Microbiome composition of the spermosphere and the rhizosphere of wild and modern bean accessions grown in an agricultural and a native soil from Colombia was characterized by metagenomics and cultivation-dependent approaches.

Filamentous Actinobacteria, such as Streptomyces, produce a plethora of chemically diverse bioactive metabolites that have found applications across medicine, agriculture and biotechnology.

Promotors: Prof.dr. T.H.W. Bäck, Prof.dr. B. Sendhoff (Technische Universität Darmstadt)

Promotor: Prof.dr. R. Verpoorte, Co-Promotores: N.R. Mustafa, A.E. Schulte

This thesis investigates reactive interfaces in surface science across three domains: heterogeneous catalysis, environmental nanoplastics, and two-dimensional materials.

Climate change is one of the largest challenges faced by humanity. To combat this research into alternatives to fossil fuels is ongoing. Dihydrogen is considered a good alternative fuel, since its burning only forms water.

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

The spindle-assembly checkpoint (SAC) is a safety mechanism which secures accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis.

This PhD-thesis presents a study on micron-sized particles, so-called colloids. By controlling the chemical and physical properties of these particles, such as the interparticle interaction and the particles’ shape, colloids can act as building blocks that self-assembly into larger structures.

Advanced sensing techniques require graphene with high quality and well-controlled surface chemistry.

In this dissertation iron-based homogeneous catalysts were synthesized, characterized and investigated for water oxidation activity.

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

The lipids in the uppermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum (SC), play an important role in the skin barrier function. The three main SC lipid classes are ceramides (CER), cholesterol and free fatty acids.

Fungal food spoilage often starts with a contamination with spores. Experimental data strongly indicate the existence of subpopulations of spores with different levels of resistance to preservation methods.

Stars and planets form within cold, dense clouds of gas and dust drifting through interstellar space. Although dust makes up only a small fraction of this material, it plays a key role in shaping the chemical evolution of these environments.

The chemical and structural heterogeneity of toxoid vaccines makes their analysis challenging. However, detailed insights on a molecular level can be obtained by mass spectrometry.

A century ago, it was unclear whether the stars in the sky were clustered in groups, or widely spread in the universe.

The work described in this dissertation contributes to a better mechanistic understanding of nanoparticles in vivo. To achieve that goal, we used the zebrafish as a highly predictive pre-screening model of nanoparticles.

This thesis describes the design and synthesis of fragments of various cell wall carbohydrates of the Streptococcus species, including the branched Group B-specific antigen (GBC) of Group B Streptococcus, glycerol phosphate (GroP) modified group A carbohydrate (GAC), and the O-acetylated type 1 capsular…

As leading cause of death worldwide, cancer is responsible for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020 according to World Health Organization (WHO). Cisplatin and its derivatives are commonly used chemotherapy agents for current cancer treatment in the clinics.

Promotores: T. Hankemeier; R. Berger, Co-promotor: R.J. Vreeken

This thesis describes the use of bioorthogonal proteins in immunological settings. It provides an introduction towards the field of protein modification, which was used throughout the thesis for the expression of proteins containing unnatural amino acids.

In my research, I used a comparative wood anatomical approach to address wood evolution of the (largely) tropical flowering plant families Apocynaceae and Sapotaceae.

Producing green energy has become the main goal in our society in the search of reducing or eliminating the carbon emission from fossil fuels.

The main subject of this thesis is the design and synthesis of paramagnetic molecules for protein studies with NMR and EPR spectroscopy.

Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) is the principal enzyme responsible for hydrolysis of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). MAGL inhibition provides several potential therapeutic opportunities, including anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity.

Gaucher disease is a rare metabolic disorder, in which a mutation of the enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GBA1) causes buildup of its substrate glucosylceramide and the deacylated counterpart glucosylsphingosine in lysosomes.

This thesis describes how to scale down concepts of macroscopic mechanical metamaterials to the thermal scale using a system of flexibly-linked colloids.

