Hitchhiking viruses and reflective clouds: eight WUR talents awarded Veni grant

Dr. Lisa van Sluijs previously discovered that viruses hitch rides on microscopic nematodes, traveling through the soil this way. These same viruses often kill soil microbes, whose remains account for up to eighty percent of the carbon stored in soil. What impact do hitchhiking viruses have on this carbon storage and soil health? By examining mechanisms at work here up to the molecular level, she aims to provide insight into carbon storage and soil health.

Above tropical oceans and forests hangs a blanket of low cumulus clouds, that cool earth and water by reflecting sunlight. Dr. Martin Janssens wants to investigate how these cloud patterns form by combining detailed simulations with high-resolution satellite observations. Janssens: 'We use what we learn to better predict how these patterns respond to a warming climate, and how they themselves influence climate change.'

More and more Europeans are buying second homes in nature reserves in Namibia and South Africa. Given the ongoing impact of colonialism in southern Africa, this trend is controversial. Dr. Lerato Thakholi investigates how these holiday homes impact local economies and fragile ecosystems. She addresses complex issues around land ownership and colonialism while also examining how these holiday homes affect local biodiversity.

Plants undergo massive developmental transitions, from green shoots to hardwood trees, all based on the same DNA. Their DNA is ‘expressed’ differently throughout their lifetime: different genes become accessible to regulate new internal processes. How do plants manage these complex processes? To answer this question, Dr. Leonardo Jo will study the group of proteins that unlock genes, the so-called 'pioneer factors.'

The tundra climate is warming four times faster than the global average. Shrubs growing there, such as creeping Arctic willows, are expanding, but how will these plants fare in the future? Dr. Rúna Mangússon plans to compare tundra shrubs with counterparts growing under simulated climate extremes. By carefully monitoring them, using technology like dendrometers, she aims to map the growth patterns of these plants 'with unprecedented precision.'

Dr. Edwin Alblas is an expert in environmental law and will study laws and regulations in the Netherlands concerning pesticides and nitrogen. These substances currently cause loss of nature and biodiversity. By collaborating with farmers, policymakers, and citizens, Alblas aims to explore how effective rules can be established to address pesticides and nitrogen. Alblas: 'I hope we can bring agriculture and nature conservation together.'

In the Netherlands, people with a higher socioeconomic status not only live longer but also remain healthy longer than those with a lower status. This gap is widening. 'There is an urgent need for research to better understand this development,' says Dr. Kristina Thompson. She aims to create an extensive overview of mechanisms linking socioeconomic status and health. By building a simulation model, she hopes to identify possible solutions.

Sub-Saharan Africa is urbanizing, increasing demand for public services. To meet this demand, local governments must boost their tax revenues. Current tax collection methods require enforcement, which faces political resistance. Dr. Niccola Meriggi is collaborating with various governments in Sierra Leone to investigate citizen responses to enforcement, aiming to provide well-founded recommendations.