaper Trouw (“Co van Ledden Hulsebosch would make a great protagonist for a historical detective series”) and in an episode of Het Misdaadbureau of Omroep WNL for NPO Radio 1 which is available as a podcast.
► Co van Ledden Hulsebosch zou een geweldige hoofdpersoon zijn voor een historische detectiveserie. Trouw, 14 November 2024.
► Nederlandse Sherlock Holmes bestond echt: 'Hij loste misdrijven op met een poepzeef'. WNL Het Misdaadbureau, NPO Radio 1, 19 November 2024.

Gert-Jan Gruter in C2W about the search for bio-based alternatives for ABS polymers
► Groene blokjes voor eindeloos speelplezier. C2W, 10 November 2024

Pim Linnebank at Proefkonijnen
Pim features in the program himself during an experiment in episode 7. In episodes 1, 3, 5, 6 and 8, several experiments prepared by Pim are featured. Among other things, he made a rainbow volcano, a sodium explosion, colored flames and a burning gummy bear in potassium chlorate.
► NPO Start, Proefkonijnen, Episodes 1-8, 31 August - 19 October 2024

Gert-Jan Gruter appointed Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
On 22 October, Gert-Jan Gruter, professor by special appointment of Industrial Sustainable Chemistry, was appointed Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion. This is one of the oldest and highest civil (knight) orders in the Netherlands and is awarded to people with very special merits for society in the field of sports, art, science and literature. Minister Sophie Hermans presented him with this award during the opening of Avantium's PEF factory in Delfzijl.

► UvA-hoogleraar Gert-Jan Gruter krijgt koninklijke onderscheiding; Folia, 22 October 2024
► Heemstedenaar Gert-Jan Gruter ontvangt Koninklijke onderscheiding; Haarlems Dagblad, 23 October 2024
► Gert-Jan Gruter staat aan de wieg van flesjes gemaakt van suiker. Haarlems Dagblad, 2 November 2024.

Annemieke Petrignani in Folia and NEMO Kennislink
Annemieke supervises a series of exciting experiments in NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam. The experiments aim to investigate potential life-enabling chemistry at three types of planet. Petrignani is also in charge of analysing the result of earlier experiments held at NEMO. 
► UvA-scheikundige start experiment in Nemo over ontstaan van leven; Folia, 4 October 2024
► UvA chemist starts experiment in Nemo on origins of life; Folia, 4 October 2024 (English version)
► Leven brouwen in bollen; NEMO Kennislink, 27 September 2024

Renewed attention for Rembrandt research revealing the composition of his 'golden' pigment
We spread the news in July (see below) but the research was featured late september in the Dutch national newspaper NRC and chemical magazine C2W.
► De kunstexpert van tegenwoordig is een apparaat waar sommige egos nog aan moeten wennen; NRC, 26 September 2024
► De echte kunstexpert is steeds vaker een apparaat; NRC, 28 September 2024, printed newspaper. Via NexisLexis
►Het is niet alles goud wat er blinkt. C2W 24 September 2024
►Not all that glitters is gold. C2W 1 October 2024
 

C2W on the work of Fréderique Broers and Nouchka De Keyser on the colour gold at The Night Watch
► Het is niet alles goud wat er blinkt; C2W, 24 September 2024

