Groot has achieved several scientific breakthroughs, has opened new areas of scientific research and developed important tests for space travel. In 1997, he was the first to use an optical telescope to observe the counterpart of a gamma-ray burst, the 'afterglow' with which the Gamma flash 'betrays' itself. His observation represented a significant breakthrough in unravelling the mysteries of gamma-ray bursts. Groot is one of the driving forces behind the European project EGAPS, whose purpose is to develop a detailed map of the Milky Way.
