News & Calendar

News 3 Sep 2010 Stinking for sex Wilbert Hetterscheid has discovered about sixty new Amorphophalli in the course of his career, making him the undisputed leading world expert in the weird and wonderful world of these ‘shapeless... read more Obese Lynch syndrome patients more at risk for colon cancer People with the hereditary Lynch syndrome have considerably more risk of developing colon cancer. Obese people with this ailment also have twice as much risk of developing benign tumours in the large... read more European grant for environmental researcher Lars Hein, a researcher at the Environmental Systems Analysis Group, has won an 800,000-euro European Research Grant. His research proposal and fourteen others have been selected out of more than... read more 2 Sep 2010 Natura 2000: Successful lessons from abroad Strong coordination and clear delegation of tasks are keys to successful implementation of Natura 2000, according to a study just completed by Alterra part of Wageningen UR in collaboration with... read more 30 Aug 2010 Alpha Omega: Beneficial effect of low doses of n-3 fatty acids only found in sub-groups of post-MI patients Results from the Alpha Omega Trial, a multicentre, placebo-controlled trial in men and women following myocardial infarction (MI), suggest that low doses of n-3 fatty acids given in the form of... read more 26 Aug 2010 Comparable Assessment for Cisgenic and Transgenic Plants Wageningen – The food and animal feed safety assessment for plant varieties created using cisgenesis will have to remain comparable to the assessment criteria for transgenic varieties. Researchers... read more Wageningen University appoints five professors to personal chairs Wageningen University, a part of Wageningen UR, has appointed five of its own researchers as professors by special appointment. These appointments have taken place due to the outstanding merit of the... read more Wageningen University appoints Bas Zwaan as Professor of Genetics With effect from 15 September, Wageningen University, a part of Wageningen UR, has appointed Dr Bas Zwaan as Professor of Genetics. Professor Zwaan, currently associate professor of Evolutionary... read more Wageningens comment: New food crisis (un)likely The increase in grain prices may spell a new food crisis, warns Joachim von Braun, former director of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). However, LEI researcher Roel Jongeneel... read more Good yields with less phosphate Strict norms for phosphate applications do not seem to affect crop yields at livestock farms on sandy soils. This has been the finding after long-term use of balanced fertilization on De Marke... read more One cow pie is better than another Cow pies from organic dairy farms contain one and a half times as many insects as those in cow pies from conventional farms. This affects birds in these pastures. Cow pies are a major source of food.... read more 24 Aug 2010 Study into eel fishery and sales During the last decades, the eel stocks in the European waters have steadily declined, resulting in a bad situation for the eel population as well as the eel fishery. Accordingly, various measures... read more Correlation between energy and food prices The prices of agricultural products and fossil fuels have decreased significantly, after rising to very high levels in 2008. This parallel trend in price levels is due to the fact that the demand in... read more Greenhouse gas emissions calculated which result from the production of crops for fuel At the request of the European Commission, the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment has carried out a study into the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the production of... read more 23 Aug 2010 DeltaCompetition attracts innovative and diverse ideas for climate adaptation from students around the world The worldwide DeltaCompetition challenged students to formulate creative solutions for adapting the delta cities of the world to climate change impacts. The competition, run by Royal Haskoning, Delta... read more 20 Aug 2010 Insufficient compensation for agriculture For the Dutch agricultural sector, 2009 was a bad year economically. Production increased slightly, but most primary agriculture market prices fell. The average agricultural income decreased to 5,500... read more Smart fungus disarms plant, animal and human immunity Fungal and bacterial pathogens are well capable of infecting plants, animals and humans despite their immune systems. Fungi penetrate leafs, stalks and roots, or skin, intestines and lungs, to infect... read more 4 Aug 2010 Biological soil disinfestation offers perspectives for all soil-bound cultivations Biological soil disinfestation consists of the incorporation of fermented organic material after which the soil is covered with plastic. This results in the release of compounds with a disinfecting... read more »  more News

