Promotor: Prof.dr. J. Memelink

Within the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) several research projects use pathogenic microorganisms of risk group 3. For working with these pathogens, the LUMC has a high containment research lab to safely perform the experiments for man and environment.

PhD defence

Can we exploit the cell death machinery of the host to develop new host-directed anti-TB treatments?

Why do plants produces always produced so many slightly differing metabolites within a particular chemical class?

The structure of bacterial cells provides crucial clues about their interaction with their host. What are the key structural features of a bacterial cell that determine pathogenicity? What roles do these structures play in the life cycle, and how do they change during the infection process?

We aim to understand ion homeostasis in the model eukaryote S. cerevisiae.

The main focus of the thesis is the discovery and development of novel inhibitors of bacterial metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs).

PhD defence

The CMCB brings together a diverse range of unique expertise in microbial cell biology. Members of the CMCB investigate both model and non-model organisms, bacteria and archaea, pathogens and non-pathogens.

Promotor: Prof.dr. W. Jiskoot, Co-promotor: A. Kros

Examining the therapeutic potential of new semisynthetic lipopeptide antibiotics

How do plant defense genes get activated?

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the phenomenon that pathogens become insensitive to the antibiotics that we use against them. A growing number of pathogens is becoming resistant, with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) as the most famous example. But while the threat of AMR represents a slow-moving…

Soil is a home for an unbelievable diversity and abundance of microbial life that is essential for supporting life on our planet.

The soil ecosystem consists of the largest reservoir of biodiversity on Earth.

Plants are colonized by an astounding number of microorganisms that can provide different life-support functions, including nutrient acquisition and protection against (a)biotic stresses like drought or pathogen attack.

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

Plant Sciences' contribution to the Development & Disease research theme is to unravel the processes that allow plants to adapt to changing abiotic and biotic environmental conditions or stresses, with the aim to contribute to the sustainable production of food, flowers and bio-based products using…

In photoactivated chemotherapy (PACT), a biologically active compound is caged by a light-cleavable protecting group.

The CIGR brings together a diverse range of unique expertise in genome research rooted in biology, chemistry and physics. Members of the CIGR investigate genome folding and genome transactions. An important aspect is direct as well as long term relevance for medicine. The available expertise extends…

Projects within the theme ‘Computational Biology’ aim to employ mathematical or computational dynamical modelling approaches to discover novel concepts that are important for drug development.

The objective is to develop in vitro antigen degradation assays in order to mimic the fate of the antigen in vivo.

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

Agrobacterium tumefaciens, a gram-negative plant pathogen belonging to the family Rhizobiaceae, is the causative agent of crown gall disease, which can affect many plant species including agronomically important ones.

How are the epidermal lipid pathways involved in health and disease.

Promotores: Prof.dr. H.P. Spaink & Prof.dr. P.C.W. Hogendoorn, Co-promotor: Dr. M.J.M. Schaaf

One of the main challenges in the development of an effective anti-cancer vaccine is the generation of an adequate and directed cellular immune response.

Salicylic acid (SA) is a plant hormone, which is involved in the defense responses to pathogens and to abiotic stress, and in the regulation of plant growth and development.

We examine how soil inoculation influences aboveground organisms (i) directly, and indirectly via (ii) its effects on plant chemistry or volatile emission, or via (iii) mediating the effects of belowground pathogens on aboveground organisms via the shared plant.

New drugs for use as tuberculosis (TB) treatment are needed due to the constrains of classical antibiotics against TB and the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains, making TB a harder and harder disease to treat.

How can we manipulate the biotic and abiotic environment to increase thrips resistance in tomato and chrysanthemum? More specifically we ask: How can plant secondary metabolites that are not soluble in water be delivered to plants in seed coating or root dipping treatment? Can bacteria be used to…

What is the role of cell wall-deficiency in the persistence of tuberculosis?

Cardiovascular diseases are the primary cause of death in the world with atherosclerosis as primary underlying cause.

Schneider

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the pathogen causing tuberculosis (TB), is the leader among all pathogens responsible for the most human deaths today and it is considered as one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. There is an increasing occurrence of multidrug-resistant and even totally drug-resistant…

Microbial Sciences' contribution to the Evolution & Biodiversity research theme focuses on understanding how bacteria sense and respond to their environment, and how bacterial diversity and evolution is influenced by cooperative and antagonistic interactions taking place between microbes.

Promotor: A. Kros

Promotor: B. vd Water, T. Schmidt, Co-Promotor: E.H.J. Danen

Bacteria have the ability to alter their morphology in order to adapt to changing environments.

Research projects

Promotor: Prof.dr. T. Schmidt

Control of infectious diseases poses continuous challenges for human health.

The Supramolecular & Biomaterials Chemistry group comprises the PIs Alexander Kros, Roxanne Kieltyka, Gregory Schneider and Sander Wezenberg, and is active in the field of self-assembly of amphiphilic peptides and applying them in supramolecular chemistry.

How can novel bioimaging technologies and vertebrate model species be used to gain a better understanding of early cellular behaviours with the ultimate goal to increase our understanding of human development and disease processes?

This research group is interested in the physics of living cells, especially their cytoskeleton dynamics under defined external stimuli.

Plants are able to resist a pathogen’s attack by a dual innate immune system. The relationship between the two pathways was not clear, but it turns out that they mutually potentiate each other, as assistant professor Pingtao Ding (Institute of Biology Leiden) and colleagues (The Sainsbury Laboratory,…

Extending our current arsenal of antibiotics is key to staying ahead in the arms race between humans and resistant bacteria.

Can cyclic peptides provide a new generation of antibiotics?

We showed that constitutive and inducible chemical and morphological defenses against Western flower thrips differ between tomato and chrysanthemum plants.