Grants and appointments for microbiome research, enzyme development and more
Grants and appointments for Faculty of Science image: Monique Shaw
Researchers at the Faculty of Science work at the frontiers of knowledge every day, tackling today’s major societal challenges. Their work is recognised through grants, prizes and other awards. We highlight some of these achievements.
Frederic Lens and Serge Lemay appointed professors
As of 1 March, the Faculty of Science has welcomed two new professors. At the Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL), Frederic Lens has been appointed Professor of Biodiversity and Anatomy of Plants. His research focuses on how wood forms and functions, particularly in relation to how plants cope with drought.
At the Leiden Institute of Physics (LION), Serge Lemay has been appointed Professor of Iontronics. He approaches electrochemistry from a physicist’s perspective, working on innovative, fundamental solutions to major challenges in the energy transition.
Early Career Award for Anne-Grete Märtson
Researcher Anne-Grete Märtson (LACDR) has received a KNAW Beijerinck Early Career Award. This €12,500 grant supports the academic development of early-career researchers working in virology.
Märtson will use the funding to set up a research consortium. Within her Antiviral Pharmacology group, she and her colleagues work on improving treatments for viral infections. They combine clinical studies, laboratory research and computer modelling to identify the most effective antiviral therapies and apply these insights directly in practice.
Lennart Schada von Borzyskowski joins major European project
The research group of Lennart Schada von Borzyskowski (IBL) will take part in a European consortium focusing on methanol-based biotechnology. The four-year project, starting in May 2026, aims to move the technology from early-stage ideas to practical pilot applications.
The consortium has ambitious goals: significantly increasing the production of useful compounds while reducing energy use and carbon dioxide emissions. Within this collaboration, Dr Schada von Borzyskowski’s group will work on developing improved enzymes that can convert methanol more efficiently.
The CarboNcare-project is coordinated by Steffen Lindner (Charité Berlin, Germany) and includes partners such as the Max Planck Institute in Magdeburg, the Technical University of Denmark, CEA (France), Dechema (Germany), HES-SO (Switzerland) and INsociety (Italy), alongside Leiden University.
Ákos Kovács joins the European Academy of Microbiology
Professor of Microbiome Ecology Ákos Kovács has been elected a Fellow of the European Academy of Microbiology. This honour recognises his scientific excellence and contributions to the field.
He is one of 95 newly elected fellows representing a wide range of expertise. His membership strengthens the international network of leading microbiologists dedicated to advancing knowledge, fostering collaboration and supporting the next generation of scientists.
Mathematics PhD candidate Mike Daas wins Stieltjes Prize
PhD candidate Mike Daas has been awarded the Stieltjes Prize for the best PhD thesis in mathematics. He defended his thesis, ‘CM-values of p-adic Θ-functions’, on 30 October 2024. Supervised by Jan Vonk and Peter Stevenhagen, his work impressed the jury with its originality, depth and elegant approach.
Read more about the Stieltjes Prize.
Two grants for green technology and new enzymes
Two researchers from the Faculty of Science have received funding through the NWO Open Technology Programme: Arthur Ram (IBL) and Dennis Hetterscheid (LIC).
Ram, in collaboration with Marco Fraaije (University of Groningen), is researching new oxidases for biotechnology—enzymes that require only oxygen to function. Hetterscheid, together with Grégory Schneider, will work on PFAS-free membranes for electrolysers, devices that convert fuel into electricity.