In the past decade many population studies have been performed with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to understand the bulk properties of protoplanetary disks around young stars. These population studies mostly consisted of low mass stars, with relatively few of the disks around…

Galaxies form and evolve through close interaction with their surroundings. As a result, the heavy elements ('metals') that are synthesized in stars, are found both inside and outside galaxies.

Within the field of astronomy, understanding how galaxies grow and evolve from the Big Bang to the present day is a challenging and complex question.

High-angular-resolution observations of the circumstellar material have uncovered numerous and very diverse substructures in protoplanetary discs, raising the question of whether they are caused by forming planets or other mechanisms.

Multiple stars, that is two or more stars composing a gravitationally bound system, are common in the universe.

This thesis discusses the physical and chemical processes than influence the composition of forming planets.

This thesis investigates how galaxies form and what diversifies the evolutionary histories of galaxies.

One of the key quests in astronomy is to study the growth and evolution of galaxies across cosmic time. Radio observations provide a powerful means of studying the formation of stars and subsequent buildup of distant galaxies, in a way that is unbiased by the presence of dust.

Promotores: Prof.dr. J. Schaye, Prof.dr. S.D.M. White (MPA Garching)

To address the fundamental questions of how life on Earth emerged and how common life may be in the Universe, it is crucial to know the chemical composition of the planet-forming material.

Promotor: J. Schaye

The focus of this thesis is how stars like our Sun and planets like Jupiter, Saturn, and Earth are formed.

Promotor: Prof.dr. E.F. van Dishoeck

Wetenschappers bij de Leidse Sterrewacht onderzoeken de oorsprong van sterren en hun planetenstelsels. Ze detecteren en karakteriseren planeten rondom andere sterren (exoplaneten). Ze onderzoeken hoe sterren en planeten ontstaan. En ze volgen moleculen van interstellaire wolken tot planetenstelsels…

The formation of stars and planets happens over multiple scales, which can interact. In particular, planet formation happens in the dense, complex environment of star forming regions.

Promotor: Prof.dr. E. F. van Dishoeck

Understanding how chemical complexity emerges during star formation requires connecting molecular material preserved in interstellar ices with that observed in the gas phase after protostellar heating begins.

Plant exudates appeared long time ago in the history line of life in the early Devonian. They are typical saps produced by specialized cells.

Maak een reis door de geschiedenis en de toekomst van het leven op aarde.

Promotores: Prof.dr. M. Franx, Prof.dr. P.G. van Dokkum (Yale University)

De missie van het Plant Sciences onderzoeksprogramma is om bij te dragen aan de duurzame productie van gewassen van hoge kwaliteit, bloemen en hoogwaardige producten met een biologische basis. Dit wordt gerealiseerd door het opdoen van fundamentele kennis over biologische processen omtrent de ontwikkeling…

The solar system was formed approximately 4.56 billion years ago. Despite the numerous theories that have been developed over the years, the formation and evolution of the solar system still remain unclear.

Promotor: Roeland M.H. Merks

Large areas of space are filled by molecular clouds that consist of gas and dust grains that are the remnants of dead stars. When these clouds start collapsing, the decreasing temperature and increasing density cause gas particles to start accreting onto dust grain surfaces.

Promotor: G.P. van Wezel

Voor groep 4/5 basisschool.

In this thesis, the role of plant-mediated soil legacy effects in shaping aboveground plant-insect interactions was investigated.

Promotor: Prof.dr. H.V.J. Linnartz

A dense region of a gaseous and dusty cloud collapses to form a protostar surrounded by a disk and an envelope. This thesis uses both observations and models to study physical and chemical conditions of these protostellar systems which are likely where planets start to form.

Biodiversity enables ecosystems to thrive through the synergy of functional differences among organisms. While human well-being strongly depends on biodiversity-driven ecosystem services, human actions are also at the root of current unprecedented biodiversity declines.

The origin and evolution of galaxies are closely tied to the cyclic feedback processes between stars and the interstellar medium (ISM).

Plants are colonized by an astounding number of microorganisms that can provide different life-support functions, including nutrient acquisition and protection against (a)biotic stresses like drought or pathogen attack.

Plant diversity is essential for us and our planet as it sustains the stability of our ecosystems, provides vital materials and food to us and supports many ecosystem services.

The overall objectives of my thesis are to investigate the dynamics of the sorghum root microbiome and to explore the beneficial effects of the root microbiome on sorghum growth and stress tolerance.

Plant-microbe interaction resulted in different physio/chemical responses by host plant and interacting rhizobacteria.

In this thesis, we study different curved single crystals because of the diversity of surface structures across their curvature.

Protein–protein complexes are formed via transient states called encounter complexes that greatly influence the formation of the stereospecific complex.

In light of climate change, it is crucial to determine whether plant species can adapt to future climates to avoid extinction. Plants adapt to various conditions by altering their functional traits, such as leaf size or photosynthetic rate. Some traits appear linked and vary together between species,…

Soil biodiversity is of great importance for the maintenance of multifunctionality in terrestrial ecosystems.

The physical origin of the dozens of stellar-mass binaries, the mergers of which have been detected by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration via gravitational waves, is still unknown.

Wetland plants are distinguished from plants of other terrestrial ecosystems by their adaptations to specific habitat stresses, including waterlogged and flooding and the subsequent abundance of phytotoxic compounds.

Promotor: Prof.dr. E.F. van Dishoeck, Prof.dr. F.F.S. van der Tak (RUG)

Promotor: Prof.dr. P. Hooykaas, Co-promotor: R. Offringa

Promotor: Prof.dr. E.F. van Dishoeck, Co-Promotor: M.R. Hogerheijde

This thesis addresses the chemical processes that determine the compositions of giant planet atmospheres.

Plants and soils from natural ecosystems harbor great diversity of soil microorganisms, which could potentially contribute to the sustainability of horticulture. The knowledge about using wild plant species and soil from natural ecosystem to improve the crop health will advance the application of ecological…

This thesis takes steps toward understanding the interaction between gas-phase and solid-state molecules in star- and planet-forming regions.

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation (AMT) has abundantly been used for scientific research for identifying valuable traits.

This thesis aims to enhance our understanding of galaxies by testing theoretical models of galaxy formation against observations, particularly in the cases of extreme systems which have been found to have an excess of baryonic mass in their central regions, in the form of either supermassive black holes…

Protoplanetary disks are the gas and dust environments where planetary systems form around young stars. Using observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) this thesis analyses the gaseous molecular reservoir, using multiple tracers to resolve the 3D structure of protoplanetary…