Newsflash Faculty of Science: Depressed primates, popsicle made from salty glacier water, and more
Quick updates
At Utrecht University’s Faculty of Science, we are committed to keeping you informed about the latest developments, breakthroughs, and achievements that shape our academic landscape. In this newsflash, you will find quick, bite-sized updates on a range of topics that we wish to share with you in addition to the other, more extensive articles in our newsfeed.

Human symptoms of depression can also be observed in other primates
Depression is not limited to humans; other animals can experience it too. But how can one tell if an animal is depressed? In humans, depression is diagnosed based on nine symptoms outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Behavioral biology student Jonas van Oosten, along with Utrecht University biologist Elisabeth Sterck and Annemie Ploeger from the University of Amsterdam, explored the scientific literature to investigate whether these symptoms could also be used to identify depression in other primates, such as chimpanzees, macaques, and gorillas.
Not all nine DSM-5 symptoms are outwardly visible—fatigue and feelings of guilt, for example, are not easily observable. However, six symptoms can be detected externally. In their literature review, the researchers show that at least four of these symptoms are also present in non-human primates. These include anhedonia (loss of the ability to feel joy), changes in weight, alterations in sleep patterns, and differences in psychomotor speed.
To be diagnosed with depression, humans must display at least five of the nine symptoms outlined in the DSM-5. Van Oosten and his colleagues now suggest that non-human primates show four out of six observable symptoms to be classified as depressed. Van Oosten: “If we can identify depression in animals, it opens opportunities for treatment, potentially improving their welfare. Additionally, comparing depression in humans and other animal species can provide valuable insights into how and why depression evolved.”
Collaborations for Future: Ten brave attempts to do something in response to the climate crisis
Ten climate scientists and ten designers collaborated for nine months with no fixed brief. The result? A series of surprising projects that make the climate crisis tangible in creative, thought-provoking, and playful ways. Researchers Roderik van de Wal and Tim van den Akker each contributed to the Collaborations for Future exhibition.
Van de Wal teamed up with designer Merel Witteman to create a unique ice cream bar. The six popsicles in this bar, made from salty glacier water, each tell a story about Antarctica. Take, for example, the Doomsday Delight—a popsicle paying tribute to the world’s most dangerous glacier. A sweet reminder of a chilling reality: how much longer will we have glaciers to make ice from?
Together with Colette Aliman, Van den Akker developed the Open Climate Call, an interactive phone booth where visitors can have live conversations with a climate scientist. Here, he answers questions about what’s real and what’s not when it comes to climate change, emphasising that social solutions are essential in tackling the climate crisis.
Curious about more of these surprising collaborations? The exhibition is open until February 28, 2025, at Foundation We Are in Eindhoven.

Best paper award: Can large language models help extract data for process mining?
Researcher Vinicius Stein Dani and his collaborators received the Best Paper Award during the 30th International Conference on Cooperative Information Systems (CoopIS).
In the awarded paper, the researchers investigated the use of large language models (LLMs) to support event-log extraction, which is needed for process mining. Process mining is a discipline that enables organizations to discover and analyze their work processes. Although an event-log is a prerequisite for process mining, it is not always readily available. In such cases, extracting an event-log involves various time-consuming tasks.
The results of this paper show the potential of future LLM-assisted event-log extraction tools. These tools can increase access to event-log extraction to a broader range of users within an organization.
Utrecht University hosts workshop to solve company’s math problems
Utrecht University will host the next edition of the Study Group Mathematics with Industry, from January 27 to January 31, 2025. The Study Group Mathematics with Industry (SWI) is a combined industrial–academic week-long workshop sponsored by NWO. Roughly seventy mathematicians, ranging from PhD students to full professors, work in groups on problems submitted by companies. Companies present a selection of problems on Monday. The participants devote the entire week to studying these problems in smaller groups and present their results on Friday.
The SWI has acquired six problems from companies from different sectors and requiring a wide range of mathematical expertise for their solution. For example, the RIVM wishes to create a faster, more reliable, and understandable method to detect and exclude improbable values in their process of testing wastewater. The programme collects and analyzes water samples from all wastewater treatment plants in the country, and the test results can sometimes show unusual or unlikely values. Other companies proposing problems are: CBS, Jasco Applied Sciences bv, Sanofi, SVI, and UMCU.