The government of the Netherlands has allocated €200 million from the country’s National Growth Fund for a public-private consortium that will conduct research into 'microbiomes' and economically interesting applications thereof. In the consortium, NIOO is partnering with ten Dutch universities, five university-medical centres, four universities of applied sciences, many other knowledge organisations and together with dozens of small and large companies and societal organisations.

Spring has started in the Netherlands, and that means our soil life is very active again. How much do we know of the creatures living under our feet? That is where the citizen science project of the Soil Animal Days comes in. What did the results of 2023 show us? Earthworms like wet weather and managed to retain their position in the national soil animals Top 3: they were spotted in 87% of gardens. And in Leeuwarden, people searched for soil animals with such enthusiasm and a clear focus on the importance of soil animals that the Frisian capital may proudly call itself Soil Animal City of the Year.