There are eight institutes at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences:

This thesis describes the design and synthesis of novel small molecules based on sulfur-containing heterocycles for the inhibition of glycosidases and glycosyltransferases related to Fabry and Pompe disease.

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…

A deceptively simple, complicated paper

The aim of the research described in this thesis was to use structure-based design to optimise multiple properties of aryl sulfoxide monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitors as anti-inflammatory analgesics.

Thesis focused on uncovering the underlying mechanisms of the lysosomal storage disorders Gaucher's disease using chemical tools, biochemical assays and lipidomics.

There are many complex links in the chain that provides patients with new drugs: from fundamental science, to clinical tests, to production. The entire chain can be found in Leiden. Leiden University, the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) and the businesses at the Leiden Bio Science Park (LBSP)…

An overview of awards and prizes granted to our staff and students in 2017, as well as special appointments and royal distinctions.

If you are interested in Life Science and you are looking for a programme with ample opportunities to put together your own study path, our Life Science and Technology programme is the right choice. The programme focuses on societal problems at the molecular and cellular level.

Promotores: Prof.dr. H.S. Overkleeft, Prof.dr. G.A. van der Marel

Promotores: H.S. Overkleeft; G.A. van der Marel Co-Promotor: B.I. Florea

The polypept(o)ide hybrid material attracted more and more attention over the past decade by combining the multifunctional characteristics of polypeptides with the shielding characteristics of polypeptoid-pSar possessing similar properties as a shielding material as polvethylene glycol(PEG). Polysarcosine…

Source: PLoS ONE, Volume 10, Issue 3 (2015)

Microbial rhodopsins are photosensitive pigments implemented in the growth and adaptation of a large population of microorganisms.

Bacteria often experience external challenges, such as changes in environmental conditions or attacks by bacteriophages.

While bioinformatics methods deal with the analysis of sequence information (be it proteins or DNA), the field of cheminformatics is concerned with the analysis of small-molecule datasets.

In this thesis, the discovery and optimization is described of chemical tools to study the N-acylethanolamine (NAE) biosynthetic pathway.

The Business Studies specialisation is for science students who consider employment opportunities in industry, and who are looking to acquire knowledge of business principles and training in managerial skills. The specialisation can be followed by students doing a two-year Masters degree in one of…

Promotor: H.S. Overkleeft, J. Neefjes, Co-promotor: M. van der Stelt

Source: Mol Psychiatry (2015)

Nanodiscs are small, disc-shaped structures designed to mimic biological cell membranes, composed of a lipid bilayer stabilized by scaffold proteins. Membrane proteins play crucial roles in essential processes such as nutrient and waste transport, molecular recognition, and cell signalling, making them…

Synthetic cells, also known as artificial cells or protocells, have wide ranging applications from drug delivery vectors to cell models. In biotechnology they can function as micro- or nanoreactors with possible applications in biocatalysis and photocatalysis. Phospholipids are by far the most commonly…

Chapter 2 describes a post-synthetic methodology to introduce a fluorescent label in highly lipophilic, Pam3Cys based conjugates.

Artificial photosynthesis has recognised potential to produce green and sustainable fuels from earth-abundant resources such as water, carbon dioxide (CO2), and sunlight.

You’ve been accepted! Leiden University looks forward to welcoming you as a new student. Your next step is to prepare for your studies. Below you can find some tips to help you get a head start as you embark on your studies at Leiden University.

Conference

Promotores: Prof.dr. H. S. Overkleeft, Prof.dr. G. A. van der Marel

Microbial Sciences' contribution to the Bioactive Molecules research theme is to discover new bioactive molecules and enzymes and unravel their mechanisms of action, regulatory networks, and the (bio)synthetic pathways required for their production.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy is a non-destructive analytical technique that is used to study the nature and characteristics of molecules with an atomic level precision. It has a wide range of applications especially in synthetic chemistry, biological and biochemical research groups…

Phosphorylation affects all four major biomolecules – proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids – and plays a pivotal role in the most fundamental cellular functions.

This dissertation presents a new perspective on the life, work and character of the Dutch physical chemist Jacobus Henricus van ’t Hoff, first recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and one of the most important and colourful scientists in Dutch history. The image of Van ’t Hoff that emerges from…

Source: J Cheminform, Volume 7, Issue 1 (2015)

Do you have any questions about the Chemistry master’s programme? Please contact us!

Understanding how nature captures and transfers solar energy is essential both for elucidating biological photosynthesis and for guiding the design of artificial light-harvesting systems.

We have several internships at LIACS. Below you can find an overview of all the internships in the different programs.

Now online in Molecular Microbiology our studies on the motility of Sulfolobus acidocaldarius and its unique swimming organelle, the archaellum.

Are you interested in combining your Science master programme with the Education specialisation? Learn more and watch the introduction video.

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

Contact Medical Biochemistry

Peptides are routinely synthesized in the range of 5-80 amino acids, in an amount of 1-200 µmol (smaller and larger amounts are also possible).

From development of nanomaterials to advanced instrumentation and smart software systems, this specialisation empowers students to become a key player in tomorrow’s technological breakthroughs—through interdisciplinary research, industrial collaboration, and innovation-driven learning.

Within this thesis the central stage is taken by the discovery and investigation of transglycosylation of sterols. First, investigation focuses on the development of a method to accurately detect and quantify glucosylated metabolites in biological materials.

Are you interested in combining your master programme with the Science Communication and Society specialisation? Learn more and watch the introduction video.

Chemistry is all around us: from nutrition and smartphones to medicine. The field is developing rapidly, as the world population continues to grow and resources become scarce. MST will educate you on the basics of working towards a clean and healthy world.

The work described in this thesis focuses on the development of linear or cyclized peptide probes against protein N-methyltransferases to characterize their specific binding behavior, providing further binding details for inhibitory activity study.

This thesis describes research aimed at discovering inhibitors selective for either of the two endoplasmic reticulum α-glucosidases, ER-I and ER-II, with the overarching goal of discovering new antiviral agents to treat viruses that rely on host N-glycosylation for proliferation.

The Data-Driven Drug Discovery Network (D4N) is an initiative by researchers from Leiden University and collaborators to join efforts in applying and developing novel techniques from data science to drug discovery and related topics from bioinformatics.

The research conducted at the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research is clustered within the divisions of BioTherapeutics, Cell Systems and Drug Safety, Medicinal Chemistry and Systems Pharmacology and Pharmacy, and the Metabolomics and Analytics Centre.