UU researchers contribute to Global Tipping Points Report
UU scientists from the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht investigated the Atlantic Ocean circulation and show that a sudden weakening can have major consequences for the global climate.
The world has reached its first climate tipping point, according to the new Global Tipping Points Report published on Monday 13 October. Warm-water coral reefs, vital ecosystems supporting nearly one billion people and a quarter of all marine life, are now undergoing irreversible loss. The report warns that other critical climate systems, such as ice sheets, rainforests and ocean currents, are also dangerously close to their tipping points.
Researchers from Utrecht University’s Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht (IMAU) played an important role in the case study of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and the Subpolar Gyre, ocean systems that strongly influence how heat is distributed across the planet.
“A sudden weakening or collapse of the AMOC would have major consequences for the climate in northwestern Europe, as well as for weather patterns, sea level and ecosystems worldwide,” says Henk Dijkstra, lead author of the case study. He led the international team that assessed the risks, impacts and uncertainties of a potential AMOC tipping point. His group also developed an online dashboard (amocscenarios.org) that visualises climate impacts under different global warming scenarios.
Within the same case study, René van Westen examined early warning signals that may indicate the AMOC is approaching a critical threshold, while Amber Boot explored the potential impacts of such a shift on marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Claudia Wieners contributed to the chapter on preventing tipping points, focusing on the role of Solar Radiation Modification. These are techniques that could partially reflect sunlight to temporarily cool the planet. Anna von der Heydt and Sacha Sinet co-authored an update on interactions between different climate systems, showing that most of these interconnections tend to amplify each other in their tipping behaviour.
The Global Tipping Points Report 2025 will be presented at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil, taking place from 10 to 21 November.
Registration for Utrecht Science Week 2026 is now open: the knowledge festival at Utrecht Science Park
From Friday 25 September to Sunday 4 October, the sixth edition of Utrecht Science Week will take place. Utrecht Science Park will open its doors to everyone interested in (applied) science and innovation in the fields of life sciences, health, and sustainability.
The first programme elements have now been announced and registration is open. Many more events and activities will be added to the programme in the coming weeks.
New artificial heart implanted for the first time in Europe
Earlier this month at UMC Utrecht, a patient with advanced heart failure became the first person in Europe to receive a BrioVAD ventricular assist device. The new system is being evaluated in a European study and may offer advantages over the existing ventricular assist device. For UMC Utrecht, the implantation marks a new milestone in a long history of innovation in the field of mechanical circulatory support.
Successful first edition of Utrecht Life Sciences TechConnect
On 4 June 2026, researchers, technology experts, facility staff and innovation partners from across the Utrecht Life Sciences community gathered at Utrecht Science Park for the first edition of Utrecht Life Sciences TechConnect. The new annual event was created to strengthen connections between researchers and technology facilities, showcase advanced research technologies, and stimulate collaboration across disciplines.
Opening Utrecht Science Week with keynote by Juliette Legler on the hidden influence of environmental chemicals
On Friday, September 25, the annual science festival ‘Utrecht Science Week’ kicks off once again at Utrecht Science Park. We are pleased to announce that this year, Prof. Dr. Ir. Juliette Legler will deliver the Utrecht Science Lecture. Juliette Legler is Professor of Toxicology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University and leads the ‘One Health Toxicology’ group at the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS).