Testimonials
Curious about what it's like to study the Bachelor's Biology? Read about the experiences of students, teachers and alumni below. What's the atmosphere like, what drives teachers and where will you end up?
Testimonials of students
If you are not too sure on what you want to do in the future, just go for what you like the most and feels right.
- Previous education
- International Baccalaureate (Platon School Athens)
- Programme
- Biology
- Study start date
- Study end date
Why did you choose Radboud University?
After comparing different science programmes at several universities, I chose to study at Radboud due to the curriculum. More specifically, I really liked the flexibility to choose a specialisation in your second year and even the opportunity to follow a minor. I also really liked the campus facilities, for example, the Sports Centre, which offers a wide variety of courses and classes you can follow.
How did you experience the transition from high school to university? How did the university/programme assist you with this transition?
The first few weeks were like an adventure: many parties, getting acquainted with the city and the people around. However, things got a bit harder when the first exam period came. This is when I realised I was on my own; I had to cook, do groceries, and clean, while also making sure I had enough time to study. It was chaotic at the beginning but it only took some months to get used to it. From the first year, we had some coaching sessions where we could talk about our experiences with lectures and share how the transition had been. Talking to a coach and other students from my group was helpful as it made me realise that a lot of us were feeling and struggling with the same things.
What do you like about the Bachelor's programme and why? How has the programme challenged you?
I like that for the first half of the programme, you take many different courses from different areas. This allows you to explore what you like and what you don't. Then, for the second half of the programme you can choose any courses that interest you, which is great. Nevertheless, some courses can be quite tough, especially due to the large amount of studying you need to do. I think the most challenging part has been staying up to date with the content of all courses.
What do you think about the atmosphere in class?
The atmosphere is really good. Teachers are always willing to help. You can really feel that it is a safe environment to ask any questions you might have and even discuss the topics further.
Are you involved with the study association of your programme? If so, in what way?
I am part of the ABO (Education committee) from BeeVee. We mainly organise study and knowledge related activities for all Biology students.
What do you like about Nijmegen?
I like that the city is not too small but also not too big. You can get anywhere by bike and there are quite a lot of nice cozy cafes and parks to visit.
What are your plans once you have received your Bachelor’s degree?
I would like to follow a Master's programme in the field of Pharmacology. It is still unclear whether I will stay in Nijmegen or go to a different city, but I know that I want to dedicate myself to researching new drugs and developing therapies for still incurable diseases.
Did you visit any information meetings at the campus before you signed up for your studies? Did you find them useful and why?
I attended the Bachelor's Open Day online since I was in a different country. It was very useful as it gave me an insight into what the Bachelor's in Biology looked like and I was able to ask any questions I had directly via the chat.
What would you advise students when choosing a study programme?
Don't pressure yourself too much into choosing the "perfect" study programme for you. If you are not too sure on what you want to do in the future, just go for what you like the most and feels right. Most of the time you will be able to explore different fields during your studies by for example, taking a minor or just taking electives at different faculties.
Testimonials of teachers and researchers
I want to find out why some plants can withstand heat better than others.
- Programme
- Adaptive Organisms
A current topic, as the changing climate has a significant impact on our food crops worldwide. Not only humans and animals suffer from heat stress, but plants do too. As a scientific researcher, Ivo Rieu and his team focus on crops grown for human consumption, such as tomatoes and beans.
‘The problem is that many plants become less fertile during periods of high temperatures. They produce fewer seeds and fruits. A heatwave when tomato plants are blooming can destroy the entire harvest.’
Developing crops
There are two possible solutions to this problem, and both are being applied. Ivo Rieu outlines: ‘There are farmers and gardeners who switch to another crop that is resistant to the heat. The second solution is to develop variants of crops with increased resistance to heatwaves. This is what we are researching.’
Genetic technology: time savings
As a biotechnologist, Ivo Rieu uses a plant or parts of it to cultivate a crop with desired characteristics. ‘In the past, breeding was done by crossbreeding and selecting plants by eye. Nowadays, we use genetic technology. With this technology, we save a lot of time because we can work at the gene level with seedlings and don’t have to go through the entire growing cycle. What used to take three months can now be done in a day.’
