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

Particles are omnipresent in biopharmaceutical products. In protein-based therapeutics such particles are generally associated with impurities, either derived from the drug product itself (e.g. protein aggregates), or from extrinsic contaminations (e.g. cellulose fibers).

In summary, the collective results described in this thesis show that nanoparticulate vaccines can be delivered intradermally by coated and hollow microneedles and evoke antigen-specific immune responses.

Als gevolg van de grote technologische vooruitgang in de gezondheidszorg worden in toenemende mate gegevens verzameld tijdens de uitvoering van klinische onderzoeken.

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

All life on earth contains DNA, which is used to store biological information. Organisms compact their DNA in order for it to fit inside their cell(s).

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

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 presents the first synthetic peptides ADP-ribosylated on serine, threonine, tyrosine, arginine and cysteine.

Promotor: H.J.M. de Groot

Cyclic peptides are investigated as a platform to induce different orientations between various ligands.

Onderzoekers vanuit verschillende vakgebieden werken samen om oplossingen te bedenken voor maatschappelijke problemen.

Carbohydrates, alongside proteins and nucleic acids, constitute a crucial and versatile family of biomolecules present in all life forms. They manifest as monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides, covalently bonded to proteins and fats. Carbohydrates are integral to plant and arthropod…

This thesis introduces the concept of

In this thesis, we consider various (electro)chemical phenomena at surfaces and nanoparticles and their underlying atomistic processes, which we studied using first-principles methods such as density functional theory.

Despite being the second largest transmembrane protein family after GPCRs, the SLC superfamily has only gained significant attention in early drug development over the past decade.

This thesis describes the structural and biochemical characterization of the β-lactamase BlaC from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), and the Alr and YlmE proteins from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2).Mtb is the main cause of tuberculosis.

Prof. A.G.G.M. (Xander) Tielens wordt bij 1 januari bij de Faculteit der Wiskunde en Natuurwetenschappen benoemd tot hoogleraar ‘Physics and Chemistry of the Interstellar Medium’. Tielens werkt momenteel als senior onderzoeker bij Ames in Moffett Field, Californië. Ames is een onderdeel van NASA. Daarnaast…

This thesis describes the synthesis and biochemical evaluation of a variety of cyclophellitol based activity-based probes and inhibitors targeting various endo- and exo-acting retaining glycosidases. In the last two decades a variety of probes and inhibitors for (hemi)cellulose degrading enzymes have…

In this thesis, we aimed to better understand the underlying mechanisms involved in TNBC progression and metastasis formation and discover new targets to reduce breast cancer related deaths.

In this thesis, we used genetically engineered mouse models and a variety of cell-culture based assays to identify genes and pathways that are involved in the development and treatment of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC).

PhD-student Miriam Peeters heeft de eerste prijs gewonnen in een internationale competitie voor de mondelinge communicatie aan de Purines 2010 congres in Tarragona, Spanje.

Metastasis is responsible for over 90% of cancer-related deaths and arises from the ability of a small subset of tumor cells to detach from the primary tumor, overcome multiple biochemical and mechanical barriers, disseminate through the body, and colonize distant organs.

Annelien Zweemer is een van de weinige geselecteerde kandidaten uit meer dan 20.000 jonge wetenschappers wereldwijd die op de 60e bijeenkomst van Nobelprijswinnaars in Lindau, Duitsland deelnemen.

The research described in this thesis focused on identifying novel drug targets and synergistic combinations for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a virulent subtype of breast cancer with a dismal prognosis and limited therapeutic options.

Solute carrier (SLC) transporters are a large and diverse class of relatively understudied transmembrane proteins.

Shape and biological function are tightly connected. Physical descriptions are used to connect the shape of a biological system with its function.

This thesis describes the use of an activity-based proteomics method to study the endocannabinoid system.

Drug development critically depends on preclinical models that mimic human physiology, yet traditional two-dimensional cultures and animal models often lack predictive power.

Promotor: B. van de Water

This thesis investigates how cell shape and collective behavior influence the dynamics and structure of biological tissues, which are crucial for understanding processes like embryonic development, tissue regeneration, and metastasis.

Mechanical forces are known to play an important role in bacterial colonies. In this dissertation, we study the self-organization at various stages of growing bacterial colonies, and focus on the mechanical effects of cell growth.

Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death worldwide, and better models are urgently needed for disease progression studies and drug development.

Promotor: B. van de Water

Image-Pro Plus, ImageJ, Cell Profiler, R, Knime en NIS-elements

AI kan in de toekomst helpen om medicijnen sneller op de markt te krijgen. Dat legt Gerard van Westen uit in de radiouitzending van EenVandaag van 20 juni. Het proces om medicijnen te ontwikkelen duurt lang en is kostbaar. Heel zinvol dus als AI een voorselectie van kansrijke medicijnen kan maken.

This thesis seeks to investigate how cancer-associated mutations affect the pharmacological properties of selected GPCRs—primarily A2AAR and 5-HT2CR—through a combination of ligand binding assays, signaling readouts, kinetic profiling, and cellular functional assays.