Of all the components of dead plants, wood is the hardest to break down. How come fungi know how to do this? What issues did they need to solve to achieve this? The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) tries to find answers to these questions. The research has yielded surprising discoveries. These could be useful for sustainable forest and nature management, sustainable agriculture and even the development of new medicines.

The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded more than 2.8 million euros to a consortium led by NIOO's Sven Teurlincx that will investigate the use of floating solar panels. It aims to establish the technological, ecological and social conditions for floating solar energy to have a sustainable future - for people as well as nature, in different landscapes.

The conversion of Amazon rainforest for agriculture has led to deforestation and soil degradation. Agroforestry has been suggested as a sustainable alternative, but NIOO's Eiko Kuramae says its impact on the soil needs to be more fully considered.

Dedmer van de Waal has been named Professor by special appointment of Aquatic Functional Ecology at the University of Amsterdam (UvA).

The sold-out science festival for children 'Expeditie NEXT' took over the historic Dutch city of Franeker earlier this month.

Emilia Hannula and Elly Morriën have been awarded the Teylers Foundation’s gold medal at a ceremony in Haarlem. The two soil researchers - who both did their PhD research at NIOO - won an essay competition set by the foundation.

16/04/2021 Kay Moisan has won the 2020 Hugo de Vries Award, for her PhD thesis on odours released by soil fungi and their effects on plants.