Ig Noble prize for Sander Woutersen & team
Tess Heeremans, Antoine Deblais, Daniel Bonn and Sander Woutersen were awarded the 2024 Chemistry IgNobel for their research on the 'chromatographic separation of active polymer–like worm mixtures'. The 2024 Ig Nobel Prizes were awarded at the 34th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony, on Thursday evening, September 12, 2024, at MIT (The Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The presentation of the award to the team, and their explanatory re-enactment using worm puppets can be seen on YouTube (12 September 2024). Their prize received world-wide media attention of which a selection is presented here:
► Wormen dronken voeren en eindeloos kop of munt: twee Ig Nobelprijzen voor UvA-onderzoek; Folia, 13 September 2024
► Ig Nobel prizes 2024: The unexpected science that won this year; New Scientist, 12 September 2024
► Nederlands onderzoek naar dronken wormen wint alternatieve Nobelprijs; Volkskrant, 13 September 2024; Volkskrant via NexisLexis
► De Ig Nobelprijzen van 2024: pareltjes aan de randen van de wetenschap; NRC, 13 September 2024; NRC via NexisLexis
► Onderzoeken naar dronken wormen en 350.757 keer muntjes opgooien winnen alternatieve Ig Nobelprijzen; Het Parool, 13 September 2024
► From tipsy worms to pigeon missiles: the quirky triumphs of the 2024 Ig Nobel awards; Chemistry World, 13 September 2024
► Ig Nobel-prijs voor gescheiden dronken wormen; C2W, 13 September 2024
► Scientists who discovered mammals can breathe through their anuses receive Ig Nobel prize. CNN, 13 September 2024

Pim Linnebank at Editie NL
Pim Linnebank was asked to explain the chemical basis behind cloud formation at Editie NL, with a specific focus on the question why there is more rain in large cities than in rural areas. In the item, he discusses how factors such as air pollution and urban heat islands contribute to these differences in rainfall.
The excerpt starts from minute 4:20 in the episode (see link below)
► Vaker stortbui in de stad. RTL Editie NL 13 September 2024

Flow Chemistry researchers in Chemistry & Engineering News and other media
The Science paper of the Flow Chemistry group regarding the PFAS-free synthesis of fluorinated pharmaceutical and agrochemical compounds was highlighted in news articles in Chemistry World, C&EN, and other media.
► PFAS-free synthesis of fluorinated drugs and pesticides. Chemistry World, 16 September 2024
► Fluormedicijnen maken kan ook zónder Pfas, tonen UvA’ers. Folia, 11 September 2024
► Trifluoromethylated heteroatoms go with the flow. C&EN, 5 September 2024
► ‘Fluoride drugs’ can now be made without PFAS. C2W International, 30 August 2024
► 'Fluormedicijnen’ nu zonder PFAS te maken. C2W, 29 August 2024

Saer Samanipour in C2W and NRC
Following his perspective in JACS Au on mapping the chemical exposome, Saer was invited to write an op-ed piece in chemical magazine C2W and he was interviewed by newspaper NRC.
► 'We need to map the chemical exposome'. C2W, 5 August 2024
► 'We moeten het chemisch exposoom in kaart brengen’. C2W, 5 August 2024
► Je zou willen dat er geen ramp voor nodig is om de volgende PFAS op te sporen, zegt deze milieuchemicus. NRC, 26 August 2024. Read the article here without subscription.

International media coverage of the discovery of Rembrandt’s ‘golden’ paint
Research by PhD candidates Fréderique Broers and Nouchka de Keyser (HIMS/Rijksmuseum) published in “Heritage Science” showed how Rembrandt used a rather unusual combination of arsenic sulfide pigments to depict golden details of The Night Watch. Many media outlets reported on the discovery, including El Pais and Forbes. A selection:
► Rembrandt Created His Own Gold-Like Paint For The Night Watch. Forbes, 21 August 2024
► Rembrandt mezcló pigmentos de sulfuro de arsénico en ‘La ronda de noche’. El Pais, 31 July 2024
► Scientists Crack the Code of Rembrandt’s Golden Luster. Hyperallergic, 31 July 2024
► What Is the Secret Ingredient Behind Rembrandt’s Golden Glow? Smithsonian Magazine, 1 August 2024 
► Rembrandt Used Arsenic to Paint “The Night Watch”. The Collector, 26 July 2024

Ioana Ilie in C2W
As a member of the Royal Netherlands Chemical Society KNCV, Ioana was portrayed in its chemical magazine C2W. 
► Podium: Ioana Ilie. C2W, 5 August 2024 (English)
► Podium: Ioana Ilie. C2W, 5 August 2024 (Dutch)

Mirjam de Bruin-Hoegée in C2W
Months after an attack, you may not expect to discover any more indications of the use of chemical weapons. But thanks to the research of Mirjam de Bruin-Hoegée, that is certainly a possibility. In the People & Career section of C2W, Mirjam talked about her research but also answered more personal questions.
► Detective voor chemische wapens, C2W, 6 August 2024

Nouchka de Keyser in NOS Met het Oog op Morgen
One pigment colour in The Night Watch, Rembrandt's best-known work, was Nouchka de Keyser's research topic. As a researcher at the University of Amsterdam and the Rijksmuseum, she worked on this for many years.  
►Rembrandt gebruikte uniek kleurmengsel voor goud in Nachtwacht. NOS Met het Oog op Morgen, 24 July 2024

Amanda Garcia in C2W
Research into efficient and sustainable electrosynthesis of formaldehyde at the electrochemistry team led by Amanda Garcia was highlighted in C2W (in Dutch).
► Van methanol naar formaldehyde in hoog TEMPO. C2W, 19 July 2024.

Joost Reek in New Scientist
The Dutch edition of New Scientist published an in-depth six-page interview with Joost Reek. He explains how novel, sustainable chemistry, particularly catalysis, is essential for the transition to a fossil-free society, and how collaboration with industry is needed to bring this novel chemistry to scale. He also speaks of his major new research project Cat4CanCenter where he hopes to develop a new effective approach to cure the aggressive brain tumour glioblastoma.
► 'Alle oplossingen voor het klimaatprobleem zijn te vinden in de chemie'. New Scientist, 11 June 2024 (or download the PDF).

Arian van Asten in AZOmaterials about on-scene forensic analysis using portable NIR spectroscopy
Van Asten talks about advancements in analyzing drugs and explosives using portable NIR spectroscopy, which can improve on-scene investigation methods for law enforcement agencies. 
► Chemical Clues: Real-time Forensic Analysis of Drugs and Explosives. AZOmaterials, 1 July 2024
► Accompanying YouTube video

Gadi Rothenberg in Genetic Literacy Project
In this article Gadi is one of the scientists to reflect on the production of plastic. Also reference is made to the plant-based sustainable polymer developed by the Rothenberg group.
► Plastic is a product of brilliant engineering’ — Now let’s make it better for the environment GLP, June 25 2024

Much media attention for Mirjam de Bruin - Hoegée
Mirjam featured in various national media on the occasion of her doctorate and her research into detecting the use chemical weapons by means of biomarkers in plants.
► In planten op zoek naar de sporen van gifgas; NRC, 18 June 2024 
► Planten blijken behulpzaam voor onderzoekers chemische wapenaanval; NOS Nieuws, 18 June 2024
► Planten kunnen bewijs leveren voor chemische aanval: ons werk moet afschrikwekkend effect hebben; Telegraaf, 24 June 2024

Flow Chemistry research featured in C2W
The magazine reports on the fruitful industrial-academic partnership between the Flow Chemistry group of Prof. Timothy Noël and Novartis. It features Benjamin Martin, Continuous Manufacturing Network Leader at Novartis, who applauds the industrial-academic cooperation that led not only to a paper in Angewandte Chemie but also to improved industrial chemistry.
► Cheap and sustainable cross-coupling photocatalyst, C2W International, 10 June 2024
► Goedkope en duurzame cross-coupling fotokatalysator C2W, 10 June 2024

Giulia Giubertoni and Sander Woutersen in C2W
C2W reports on their spin-off company InspectT and how they developed the chip that can be easily integrated into an IR or UV/Vis spectrometer to characterize simultaneously the size and the chemical structure of molecules in a solution.
► Size matters: how optical DOSY helps your chemical analysis. C2W International, 6 June 2024
► Size matters: hoe optische DOSY chemische analyse helpt. C2W, 7 June 2024

Gert-Jan Gruter in De Ingenieur
The monthly engineering magazine published a cover story on circularity in plastics, featuring the PISOX polymer developed in Gert-Jan's research group Industrial Sustainable Chemisty.
► Kunststof in de kringloop. De Ingenieur, 13 May 2024 (excerpt, full article available with subscription).

Chris Slootweg in FD and C2W about critical raw materials
Chris wrote an opinion piece in the Dutch business newspaper FD together with colleagues at TU Delft and Leiden University. They were motivated by the Raw Materials Summit that took place in Brussels on 14, 15 and 16 May: a conference attended by researchers, European politicians, NGOs and international players from the raw materials industry. In addition, the EU member states are currently considering the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA): an act with a mandatory character that should guarantee a safe and sustainable supply of critical raw materials. 
► We moeten slimmer gebruik maken van kritieke grondstoffen FD, 12 May 2024; C2W, 16 May 2024

Ruben Kranenburg in C2W
A handy device that quickly shows whether drugs are involved, and which ones: it would be a godsend for the police, customs and military police. Flemish and Dutch researchers proved that you can make them on the basis of NIR spectroscopy or voltammetry.
► Is het coke, crystal meth of poedersuiker? C2W, 29 April 2024

Peter Schoenmakers in C2W
Analytical Solutions, the new congress during Lab Technology 2024, is all about Inventing the Future of Analytical Sciences. The slot keynote speaker of the Congress Analytical Solutions will be Prof. Dr. Ir. P.J. (Peter) Schoenmakers. Schoenmakers is a professor at the University of Amsterdam and a member of the Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam.
► Prof.dr. Peter Schoenmakers (UvA): slot keynote speaker at Analytical Solutions C2W, 29 April 2024

Mirjam de Bruin - Hoegée in Folia
Mirjam was interviewed about her recent publication in Forensic Chemistry on the forensic profiling of plastics.
► Plastic kan bewijsmateriaal zijn in moordzaak, bewijst UvA-promovendus. Folia, 12 April 2024.
► Plastic can be evidence in murder case, UvA PhD student proves. Folia, 15 April 2024.

Chris Slootweg in C2W
Last summer, Chris Slootweg dropped a bombshell with a critical essay about the state of contemporary chemistry research and why he thinks things really need to change. 'The question is how we can connect to the unruly reality of social problems.'  In Dutch.
► ‘Als je relevant wil zijn, moet je uit die academische bubbel’ C2W 2 April 2024

Plantics resin featured twice in De Volkskrant

The Magazine accompanying the Easter edition of the Volkskrant newspaper featured a ‘buying guide’ for sustainable products in and around the home. Two of the recommended items featured the biodegradable resin developed at HIMS by Gadi Rothenberg and Albert Alberts and now produced by the spin-off company Plantics: the NoWaste kitchen developed by NOWA Kitchen and a set of chairs developed by furniture company Vepa.
► Van een wormenkrukje tot een bijenhotel: duurzame kooptips voor in en om het huis. Volkskrant, 30 March 2024.

Pim Linnebank at EditionNL: Kwik legt school plat
Pim is back on EditieNL to explain what mercury is and why it is so hard to clean up!
The reason was that a secondary school was recently closed because a jar of mercury was broken during a lesson. Pim is featured at 05:23
► EditieNL, 19 March 2024

Gert-Jan Gruter in Folia
Gert-Jan is interviewed about the RIBIPOL project and the PISOX biodegradable, biobased polyesters that resulted from the research.
► UvA-scheikundigen ontwikkelen bio-based plastic: ‘Sterk, recyclebaar én biologisch afbreekbaar’. Folia, 13 March 2024.
► UvA chemists develop new type of bio-based plastic: ‘Strong, recyclable and biodegradable’. Folia, 14 March 2024.

Mimi den Uijl and Pim Linnebank at Kassa!
Mimi and Pim are back at Kassa! This time to examine thermos flasks with a heat meter and an IR camera. Below is the item that was aired on 24 february 2024 (Mimi and Pim can be seen from minute 3:44).