In this thesis the links between allergy and intestinal health, the gut microbiome (GM), and external factors were studied by exploring the metabolome in longitudinal clinical studies and in vitro models.

Large parts of the research described in this Thesis aims at the development of oligopeptide-masked toxins and their in situ immunoproteasome-mediated activation.

In this thesis we push the boundaries of high-resolution imaging at radio frequencies between 100 and 200 MHz. Using the International LOFAR Telescope that spans across Europe we achieve sub-arcsecond angular resolution.

In de documentaire ‘The Black Box Diaries’ toont een Japanse journaliste de ontwikkelingen na een verkrachting. Universitair docent Aya Ezawa vertelt er meer over bij Met het Oog op Morgen.

De Leidse sterrenkundige Matteo Brogi heeft een Hubble Fellowship toegekend gekregen van NASA en het Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). Jayne Birkby van de Leidse Sterrewacht heeft een 2014 Carl Sagan Exoplanet Postdoctoral Fellowship ontvangen.

Met illustraties van Mark Verdult

Maak kennis met de nieuwste hoogleraar van de Sterrewacht Leiden: Joe Hennawi. Hennawi komt uit Santa Barbara, Californië en komt naar Leiden met een ERC Advanced Grant. Hij zal gaan onderzoeken hoe superzware zwarte gaten ontstaan.

In this thesis we use state-of-the-art observations and simulations to provide the best constraints to date on the HVS ejection rate and constraints on the stellar content and dynamics at the GC, including the progenitor binary populations and their star formation history.

Nederland draagt 18,8 miljoen euro bij aan de Europese Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). Het bedrag is toegekend aan een consortium van academische en industriële partners onder leiding van de Nederlandse Onderzoekschool voor Astronomie (NOVA).

Dankzij een slimme nieuwe techniek zijn Leidse astronomen er voor het eerst in geslaagd om de atmosfeer van een exoplaneet gedetailleerd te onderzoeken. De resultaten van hun onderzoek worden op 28 juni gepubliceerd in het tijdschrift Nature.

In de schijf rondom de jonge ster WISPIT 2 vormen zich niet één, maar twee planeten. Leidse promovendus Richelle van Capelleveen speelt een belangrijke rol in deze ontdekking, die een zeldzaam inkijkje geeft in het ontstaan van een zonnestelsel.

Het team eindigde als tweede in de competitie, maar ging er wel vandoor met de Best Memorial Award.

In 2015 dacht Jorryt Matthee een extreem ver sterrenstelsel ontdekt te hebben waarin geen elementen zwaarder dan helium aanwezig waren, genaamd CR7. Drie jaar later toont hij via metingen met de ALMA-telescoop aan dat het sterrenstelsel toch koolstof bevat en zelfs in normale concentraties. De American…

Harm Beukers, Leids emeritus hoogleraar Geschiedenis van de geneeskunde, krijgt de Japanse Orde van de Rijzende Zon met gouden stralen.

Sterrenkundige Ignas Snellen onderzoekt atmosferen van exoplaneten met als uiteindelijk doel aanwijzingen voor leven te vinden. Dat lukt steeds beter dankzij alsmaar slimmere meetmethoden van zijn onderzoeksgroep. ‘Binnen tien jaar wordt het echt spannend.’ Oratie 8 november.

Promotores: Prof.dr. G.A. Persoon & Prof. dr. H.H. de Iongh

Promotor: Prof.dr. M.A.G.J. Orrit

From surface science towards industrial practice using high-pressure scanning tunneling microscopy.

In order to gain a better insight into the basis of the rapid jasmonic acid (JA)-mediated stress response, an integrated approach using a targeted high-resolution mass spectrometry-based (HRMS) platform, was conducted to monitor the metabolism of JA using the model system of cell suspension cultures…

In this thesis, we used genetically engineered mouse models to identify genes and pathways that are involved in ILC formation and in the development of resistance to FGFR-targeted therapy.