We are thrilled to celebrate the achievement of P2F PhD researcher Elena Domínguez Valdés who delivered the winning pitch at Utrecht University’s annual Breaking Science contest.

In just three minutes, Elena skilfully linked her work studying paleoclimate microfossils to efforts aimed at enhancing our understanding of future climate change.

It turns out that these little creatures kept track of how cold or warm the ocean was when they lived. Not only that, they did so in a language we understand: chemistry! By learning from Earth’s deep past, we will be better equipped to guide the future.

Elena Domínguez Valdés

Watch the full presentation:

This announcement was published as a news item by Utrecht University on 5 June 2025.