The human body consists of hundreds, perhaps thousands of different types of cells, each with different morphologies and functions, despite having the same genome.

Understanding DNA repair mechanisms is essential for advancing plant biotechnology and crop improvement. This study investigates how double-strand breaks (DSBs), induced by CRISPR/Cas systems, are repaired in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, and how these processes influence Agrobacterium tumefaciens…

Promotores: T.H.W. Bäck, A. Plaat, Co-promotor: F.J. Verbeek

The objective of this study was to investigate the expression and function of GRHL2 in different breast cancer subtypes.

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.

Many important topics in computer science, such as the correctness of software, the efficiency of algorithms and the modeling of complicated systems, depend on sound theoretical underpinnings. In the Theory group, we study these fundamental building blocks and develop verification methods to prove system…

Many important topics in computer science, such as the correctness of software, the efficiency of algorithms and the modeling of complicated systems, depend on sound theoretical underpinnings. In the Theory group, we study these fundamental building blocks and develop verification methods to prove system…

DNA carries various forms of information. Out of these forms of information the most well-known is classical genetic information.

Streptomyces bacteria are a valuable source of natural products, many of which are used in the clinic or in biotechnology.

The research programme Probability Theory focuses on probability theory and on operations research.

Nucleoid associated proteins maintain the architecture of the bacterial chromosome and regulate gene expression, hinting that their role as transcription factors may involve local three-dimensional chromosome re-modelling.

The research of the Algebra, Geometry and Number Theory programme ranges from fundamental mathematical theory to algorithms and applications.

This book addresses the definition of history and how people are influenced by it.

Which genes are involved in woodiness and associated traits such as drought tolerance, flowering time, stem elongation, life span, and plant herbivory, and how do these gene regulatory pathways overlap?

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

Promotor: P.J.J. Hooykaas, Co-Promotores: P.B.F. Ouwerkerk, M. Wang

The bacterial cell wall is a nearly universal structure that offers protection and gives the cell its shape. However, environmental stressors, such as cell wall-targeting antibiotics and hyperosmotic conditions, can induce bacteria to shift to a wall-deficient state. It is unknown whether the lack of…

Promotor: H.W. Lenstra, Jr., Co-promotor: B. de Smit

This dissertation is a collection of four research articles devoted to the study of Kummer theory for commutative algebraic groups.

Promotor: S.J. Edixhoven, Co-promotor: R.S. de Jong

In this Ph.D. thesis, we characterized two novel upstream regulators of JUB1, HB40, and HB22, in Arabidopsis thaliana. In Chapter 2, we described functions of HB40 in modulating growth and development via the regulation of JUB1 and GA inactivation genes GA2OXs.

In analogy to mathematical proofs, the goal of a proof system is for a prover to convince a verifier of the correctness of a claim.

Subproject of

Promotor: Prof.dr. G.P. van Wezel

My PhD project studies how the temporally sequential Hox gene expression is regulated during head-tail patterning of the frog embryo.

The research of the Algebra, Geometry and Number Theory cluster tries to bridge the gap between abstract theory and the world of algorithms and applications.

In this thesis we examine certain phenomena in symplectic topology which are related to the theory of isolated singularities.

Plant architecture has distinct forms in different plant species, but also within a species the finalarchitecture of a plant is determined by its gradual development and changes therein induced by environmental conditions during the plant’s life cycle.

On the brink of war, what influences decision makers to attack another country? Using innovative theoretical angles, Femke E. Bakker explores whether the basic assumptions of democratic peace theory are indeed correct. She stresses the microfoundations of conflict, questioning the assumptions on…

Sentencing is becoming increasingly complex for the courts. Legal scholars and criminologists from Leiden document the process of sentencing in the Netherlands. They use this knowledge to advise legislators and those who implement this legislation on how to make sentencing more consistent and effect…

The master’s specialisation Algebra, Geometry and Number Theory at Leiden University is aimed at students who wish to acquire a profound knowledge of one of the areas within pure mathematics. There is a strong theme dealing with algebra and number theory as well as a strong theme dealing with topology…

The experiments described in this thesis employ local lentiviral knockdowns in brain areas of female zebra finches followed by behavioural assays consisting of preference and Go/Nogo tasks.

The thesis mainly contributes to the characterization of Majorana fermions as they appear in the Condensed Matter context.

Edited by linguists Jenny Audring (Leiden University) and Francesca Masini (University of Bologna), this is a unique handbook with a focus on morphology theories rather than morphological data. It covers a wide array of morphological theories, from traditional twentieth century models to current theoretical…

The Death of Archaeological Theory, edited by John Bintliff and Mark Pearce, addresses the provocative subject of whether it is time to discount the burden of somewhat dogmatic theory and ideology that has built up over the last 25 years.

Truth is stranger than fiction. In 1997 Juan Maldaceña discovered a remarkable dictionary that translates equation for equation the physics of black holes in string theory into the more conventional physics of quantum mechanics of interacting particles. The remarkable possibility exists that…

Explore the MSc in Political Theory: Legitimacy and Justice at Leiden University. Dive into core themes like justice and legitimacy, study classical and modern political theory, and sharpen your analytical and philosophical skills.

This MA explores contemporary literature and culture—art, film, pop music—through critical and theoretical lenses, including feminist theory, phenomenology, and ecocriticism. Key themes include diversity, interculturality, popular culture, and the intersection of culture, politics, and justice.

The focus of Jan Zaanen's theoretical physics research was the nature of macroscopic matter that is in one or the other way still in the grip of quantum physics.

Are you thinking about studying Cultural Analysis: Literature and Theory? Learn more and watch the introduction video.

Imitation is, perhaps more than ever, constitutive of human originality.

My PhD research is devoted to studies of the conjectural cluster-algebraic symmetry in the theory of topological string, which is the simplest, however already non-trivial sector in the theory of string.

Promotor: K.E. Schalm, Co-promotor: S.S. Lee

Researchers at Leiden University have mapped genes that cause breast cancer cells to migrate. The Leiden toxicologists Professor Bob van de Water, Dr Wies van Roosmalen, Dr Sylvia E. Le Dévédec and colleagues studied 1500 individual genes. They found eight, including the SRPK1 gene, that regulate the…

The Summer School on International Humanitarian Law is designed by the Grotius Centre Kalshoven-Gieskes Forum on International Humanitarian Law. The announcement for the next edition is set for December 2025, with registration beginning in January 2026.

This six-weeks online course delves into the research behind terrorism as it unpacks the assumptions and impacts of both terrorism and counterterrorism.

With the aid of physics and a minuscule magnet, researchers have discovered a new structure of telomeric DNA. Telomeres are sometimes seen as the key to living longer. They protect genes from damage but get a bit shorter each time a cell divides. If they become too short, the cell dies. The new discovery…

We study the structure, dynamics and physics of complex networks emerging from the intricate interconnectedness of the constituents of large systems.

Regeneration is the ability of an organism to restore damaged or lost tissue with a functional replacement, and without scarring. Many lizards can regenerate their tails.