Chemistry vs. bacteria, # 29. The Gist factory, from illegal to global player
Quite admirable, the fast development of a penicillin of their own at the Gist. And subsequent developments are at least as impressive. In November 1945 already, the Dutch government poses the question if the Netherlands can become self-supportive. And they can. The Gist and Kluyver are ready for it. Although this is not without its
Integration of PV into the economy
Integration of PV into the economy will become the main task in the years to come. Sustainability in the production chain is becoming more important all the time. The advantage of solar energy used to be that it was renewable: without use of fossil fuels. But now, PV should develop into a fully sustainable energy
Ambitions for solar energy
In the past few decades, solar energy (PV) has grown a lot; the number of applications has much increased and production has become much more large-scale. Costs have taken a dive, and dramatically so. The ambitions for solar energy are sky-high. Says Wim Sinke: ‘In the 40 years that I work in the solar field,
Chemistry vs. bacteria, # 28. The success of Bacinol
At the Gist, there are three main characters involved in the successful development of antibiotics. Professor Kluyver as an advisor. François Gerard Waller as the COO. And doctor Andreas Querido. Querido (1922) is by far the youngest. He has been educated at the Pasteur Institute and has started as an internist at the Academic Hospital
Interlocked banks, natural constructions
Floating islands as the lungs of a lake. Made from mycelium, sawdust and turfs made from reed. And island strong enough to carry a person and yet flexible enough to move with the waves. Erik Hobijn designed them and now these interlocked banks are being developed. ‘Floating land made of mycelium’. Ecomimicry Earlier, we wrote
Chemistry vs. bacteria, # 27. Development of penicillin in the Netherlands
When the Oxford team books its first successes, the Germans already occupy the Netherlands for three months. From 1943 onwards, the allies issue a ban on publications on penicillin. And yet, in November 1945 the Nederlandse Gist- en Spiritusfabriek in Delft already cures its first patient with penicillin of its own. There is a very
Green roofs
The Earth heats up; and in this process, towns are among the areas most hit. Buildings and streets tend to store incoming radiation. Towns urgently need to be turned greener, if only with the goal to keep them liveable. Green roofs are important agents in that process. They can lower ambient temperatures by 2oC, inside