Calendar 6 Sep 2010 Opening Academic Year The opening of the academic year of Wageningen UR, on September 6 2010, is themed 'Nature as the basis'. A rapidly increasing world population is impacting on other life forms. But human kind depends... more Course: Facilitating multistakeholder processes and social learning 6 - 24 September 2010. Advanced course in the use of participatory approaches for institutional change Complex problems require innovative solutions. Such solutions are created when diverse... more Course: International training of trainers on wetland management 6 - 24 September 2010. Facilitation of multi-stakeholder processes and curriculum development One of the difficulties identified in wetland management is the division of management responsibilities... more 7 Sep 2010 Graduation: W.J. (Willem) Ravensberg: “The development of microbial pest control products” The development of microbial pest control products for control of arthropods: a critical evaluation and a roadmap to successMicrobial crop protection products and the companies that develop and... more Graduation: Mw.ir. J. (Jolanda) Jansen: “Effective communication strategies to improve udder health” Mastitis and farmer mindsetMastitis (udder inflammation) is considered one of the main health issues in the dairy industry. Why some farmers, even though it would benefit their results, do not... more Graduation: Mw. H.M. (Helena) de Albuquerque Ferreira Teles: “Collagen-like block co-polymers with tunable design  more 8 Sep 2010 Graduation: Y. (Yvonne) Westphal: “Analytical profiling of plant cell wall polysaccharides” Every plant cell is surrounded by a cell wall, which is responsible for the stability and flexibility of the plant tissue. The main components of each cell wall are carbohydrates such as cellulose,... more Graduation: M.P.M.M. (Michiel) de Krom: “Food Risks and Consumer Trust” Following different European food crises in the 1990s, European food policy was substantially renewed to restore public trust. According to this new framework, consumers should be actively involved.... more Graduation: Mw.ir. L.A.J. (Linda) van Mierlo: “Minerals, other food components and blood pressure” Elevated blood pressure is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Several diet and lifestyle changes, including a reduction in the intake of ‘bad’ salts (primarily kitchen salt), have... more 9 Sep 2010 Graduation: F.J. (Flora) Chadare: “Importance and quality of baobab foods in Benin” More than 923 million people in the world still do not have enough food to eat. A sustainable management and use of forest food resources is a strategy to overcome food insecurity in Africa. Among... more 10 Sep 2010 Graduation: L. (Lucia) Hernandez Leal: “Removal of micropollutants from grey water via combined biological and physical chemical processes”  more Graduation: T. (Tania) Vasconcelos Fernandes: “Hydrolysis Inhibition of Complex Biowaste”  more Graduation: A.P. (Arina) Schrier-Uijl: “Flushing meadows. The influence of management alternatives on the greenhouse gas balance of fen meadow areas”  more 13 Sep 2010 Graduation: S. (Sabina) Rebe Raz: “On-Chip Food Safety Monitoring: Multi-analyte Screening with Imaging Surface Plasmon Resonance-based Biosensor” This thesis describes on-chip detection of health-threatening compounds in food, using imaging Surface Plasmon Resonance (iSPR) biosensor. iSPR biosensor combines spatial modification of the sensor... more Graduation: S. (Simone) Croezen: “Social relationships and healthy ageing. Epidemiological evidence for the development of a local intervention programme“  more Graduation: F. (Filippo) Biscarini: “Genetic analysis of production, immunity and behaviour in laying hens”  more Course: International postgraduate course on Soil and Plant Analysis and Data Handling International postgraduate course on Soil and Plant Analysis and Data Handling 13 September 2010 - 9 October 2010In the fields of soil fertility, soil chemistry and soil hygiene knowledge and... more Course: Rights based approach to food and nutrition security 13 - 24 September 2010. Every man, women and child has the right to adequate food. Adequate food means enough food in quantity and quality, safe and culturally acceptable. A right-based approach is... more 14 Sep 2010 Graduation: P.L.R. (Pascal) van der Veeken: “Gel measurements of heavy metals in nature” Title thesis: "Dynamic partitioning of nanoparticulate metal species between gel layers and aqueous media" more Graduation: A.M. (Ana) Sotoca Covaleda, MSc: “Unravelling the mechanism of differential biological responses induced by food-borne xeno- and phyto-estrogenic compounds” The multiple actions of estradiol and other estrogenic compounds in mammalian physiology are brought about, on a molecular level, as a result of complex signalling pathways, and mediated by at least... more 15 Sep 2010 Graduation: L.J.W. (Luc) van Hoof: “Who Rules the Waves? Governance and New Institutional Arrangements in Dutch Fisheries Management in the Context of the European Common Fisheries Policy” Top down government ruling is perceived as a main contributor to the fail-ure of fisheries management. A change in the governance set up, with a more participatory signature and a change in role and... more Graduation: J.J. (Jose-Jaime) Arana Coronado: “Supply chain practices, performance and organizational configuration in the Mexican avocado industry” The thesis studies the adoption of