‘For example, a DNA sample is made from a piece of leaf. This sample is then "read" with special equipment. We don’t do this ourselves. There are companies specialised in this, and they provide us with the ready-made DNA code on which we conduct our research.’
Defense mechanisms
Using DNA, Ivo Rieu investigates the defense mechanisms of plants. 'We want to find out why some plants can withstand heat better than others. If we identify the piece of DNA responsible for this, we can selectively crossbreed plants and expose them to heat in a greenhouse. If it works, we test it on-site.
We have done this successfully in Italy, Spain, and Turkey. This is the applied part of our research. These insights help us make agriculture and horticulture more sustainable and climate-resilient. Breeding companies are already using the findings from our research.'
Understanding the defense mechanism
‘If we find a piece of DNA that makes a plant more heat-resistant, we also want to know how it works. What exactly does that piece of DNA do? We want to understand the defense mechanism.’
A process of at least ten years
According to Ivo Rieu, this defense mechanism can be used for different types of plants. This means that if the mechanism works in tomato plants, it will likely work in cucumbers or eggplants as well. ‘The piece of DNA that prevents heat stress in tomatoes can then be transferred to other crops.’
However, the whole process is not a quick fix. Ivo Rieu estimates that it will take at least ten years before such crops are available for cultivation and consumption.
Food security and sustainability
Ivo Rieu and his team are the only research group in the Netherlands focusing on this topic. ‘This research is becoming increasingly important because climate change is a global problem with significant impacts on our food crops.’
‘We provide solutions derived from nature or developed using a biotechnological approach. It is incredibly motivating to contribute to something as important as food security and sustainability.’
A sensor aids in the diagnosis and in the optimisation and further development of medication.
- Programme
- Biology
Developing new digital technology for a healthy and sustainable world is the aim of OnePlanet, the multidisciplinary collaboration between Wageningen University & Research, Radboud University and Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc), and Imec, a leading Belgian research center.
Sensor technology is one of the focal points. Since 1 January 2024, Richard van Wezel has been the Director of Health at the OnePlanet Research Center. He also works as a professor of Neuroscience at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, part of Radboud University Nijmegen.
Stimulating business activity
"OnePlanet was established five years ago with support from the Province of Gelderland to stimulate business activity and innovation. The beauty of this collaboration is that we develop things that we actually bring to market. With every idea we want to develop, we ask ourselves if there is a market for it: are people or companies willing to pay for it?" says Van Wezel.
"This is a very different starting point for university researchers compared to the research academics usually engage in."
Gut flora
A pill equipped with an ingestible sensor that measures and records the temperature in your stomach and intestines, among other things, and tracks how long food stays in your intestines, has already been tested on healthy volunteers. Work is still ongoing on a pill that can take a sample from your stomach or intestines for analysis, with the first human studies expected in 2025.
"These are important developments for better treating patients with chronic diseases such as Crohn's disease. But for other diseases, like Parkinson's, the gut flora plays an important role that affects your health. A sensor helps in diagnosing and in the optimisation and further development of medication."
Nitrogen sensor
Van Wezel also talks about the intensive work on new sensors for the food industry and agriculture.
"In our society, there is a significant shortage of labor in healthcare and agriculture. With our products, we try to find solutions for this. For example, we have developed a nitrogen sensor to perform measurements around a farm, and a laser technique to measure the ripeness of fruits in the orchard so you know when they can be picked. Another example is mapping an orchard in 3D, so you can indicate in advance to workers or a robot which branches need to be pruned. This saves time and labor and increases production."
One project
Not only is a lot of time and energy spent on developing the sensor, but careful handling of all collected data and ensuring privacy also require attention.
"Within OnePlanet, we work together with about a hundred employees. There are colleagues who deal with market research and business development, but also those who work on legislation, safety, and electronics. This means that together, we can conceive a product within a few years and actually bring it to market. That really is unique."
This testimonial previously appeared on TechGelderland.nl
Photo: Raphael Drent