Every organisms in the tree of life faces the same challenge: the length of its DNA exceeds the volume of the cell it needs to fit in. Several strategies have evolved to solve this problem, one of them being the expression of proteins that bind and organize the DNA.

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

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

Promotor: G.R. de Snoo

Promotor: Prof.dr. M. Ubbink

PNEC-pro is a user-friendly screening tool for professionals dealing with the assessment of surface water quality. The tool calculates local, watertype specific no-effect concentrations (PNEC) of copper, lead, nickel and zinc based on biotic ligand models (BLMs).

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…

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading global cause of mortality. Endothelial dysfunction, an early reversible stage of CVD development, is marked by decreased nitric oxide production linked to Ca2+ influx in endothelial cells.

Promotor: Jaap Brouwer, Co-promotor: Remus Th. Dame

Assessing the risks of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) solely on the basis of experimental assays is time-consuming, resource intensive, and constrained by ethical considerations (such as the principles of the 3Rs of animal testing). The adoption of computational toxicology in this field is a high p…

Electron microscopy has become an extremely important techniquein a wide variety of elds.

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.

Promotor: D. Bouwmeester, Co-promotor: D. Kraft

Glycosidases (GHs) are enzymes responsible for the degradation of carbohydrates and play many roles in human health and pathophysiology. Often, abnormal levels of glycosidase activity are markedly linked to human pathologies.

Promotores: G. Persoon, R. Schefold

This thesis explores how electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy can be used to investigate key biochemical processes.

Natural resources often stretch across borders that separate modern nation states. This can create conflict and limit opportunities for regulated consumption of their goods and services, but also provide opportunities for joint multinational efforts that exceed single country capabilities.

Schistosomiasis is an acute and chronic disease caused by blood dwelling parasitic trematodes of the genus Schistosoma, and it is classified as the second most socioeconomically devastating parasitic disease, second only to malaria.

Promotor: Prof.dr. J.P. Abrahams, Prof.dr. M. van Heel

Promotor: W.T. de Groot

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

A key step in the synthesis of oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates is the formation of the glycosidic bond.

Streptomyces are bacteria abundant in soil that participate in diverse and complex interactions. These bacteria are the main producers of the antibiotics we currently use in the clinic.

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.

Several single-stranded RNA viruses make use of Xrn1-resistant RNAs in their 3’ untranslated regions of their genome RNAs in order to increase their pathogenicity.

This Thesis focuses on the design and synthesis of ADP-ribosylated compounds that can be applied in biological studies.

Dissolution processes – next to aggregation processes - play an important role for fate prediction and environmental risk assessment of metal-based nanoparticles (MNPs). It is challenging to predict the kinetics of the dissolution process of MNPs in complex systems such as we can find in in vivo and…

This thesis addresses the challenge of sustainable urban development by analyzing the interplay between green and grey infrastructure to optimize resource use and ecosystem services.

Plastics have become an integral part of modern society due to their versatility and durability.

Promotor: G.R. de Snoo, W. Kustiawan, Co-promotor: H.H. de Iongh

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have enabled the success of mRNA vaccines but remain limited in broader therapeutic use by challenges in delivery efficiency, targeting, and mechanistic understanding.

This thesis investigates innovative and classical strategies in glycoconjugate vaccine development to address the growing threat of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.

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.

In the emerging field of small-molecule RNA targeting, there is a growing demand for new high-throughput screening methods.

This thesis focuses on developing new chemical synthesis strategies to produce native ADP‑ribosylated biomolecules with precise structural control.

Antibioticaresistentie is een van de grootste bedreigingen wereldwijd voor de volksgezondheid in de komende decennia.

Promotores: H.A. Udo de Haes, H.H.T. Prins, Co-promotor: H.H. de Iongh

Er zijn veel studies waarmee je kunt instromen in de master Health, Ageing and Society! Veel gezondheidsgerelateerde opleidingen zijn direct toelaatbaar, maar je bent ook welkom met een andere studieachtergrond.

Hoe detecteren bacteriën signalen uit hun omgeving en hoe passen ze zich daaraan aan? Die vraag intrigeert Ariane Briegel, hoogleraar Ultrastructuurbiologie. Met behulp van nieuwe technieken produceert ze driedimensionale beelden, die nieuwe informatie geven over het zintuiglijke systeem van bacteri…

Promotie

In hoeverre hopen nanodeeltjes zich op in planten en dieren, en welke eigenschappen van de deeltjes spelen hierbij een rol? Willie Peijnenburg, hoogleraar Milieutoxicologie en biodiversiteit kreeg een Marie-Curie beurs toegekend om onderzoek te doen naar de milieueffecten van nanodeeltjes.

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

Promotor: G.A. van der Marel, Co-promotor: J.D.C. Codée

Lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) are a group of orphan diseases characterized by lysosomal dysfunction or impaired lysosomal catabolism and affect collectively about 1 in 5000 live births.

In this thesis an activity-based probe was discovered that could visualize the activity of PLAATs. With an optimized gel-based ABPP assay in hand, screening of a compound library led to the discovery of alpha-ketoamides as a hit for PLAAT3.

A novel mathematical model describes spatial-temporal drug distribution within one or more brain units, which are cubic representations of a piece of brain tissue with brain capillaries at the edges.

This thesis aimed to investigate the impact of exposure dynamics, relative contributions of ENPs(particle) and ENPs(ion), and dosing regimens on the toxicity of ENPs varying in different physico-chemical properties, on the composition and functioning of soil microbial communities.

Promotor: Prof.dr. H.P. Spaink, Co-promotor: Prof.dr. A.H. Meijer

Promotores: G.A. Persoon, H.H. de Iongh

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