Article

Ants survive massive doses of X-rays: a Namur scientific experiment to quantify their radioresistance

Researchers from UNamur's Departments of Biology and Physics have conducted a scientific experiment to assess the radioresistance of the common black ant Lasius niger. The results of their work have just been published in the Belgian scientific journal Belgian Journal of Zoology. The Namur-based scientists demonstrate a level of resistance far superior to that of humans. Their spontaneous approach also demonstrates a lesser-known approach to scientific research.
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Event

ILEE lunch seminar

Presentations Romain Deleu (Geology): Hydrodynamics of solute transport in karst conduits: assessment by multi-point dye tracing and numerical modellingJustine Bélik (Biology): Can DNA methylation predict the age of a self-fertilizing vertebrate species?
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Article

René Preys: the archaeologist who examines Egyptian menus

What exactly did the ancient Egyptians eat? How did they prepare and preserve their food? What was their nutritional value? René Preys, an Egyptologist at UNamur, is currently involved in this astonishing research. This expert is a major figure in Belgian Egyptology. Interview.
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Event

The physicochemistry of parchment and inks - experimental and historical approaches.

will take place from September 2 to 6, 2024 at the Gîte du domaine d'Haugimont (owned by the University of Namur) and will deal with medieval manuscripts in their material and historical aspects (parchment and ink manufacture). The event is aimed at historians, archaeologists and researchers in the physical and chemical sciences. Participation is free for doctoral students attached to FNRS doctoral schools in the disciplines concerned. At the crossroads of archaeology, history and the exact sciences, this colloquium-workshop will give the floor to three speakers (a physicist, a chemist and a historian) who will present the interdisciplinary research they are conducting together in this field. Workshops on parchment reproduction, inks and writing materials will be held each day.More information on the event .
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Article

The "Même pas peur! between education, experience and commitment

The wolf, long banished from our lands, has made a remarkable comeback in Wallonia since 2016. This mysterious being, now protected, arouses as much fascination as fear. Through an exhibition, held as part of the Cultural Project course, third-year history bachelor students have traced the history of the wolf. From April 11 to 27, 2024, the exhibition entitled "Même pas peur! Une évolution de l'image du loup à travers les siècles" invited audiences to plunge into the heart of a historical exploration.
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Article

Mapping life

In 2021, the European Union has embarked on a titanic project to safeguard the genomes of all eukaryotic species in Europe. In other words, all living organisms, with the exception of bacteria and archaea (micro-organisms). Called ERGA, for European Reference Genome Atlas, and in which UNamur is participating thanks to Professor Alice Dennis, this project hopes to help safeguard biodiversity, at a time when a fifth of European species are in danger of extinction..
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Article

At the heart of Madagascar's ethical and environmental challenges

Located in the Indian Ocean, Madagascar is an island with a rich natural heritage and multiple cultural influences. For over 15 years, researchers from the University of Namur have been working with a number of Madagascan universities and institutes on a variety of themes, including environmental preservation, water management and institutional capacity building. Focus on some of these projects.
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Article

A gift for labs in the Faculty of Science and Faculty of Medicine

In late November, the Mont-Saint-Guibert-based company Cellistic® donated equipment it no longer used to UNamur. By enabling the university to give this equipment a second life, Cellistic is making an important gesture in support of the development of university research.
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Article

Our researchers in the World's Top 2% Scientists list

Stanford University has published a prestigious ranking that highlights the most influential researchers in a wide range of scientific fields. The list, based on bibliographic criteria, aims to provide a standardized means of identifying the world's scientific leaders. It is one criterion among others for assessing the quality of scientific research. Twelve researchers from the University of Namur are among them!
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Event

International Conference - Memory(ies) and Political Competition in the Roman World (3rd century BC - 4th century AD)

The study of memory phenomena in ancient societies has been a growing field of research since the 1990s, and has been particularly dynamic over the last decade. Awareness of the impact of memory, due to its plasticity, on social and political actors in the ancient world opens up new perspectives for analyzing attested phenomena and events. The conference proposes to study the use of memory and its specific dynamics in the context of political competition, in various spheres and covering a broad chronological framework, from the 3rd century BC to the 4th century AD, with the aim of encouraging dialogue between respective specialists.Organizers: Simon Lambert (F.R.S.-FNRS Research Fellow), Pierre Assenmaker (Professor, UNamur), and Françoise Van Haeperen (Full Professor, UCLouvain)Information and registration: simon.lambert@unamur.be
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Article

Colourful speleothems: treasures hidden deep within the earth

Well hidden from passersby, caves nevertheless conceal particularly aesthetic secrets. For the past four years, Martin Vlieghe has been pursuing a PhD in geology at UNamur.  He is exploring the origin of the surprisingly varied colours of certain concretions nestled in the heart of Belgian and French caves. Together with Prof. Johan Yans and Gaëtan Rochez, he samples, observes, and analyses these magnificent objects with the aim of uncovering the mysteries they conceal.
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Article

Blob in space: an unprecedented scientific mission

In the coming months, the University of Namur will participate in an exceptional space mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), alongside Belgian astronaut Raphaël Liégeois. The BeBlob project, led by researchers Boris Hespeels (ILEE Institute) and Anne-Catherine Heuskin (NARILIS Institute), aims to study the DNA repair capabilities of a fascinating organism: the blob (Physarum polycephalum).
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