Discovering our intricated nature
Monday, 22 May 2023
Doors Open 18:30 | Event 19:00 - 21:30
Louis Hartlooper Complex
Tolsteegbrug 1, 3511 ZN Utrecht
In this event we will learn more about all the intricate systems that pave our nature.
From understanding the Dutch coastal ecosystems, to discovering the fascinating interactions between plant and the forgotten fungi
Fungi are friends, not just food !
Fungi are amazing little organisms that help us in so many ways! They're the ones responsible for making beer taste so good, and they also help break down our waste and produce medicine, food, and fuel. As a plant biologist, I study fungi that can protect plants and help them grow without the need for harmful chemicals. By learning more about how plants and fungi work together, we can find better, more sustainable ways to grow our food and protect the planet. Let's give fungi some love and appreciation, because they’re not just our food, they’re our friends.
Can nature be the new hi-tech to build the Delta Works 2.0?
Over eons, lowland coastal formed and adapted to prevailing sea levels and climate conditions through natural processes. Over the past millennium, humans have become a new factor that influences the resilience of coastal areas through reclamation, dykes and waterworks. Climate change and sea level rise will greatly challenge coastal areas around the globe as well as in the Netherlands. Will we continue on the current path with higher dykes and dams resulting in impoverishment of biodiversity and landscape resilience? Or can we shape the new Delta Works with nature that once shaped our coastal area?
Postdoctoral Researcher
NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research
Letting microbes determine our future food landscape
Microbes have the ability to not only preserve our food, but also radically transform its taste and increase nutritional value. Combing fungal fermentation with alternative substrates we can create novel foods!
Are you waiting to taste new umami-rich foods? Some fungi produce a wide range of enzymes that can be used in the development of such alternative and sustainable food systems.