particular practices such as product standardization, supplier relationship and information exchange in Mexican avocado industry. Adopting these practices, avocado... more 17 Sep 2010 Graduation: F. (Fatimata) Dia Sow: “Intrahousehold resource allocation and well-being: The case of rural households in Senegal” In this last decade, poverty in developing countries remains the most important topic of debate at the international level. The main proposition was how to build policies and programs on a gender... more Graduation: D.M. (Dorien) Kool: “The origin of nitrous oxide (laughing gas): a serious matter” Nitrous oxide is one of the most important greenhouse gases, and soils are globally the main source of nitrous oxide to our atmosphere. It is therefore of great importance to understand how nitrous... more Graduation: J. (Jantine) Voordouw, MSc: “The impact of food allergy on household level”  more 20 Sep 2010 Graduation: MSc Ceremony 11.30 hrs: the Candidates from the Programmes: L30, MLP, MGI, MUE13.30 hrs: the Candidates from the Programmes: MES15.30 hrs: the Candidates from the Programmes: MBT, MML, MW  more 21 Sep 2010 Graduation: MSc Ceremony 11.30 hrs: the Candidates from the Programmes: L50, MSS, MCL, MHW, MMA13.30 hrs: the Candidates from the Programmes: MIL, MLE15.30 hrs: the Candidates from the Programmes: MFN  more 22 Sep 2010 Lecture: The Schilperoort Lectures 7 A series of "success stories of entrepreneurial scientists". Introduction and chairman: Koen Wiedhaup (boardmember of various life sciences companies). Invited speakers this time are Eric Claassen... more Graduation: MSc Ceremony 09.30 hrs: the Candidates from the Programmes: MBI11.30 hrs: the Candidates from the Programmes: MOA, MPS, MPB, PG13.30 hrs: the Candidates from the Programmes: MAF, MAS (MAS candidates with surname... more 23 Sep 2010 Graduation: MSc Ceremony 11.30 hrs: the Candidates from the Programmes: MID13.30 hrs: the Candidates from the Programmes: MAK, MFQ, MME (ONLY the MME candidates with Specialisation Public Health and Society)15.30 hrs: the... more 24 Sep 2010 Graduation: MSc Ceremony 09.30 hrs: the Candidates from the Programmes: MFS, MAB, MBF11.30 hrs: the Candidates from the Programmes: MFT13:30 hrs: the Candidates from the Programmes: MNH (ONLY candidates with surname... more 27 Sep 2010 Graduation: E. (Esther) Schnettler, MSc: “Viral counterdefense on RNA silencing. Analysis of RNA silencing suppressors from arthropod-borne negative strand RNA plant viruses” RNA silencing is a mechanism used by plants and insects to defend themselves against viral invasion. To achieve a succesful infection viruses counteract this mechanism by coding for specific... more Graduation: A. (Argyris) Kanellopoulos, MSc : “Bio-economic farm modelling for integrated assessment of agricultural and environmental policies. Towards re-usability and improved empirical validity”  more Graduation: C. (Cornelis) van der Waal: “Nutrients in an African Savanna: The consequences of supply heterogeneity for plants and animals”  more 28 Sep 2010 Graduation: C.N. (Cor) Verdouw: “Business Process Modelling in Demand-Driven Agri-Food Supply Chains. A Reference Framework”  more Graduation: S.M. (Shane) Rutherfurd: “Bioavailability of lysine in heat-treated Foods and feedstuffs”  more 29 Sep 2010 Graduation: R. (Ran) Gao, MSc: “Ion Speciation in Milk-like Systems” Ion equilibria of milk, particularly the distribution of calcium phosphate between casein micelles and milk serum, play a crucial role in the conformation and stability of casein micelles. This PhD... more Graduation: Pham Khanh Tu: “Evaluation of the optimum protein requirements for Vietnamese pigs”  more International Conference: International Conference ‘Deltas in Times of Climate Change’ 29 September 2010 - 2 October 2010. Two Dutch research programmes on climate change and spatial planning, Climate changes Spatial Planning and Knowledge for Climate, the city of Rotterdam and the... more 30 Sep 2010 Graduation: C-O.R. (Rose) Fagbemissi: “Experts from necessity: Agricultural knowledge of HIV/AIDS orphans in the Couffo region, Benin” This thesis shows that there is little evidence to confirm the hypothesis of knowledge decline and/or a break in inter-generational knowledge transfer among children orphaned by AIDS in the Couffo... more Speech: Inauguration Prof.dr. S. Schulte-Merker  more 10 Nov 2010 Conference: Scaling and Governance Conference 2010 10 Nov 2010 - 12 Nov 2010Policies have many impacts on environmental and human processes at different spatial and temporal scales. Climate change, biodiversity, energy consumption, water resource... more 24 Nov 2010 25 Nov 2010 Conference: ENDURE - Integrated Pest Management in Europe The ENDURE Network of Excellence shares the fruits of four years’ research with the crop protection communityMark your calendars for the international conference, organised by INRA:‘Integrated Pest... more 6 Dec 2010 Course: EU policy for Agriculture, Food and Rural Areas In autumn 2010 the European Commission will publish the proposals about the Common Agricultural Policy after 2013. Final decisions about these proposals can be expected in 2012. It will be... more »  more Calendar