How can science and collaboration contribute to solutions for complex societal challenges? What does it take for us to adapt to changing circumstances and new possibilities? In three new episodes of EWUU Science Bites, researchers explore these questions from different perspectives. Each conversation shows, in its own way, what can emerge when different forms of knowledge and expertise come together.
The podcast series was recorded in the EWUU Science Circus Tent during the Summervibes Festival 2026 at Wageningen Campus. Researchers discuss their work live with host Robbin Reijnen and the audience. The conversations are now available as podcasts on Spotify.
With EWUU Science Bites, EWUU gives researchers a platform to connect knowledge and perspectives across disciplines and institutions, and to explore new questions and insights together. The three episodes focus on the development of biobased construction value chains, communication between the gut and brain, and making complex science understandable to a broad audience.
The institute 4 Preventive Health contributed to the podcast: ”How gut and brain talk you into health” with Klaske van Norren.
Podcast: Van land tot pand: biobased bouwen (in Dutch!)
How can we build with renewable materials such as timber and fibre crops? And what does it take to get a biobased construction value chain off the ground? Researcher Ilse Voskamp (WUR) takes us into a study that looks not only at materials, but also at how a new construction value chain can take shape and adapt to the needs of a region. This includes strengthening connections between urban and rural areas, biodiversity, climate adaptation and collaboration between regional partners. The project is supported by the EWUU Institute for a Circular Society.
Ilse Voskamp is an assistant professor in the Landscape Architecture Group at WUR, with a focus on vision development and circularity.
Podcast: How gut and brain talk you into health
In How gut and brain talk you into health, researcher Klaske van Norren (WUR) explores the communication between the gut and the brain. What happens in the body when you are ill? Why do you lose your appetite, for example? How does the body adapt when circumstances change? And what can we learn from the so-called gut-brain axis about recovery and quality of life? Klaske van Norren’s research has received seed funding from the EWUU Institute for Preventive Health.
Klaske van Norren is an associate professor at WUR, specialising in nutritional biology and the role of nutrition in health and disease.
Podcast: How to show people things they can’t see (yet)
Synthetic cells, invisible biological processes and complex scientific knowledge: how do you help others understand what your research is about? In the episode How to show people things they can’t see (yet), researchers Charlotte Koster (WUR) and Lisette van Bruggen (UMC Utrecht) discuss what helps make complex science understandable and meaningful, and how to adapt the way you explain your work in different contexts. They explore the role of storytelling, visualisations and personal relevance. The episode brings together research from EWUU Living Technologies and EWUU Education.
Lisette van Bruggen is an educational scientist at UMC Utrecht, focusing on how people learn, process information and engage. Charlotte Koster is a postdoctoral researcher at WUR, studying synthetic cells and microbial systems.
During the 2025 Wageningen Summervibes Festival, five EWUU Science Bites episodes were recorded:
- Science bites How healthcare pollutes the planet – and how to fix it
- Science bites Why AI is watching whats on your plate