Author: bioclock

BioClock Gardens expanding: Now also in Katwijk!

Written by bioclock on April 30, 2026. Posted in News.

It was a big celebration in Katwijk’s duinvallei. The mayor and BioClock professor Joke Meijer recently planted the first seeds there for a brand-new BioClock garden! The garden is part of “Zanderijtuinders 2.0/Duinlandjes,” an initiative by Gerard Bol. The BioClock garden will feature flowers that bloom at different times of the day. Think of the moonflower that opens in the evening, and the daisy that loves to bloom in the sunshine. Accompanied by information signs and...

Royal Honour for BioClock’s Prof. Joke Meijer

Written by bioclock on April 28, 2026. Posted in News.

We are proud to share that BioClock coordinator Prof. Joke Meijer has been awarded a royal knighthood. A unique and more than deserved recognition of her contribution to chronobiology and the scientific field as a whole. During her goodbye-lecture Joke was appointed Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion. This prestigious honour is awarded to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to society in fields such as science, culture and innovation. The award was...

BioClock in the news: What shy zebrafish teach us about the biological clock

Written by bioclock on April 23, 2026. Posted in News.

Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant recently spoke to BioClock researcher Christian Tudorache, who works at the Institute of Biology in Leiden. Together with his team, he has succeeded in breeding confident and shy zebrafish. A link between these traits and the production of the stress hormone came as no surprise. What they had not expected, however, was a clear difference in the fish’s biological clock. The research Christian’s research showed that confident fish have a much...

Media round-up: from exam timing for students to giant space mirrors

Written by bioclock on April 14, 2026. Posted in News.

BioClock researchers have been making their voices heard, contributing to podcasts, newspapers, and national television. Recent media appearances covered topics ranging from student exam timing to ambitious plans to illuminate the night sky using mirrors in space. Podcast: Stress Navigation In the podcast Stress Navigation, an initiative of the Stress in Action consortium, BioClock researcher Joëlle Oosterman explains the role of the biological clock in health, stress,...

Looking back: The 4th Dutch Chronobiology Symposium

Written by bioclock on March 31, 2026. Posted in News.

On 27 March 2026, an international community of chronobiologists gathered at Leiden University’s Kamerlingh Onnes Building for the 4th Dutch Chronobiology Symposium. This full‑day meeting was dedicated to circadian biology it all of its many forms, attracting researchers from neurology and immunology to ecology and light design. The symposium opened with a keynote lecture by Prof. Chris Colwell (UCLA), who explored how circadian disruption contributes to neurodevelopmental...

BioClock in the spotlight as we switch to daylight saving time

Written by bioclock on March 30, 2026. Posted in News.

As we transition into daylight saving time once again, the biological clock takes center stage in public discussion. Several BioClock researchers recently had the opportunity to share their expertise in national media, offering insights into the historical roots of daylight saving time, its societal impact, and its consequences for our biological clock. The History of Daylight Saving Time and Why It’s Time for a Change Together with Universiteit van Nederland, Maaike van der...

Early bird or night owl? New BioClock research reveals that light sensitivity plays a big role

Written by bioclock on March 4, 2026. Posted in News.

Light is one of the most powerful signals synchronizing our biological clock to the outside world, but people differ widely in how sensitive they are to light. A new BioClock study, recently published in SLEEP, takes a closer look at how these individual differences in light sensitivity relate to chronotype – whether someone is naturally an ‘early bird’ or a ‘night owl’. The BioClock research team, led by Dr Laura Kervezee, conducted this ambitious study at the NEMO Science...