Heatwaves, droughts and forest fires are some of the extreme climate-related events that are expected not only to become more frequent but also to increasingly strike at the same time.

Imagine not feeling any pain when you stub your toe - or, conversely, experiencing constant burning pain or itching without an obvious cause. For some people, this is reality, caused by mutations in a single protein: the sodium channel Nav1. Nav1.9 is a voltage-gated ion channel found in sensory nerve cells that regulates sensitivity to pain and itch - like a "volume knob" for sensation.

Research leads to results. SnT's research reveals unexpected insights into the perception of entrepreneurs on their biodiversity impact. The findings can inform policymaking and entrepreneurship to improve the sustainability impact of entrepreneurship.

VUB Researcher Develops Fluorescence Lifetime Endoscopy Imaging system with a Time-gated Camera to Visualise Inner Organ of Body Pooria Iranian, a doctoral researcher at the ETRO research group at th

A study by researchers at the Interuniversity Institute of Bioinformatics in Brussels, the Structural Biology research group at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and IBiTech-BioMMedA Group of Ghent University reveals how a key blood protein involved in inflammation and cancer -alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP)-behaves in complex and surprising ways.

Luxembourg is no stranger to challenges and tensions in the rental market. Now, a new report published by political scientists at the University of Luxembourg and the association for tenants' protection ( Mieterschutz ) exposes which experiences cause strain for tenants. During the study, tenants expressed a number of negative feelings about the rental market, with unfairness (47%) and insecurity (24%) the most frequent.

In public debates about refugee resettlement, a crucial perspective is often overlooked: the experiences of the refugees themselves. Dr. Hanna E. Schneider (Brussels Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Migration and Minorities (BIRMM) - VUB) critically explores the complexities of refugee resettlement, examining refugees' agency alongside the systemic challenges that shape their journeys.

The use of animal manure in agriculture appears to be the best choice in terms of metal contamination of our soils Metals and hormone-disrupting substances such as oestrogens present a genuine risk to the sustainability of agriculture and water management in Europe. This is the conclusion of doctoral research conducted by Chinese environmental scientist Yuwei Jia at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).

An international research team led by Professor Kiavash Movahedi from the Brussels Center for Immunology at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has published groundbreaking results today in the prestigious journal Immunity . Their study sheds new light on the possibility of effectively replacing defective microglia-the brain's immune cells-marking a potential breakthrough in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

In a country where multilingualism is the norm, detecting learning disorders such as dyslexia, dysorthographia and dyscalculia is a real challenge.

Social media networks have proved to be fertile ground for the rise of populism, providing a mostly unfettered space for polarising discourse and spread of misinformation. Around the globe, the rise of populism has made political resilience and stability increasingly challenging. Help may come from an unexpected partner: for the first time, researchers in finance and economics are using a combination of models and theories from finance, robotics, economics and natural sciences to quantitatively study the data linked to the increase and pervasiveness of populism in social media.

About 66 million years ago, an asteroid slammed into the planet, wiping out all non-avian dinosaurs and about 70 percent of all marine species. The huge crater formed in the Gulf of Mexico functioned as a cradle for recovery of marine life enriching the overlying ocean for at least 700,000 years, according to research published today in Nature Communications .

Researchers from Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel) have developed an innovative digital application that enables fast and efficient screening of cognitive and motor impairments in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The app provides a simple and accessible way to track cognitive decline and motor limitations, marking an important step in the digitalization of neurological care.

After the groundbreaking creation of the first bio-based handbag made from mycelium leather, the Microbiology research group at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) expands their research on mycelium-based materials into new product categories. Led by Prof. Eveline Peeters and Prof. Elise Vanden Elsacker, the team explores mycelium, the root structure of fungi, as viable alternative to animal and synthetic leather.

At the LCSB, researchers model the complexity of the human brain in a Petri dish. Their work is highlighted in the latest episode of Primer , a new documentary series created by Bloomberg Originals that analyzes the complex science and technology shaping the future. Broadcast on March 27, the episode is entitled "Can Living Human Brain Cells Power AI?".

What is a fair way forward after the 1.5°C warming limit of the Paris Agreement has been breached? In a new study, an international team including VUB researchers explores the concept of 'net-zero carbon debt' - a measure for assessing who bears greater responsibility for minimizing the climate overshoot.

Every five minutes, somewhere in the world, someone creates a new deepfake. As this AI-powered threat grows, researchers are developing equally powerful tools to fight back. In 2024, a deepfake attempt occurred every five minutes, according to a report by the Entrust Cybersecurity Institute. The report shows a worrying trend.

Researchers have identified a key gene in the regulation of nerve circuits in "Caenorhabditis elegans", a small worm often used in research. This gene, also present in humans, is associated with a rare form of infantile epilepsy. Their work suggests that an excessive release of neuropeptides could play a key role in this disease, opening up new research prospects.

First developed in 2018 by Professor Christophe Ley , this innovative approach to machine learning is making waves far beyond the lab. By blending statistical insights with machine learning models, Statistically Enhanced Learning unlocks new predictive power. Let's check in on how this brainchild is growing up.