Promotor: Huub J.M. de Groot, Co-promotor: Francesco Buda

Integrins play an essential role in multicellular life by connecting cells to the extracellular matrix.

Image segmentation is a fundamental task in computer vision, with applications ranging from medical diagnostics to archaeological research.

Promotors: W. Jiskoot; G.J. Witkamp, Co-promotor: M.R. Nejadnik

Endothelial dysfunction and microvascular diseases are key drivers of cardiovascular disease, the world's leading cause of death.

The overarching goal of this thesis is to set the foundations, but also make the first essential steps towards establishing a comprehensive, mesoscopic, hydrodynamic theory of epithelial tissues. The stage is set by an exhaustive study of topological defects in passive p-atic liquid crystals, singularities…

In previous studies at our laboratory it was demonstrated that drug exposure of HepG2 cells can lead to an altered TNFα-induced NF-κB oscillatory phenotype, concurrent with a synergistically increased sensitivity for TNFα-induced apoptosis.

In this thesis, we focus on novel proteins/mechanisms that regulate integrin-adhesion mediated mechano-transduction.

This doctoral thesis is an effort to understand how lipid phase-separation induced by diacylglycerol analogues in lipid-based nanoparticles affects their in vivo behavior, leading to specific nanoparticle-protein communications and selective cell targeting.

In photoactivated chemotherapy (PACT), a biologically active compound is caged by a light-cleavable protecting group.

Pericytes, the mural cells of blood microvessels, are important regulators of vascular morphogenesis and function that have been postulated to mechanically control microvascular diameter through as yet unknown mechanisms.

This thesis focuses on the synthesis, characterization and performance towards CO2 electroreduction of mono and bi-metallic particles based on p-block metals

Promotores: H.S. Overkleeft, G.A. van der Marel, Co-Promotor: R.G. Boot

This thesis describes the synthesis, analysis of various tetrazine bearing compounds and use in bioorthogonal chemistry.

In human cells, a meter-long DNA is condensed inside a micrometer-sized cell nucleus. Simultaneously, the genetic code must remain accessible for its replication and transcription to functional proteins.

The molecular mechanisms that instigate a healthy cell to become malignant are fueled by (epi)genetic alterations in so-called driver genes.

Kinase inhibitors are key therapeutic agents, particularly in oncology, yet their clinical efficacy is often hampered by off-target effects and limited understanding of their cellular target profiles.

Promotor: Roeland M.H. Merks

Drug induced organ toxicity is the main problem of the drug development and drug usage in the clinic. The liver and kidneys are the most sensitive organs towards drug induced toxicity.

The function of TLRs in innate immunity has aroused worldwide attention soon after its discovery. Because of the broad functions of TLR2 in innate immunity, the drive for the development of TLR2-targeted vaccines or therapeutic treatments has accelerated in the last decades.

Promotores: Prof.dr. H. van Veen & Prof.dr. W. de Boer (Wageningen University)

The applications of studying the early development of insects range from agriculture to material science.

Synthesis and application of chemical biology tools to study immunomodulatory signaling lipids.

The investigations described in this thesis lay out strategies aimed at advancing antibiotic research and development. The examples presented revolve around two main approaches: understanding drug-target interactions and target identification.

Promotores: Prof.dr. W.J.G.M. Peijnenburg & Dr. M.G. Vijver

This thesis describes the functional analysis of the Arabidopsis AHL15 gene.

Lysosomal acid glucosylceramidase (GBA1) is a lysosomal enzyme that degrades glucolipids with its main substrate being glucosylceramide (GlcCer). Defects in the GBA1 gene lead to glycosphingolipidosis Gaucher disease (GD), in which the hydrolysis of GlcCer is impaired and therefore, it accumulates in…

Promotor: Johan Kuiper, Co-promotor: Saskia C.A. de Jager

Promotor: J.G.E.M. Fraaije, Co-Promotor: A. Kros

Promotor: H.P. Spaink, Co-Promotor: A.H. Meijer

Promotores: A.H. Meijer, H.P. Spaink

The type-IV secretion system (T4SS) is a machinery able to transfer DNA and proteins between bacteria and in certain cases also to eukaryotic cells.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Metastasis, the process by which cancer cells spread to other parts of the body, makes treatments less effective. It is important to unravel the mechanism of metastasis.

This thesis tackles the difficulty of predicting the liver’s clinical response to novel therapies, a challenge arising from interspecies differences and limitations of existing in vitro models.

Promotor: J. Kuiper

To improve treatment of breast cancer patients it is important to understand all stages of breast cancer from initiation to in situ disease and progression to invasive disease. In this thesis we use intraductal injections of patient derived tissue to model ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive breast…

In het onderzoeksprogramma Drug Discovery & Safety zijn we geïnteresseerd in de werkzaamheid en veiligheid van nieuwe medicijnen en nieuwe manieren om deze aspecten te bepalen. Daarvoor combineren we geavanceerde imaging en high-throughput screening technieken met computationele aanpakken zoals chem-…

Studies naar perceptuele besluitvorming presenteren dezelfde stimulus doorgaans herhaaldelijk tijdens een experimentele sessie, maar negeren de volgorde van deze observaties, waarbij wordt uitgegaan van een onrealistische stabiliteit van beslissingsstrategieën tijdens proeven. Maar zelfs ‘stabiel’,…

The cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2R) is associated with several inflammatory diseases with an unmet medical need (e.g. Alzheimers, multiple sclerosis, reumatoid arthritis). Development of new chemical biology strategies to study this protein is essential to aid future development of drugs for these…

Nierfalen is een serieus probleem omdat nieren zichzelf niet kunnen regenereren na ernstige beschadiging. Een mogelijke oplossing bestaat uit het kunstmatig laten groeien van gezond nierweefsel. Daarvoor moeten wetenschappers eerst de ontwikkeling begrijpen tijdens de allereerste fase, in de foetus.…

Promotor: H.S. Overkleeft, Co-Promotor: B.I. Florea

Promotores: Prof.dr. P.C.W. Hogendoorn & Prof.dr. H.P. Spaink Co-promotor: Dr. B.E. Snaar-Jagalska

In order to be able to develop effective medicine and treatments to prevent or cure autoimmune diseases or cancer we need to understand the mechanisms how they arise and what drives their course.Unravelling the fundamental molecular mechanisms influencing the onset and course of diseases such as allergies,…

As a virtually inexhaustible source, solar energy plays a major role in future global energy scenarios.

In this thesis, time-lapse fluorescent microscopy plays a pivotal role in investigating functional materials within living cells as well as the migratory behaviour of neural progenitor cells.

This thesis focuses on the role of chemokine receptors CXCR3 and CCR2 in the inflammatory process and infection control using the zebrafish model.

Promotores: C.A.M.J.J. van den Hondel, V. Meyer, Co-promotor: A.F.J. Ram

Promotor: H.J.M. de Groot