Three UU research projects awarded NWO Open Competition ENW-M grant

Three researchers from the Faculty of Science at Utrecht University have been awarded an Open Competition ENW-M grant from NWO. The grant is intended for innovative, high-quality fundamental research with scientific urgency. 

More information about the researchers and their awarded projects:

Dr. Kaisa Kajala (UU) & prof. dr. Laura Ragni (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg)

Mystery of the MYBs: Finding the missing piece for dynamic regulation of suberin in roots

Plant roots act as a first line of defense against environmental stress such as drought, salinity, and harmful microbes. An important component of this defense is suberin, a waxy substance that regulates which substances can enter the plant. However, the mechanisms controlling suberin production are not yet fully understood.

In the MYBstery project, Kajala and Ragni focus on MYB transcription factors: proteins that function as molecular switches controlling genes involved in suberin formation. By studying how these switches operate across different cell types and plant species, the researchers aim to understand how plants dynamically adjust their protective barriers. In the long term, this knowledge could contribute to the development of crops that are better equipped to withstand environmental stress and disease.

Dr. Bram van Dijk (UU)

Mobile DNA right beneath our feet: the evolution of soil fungi

Soil fungi are persistent threats to crops. They are hard to eliminate and can survive in the soil for years. Recent discoveries show that large mobile DNA elements, called “Starships”, can spread between fungi and carry genes that cause plant disease. 

In this project, Bram van Dijk uses computer models to understand how these elements move, how they influence fungal adaptation, and how farming practices shape this evolution. The goal is to build a deeper understanding of fungal adaptation and to support more accurate predictions and sustainable strategies for managing plant disease. 

Prof. dr. Bert Koopmans (TU/e) & prof. dr. Rembert Duine (UU)

Magnetic topology on demand

Materials with topological protection represent a relatively new approach to processing and storing information. This technology has the potential to make future computers significantly more energy-efficient, as it is less susceptible to disturbances that would otherwise lead to energy loss in the form of heat.

In this project, Rembert Duine and Bert Koopmans will investigate how these principles can be applied to the development of a new building block for energy-efficient computer chips. To this end, they are developing a kind of ‘optical pen’ with which an arbitrary topologically protected lattice can be written into a thin film. This lattice consists of ultra-small magnetic textures, each with a diameter of less than one hundred nanometers. Within this lattice, a wave-like movement of magnetism will be generated that propagates along the edge of the lattice without being able to be slowed down.