► Full Kassa episode: Kassa | NPO Start, 24 February 2024 (Mimi and Pim at minute 22:30)

Timothy Noël in C2W
It may sound tempting to make your results better than they are, but sooner or later you will fall through the cracks. "This issue not only causes enormous reputational damage, but can also seriously damage the future careers of PhD students and postdocs who work in such groups," said professor of flow chemistry Timothy Noël (UvA) in an opinion piece (in Dutch).
► ‘Reproduceerbaarheid is juist een troef’ C2W, 7 February 2024

Arian van Asten at Nieuwsuur
Arian van Asten appears in Nieuwsuur following the fatal explosion which destroyed a residential complex in Rotterdam and which may have been caused by a drug lab. Pim de Voogt, professor emeritus of IBED, Faculty of Science, is featured in the same item. Arian can be seen at 2:21 and at 5:51.
► NPO Start NTR NOS Nieuwsuur 4 February 2024 21:30

Pim Linnebank at Proefkonijnen 
Zit je veilig in een iglo als er buiten brand uitbreekt? 
► Proefkonijnen, NPOStart, afl. 3, Za 3 feb 12:21 In the TV program Pim tests if ice can outlast fire and can be seen at 8:20 and 28:30.

Much media attention for 'RoboChem' developed at the Flow Chemistry group
Following publication of a paper in Science presenting RoboChem, many (inter)national media reported on the autonomous AI-powered synthesis robot. From EenVandaag, a current affairs programme on Dutch national TV, to Chemical&Engineering News, the world leading chemistry news journal.
► Amsterdamse robot gebruikt AI om chemisch onderzoek te versnellen. Trouw, 24 January 2024.
► Amsterdamse robot helpt moleculen bouwen. De Ingenieur, 26 January 2024.
► RoboChem: meer, beter en sneller synthetiseren. C2W, 26 January 2024.
► Sneller dan de mens en 'dichtbij perfectie': scheikunde in stroomversnelling door kunstmatige intelligentie. EenVandaag, 26 January 2024.
► UvA-onderzoekers bouwen ChatGPT voor de chemie. Folia, 26 January 2024.
► Syntheserobot met AI versnelt onderzoek. Robot Magazine, 26 January 2024.
► Ook geschikt voor compounds? Vindingrijke scheikunderobot verzet voor maanden aan werk in een week. Kunststof&Rubber, 28 January.
► Vindingrijke scheikunderobot verzet voor maanden aan werk in een week. EngineersOnline, 28 January 2024.
► RoboChem blijft maar doorgaan met zoeken naar de efficiëntste chemische reactie. NRC, 30 January 2024.
► Robot assistant optimizes photochemistry. Chemical&Engineering News, 25 January 2024.
► Meet RoboChem: An autonomous AI robot redefining chemical synthesis. InterestingEngineering, 25 January 2024. 
Autonomous synthesis robot uses AI to speed up chemical discovery. Phys.org, 25 January 2024.
► RoboChem: synthesising more, better and faster. C2W International, 26 January 2024.
► In einer Woche, wofür ein Doktorand ein paar Monate lang forscht. Frankfurter Allgemeine, 10 February 2024.
► Vers une révolution de la recherche pharmaceutique grâce aux robots-chimistes «intelligents» ? Le Figaro, 20 February 2024.

Bernd Ensing in C2W on AI and materials discovery
In the Dutch chemistry magazine C2W, computational chemist Bernd Ensing reflects on the relevance of Artificial Intelligence for materials discovery. 
► ‘AI marks a significant turning point in materials development’. C2W, 19 January 2024.
► ‘AI betekent een niet te onderschatten kentering in materialenontwikkeling’. C2W, 18 January 2024.

Pim Linnebank at Editie NL
In a news item at Editie NL on road salt Pim Linnebank explains why salt lowers the melting point of ice.
► Aflevering 15, Editie NL 15 January, 2024

More HIMS researchers in the media

Our Annual Reports provide overviews of media appearances and other outreach activities of our researchers: