One of the effects of climate change is the phenomenon of desertification, a process that occurs in semi-arid and arid areas and causes land degradation as well as vegetation loss. Due to the lack of resources, vegetation self-organizes to sustain itself by forming large-scale spatial patterns.

Promotor: G.P. van Wezel, Co-Promotor: E. Vijgenboom

The high velocity tail of the total velocity distribution of stars provides essential insight into fundamental properties of the Galaxy.

We study the interplay of topology and geometry with chirality for several passive and active systems, employing both analytical and numerical methods.

This Thesis describes a strategy to synthesize 1,2-cis-oligosaccharides modulated by additives, such as dimethylformamide (DMF), triphenylphosphine oxide (Ph3P=O) and N-methyl(phenyl)formamide (MPF), using building blocks that carry solely benzyl type protecting groups and are therefore of uniform r…

Promotor: H.J. van den Herik, B.R. Katzy, Co-promotor: K. Sailer

This thesis investigates reactive interfaces in surface science across three domains: heterogeneous catalysis, environmental nanoplastics, and two-dimensional materials.

Promotor: Prof.dr. E.F. Smets. Co-promotores: B. Gravendeel, F. Pupulin

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death worldwide. The most important risk factor for developing this disease is high cholesterol levels in the blood.

Promotores: S.F. Portegies Zwart, E. M. Rossi

Promotor: Prof.dr. K.H. Kuijken, Co-Promotor: H.Hoekstra

This dissertation presents new cryptographic protocols, which can be divided into two families.

Due to their central physiological roles in living organisms, retaining beta-glycosidases have been the subject of tremendous research efforts to examine their structure/function relation using numerous biophysical and biochemical approaches.

Promotor: Prof.dr. P.G.L. Klinkhamer, Co-Promotor: T.J. de Jong

Chemical-induced organ toxicity is a major concern in the development and use of chemicals, including drugs, pesticides, industrial chemicals and cosmetics. In the last decades, the onset and progression of chemical-induced organ toxicity has been linked amongst others to perturbation of mitochondri…

Promotor: Prof.dr. C.W.J. Beenakker

Atherosclerosis is the most prominent underlying pathology of cardiovascular disease and an important cause of major adverse cardiovascular events.

Promotores: Prof.dr. J. Kuiper, Prof.dr. P.H.A. Quax, Co-promotor: I. Bot

Promotor: C.J. ten Cate, Co-promotor: H.W. Slabbekoorn

The Standard Model (SM) of particle physics fails to explain several observed phenomena and is incomplete. In order to resolve this problem, one may extend the SM by adding new particles.

Promotor: J.S. Kaastra Co-promotor: E. Constantini

Consequences for sediment stability and seston trapping

Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is the second most common type of breast cancer.

Streptomyces bacteria are a valuable source of natural products, many of which are used in the clinic or in biotechnology.

We present an extensive study of methods for exactly solving stochastic constraint (optimisation) problems (SCPs) in network analysis. These problems are prevalent in science, governance and industry.

Plant-microbe interaction resulted in different physio/chemical responses by host plant and interacting rhizobacteria.

Novel entities may pose risks to humans and the environment. The small particle size and relatively large surface area of micro- and nanoparticles (MNPs) make them capable of adsorbing other novel entities, leading to the formation of aggregated contamination.

Nowadays, it is well known that hydrogen and helium (and small traces of lithium and beryllium) were created shortly after the Big Bang, while the heavier elements are created in the cores of stars at different evolutionary stages. When these stars explode as supernovae, they expel metals synthesised…

Tracing the evolution of the molecular gas content in galaxies is critical for a complete understanding of galaxy formation and evolution, as it provides the direct fuel for star formation. Studies of high-redshift (z>1) molecular gas reservoirs, most commonly traced by carbon monoxide (CO), have seen…

Promotor: J.N. Kok, Co-Promotor: A.J. Knobbe

The lipid membrane is a basic structural component of all living cells. Embedded in this nanometer-thin barrier, membrane proteins shape the membrane and at the same time respond to the shape of the membrane.

Biopolymer sequencing with graphene edge-based tunnel junctions has the potential to overcome current limitations with the third generation of sequencing based on biological nanopores.

Promotores: F.H. van Lunteren, F.P. Israel

The investigation into the bidirectional communication between the gut and its host is a rapidly growing area of research, attracting considerable attention for its potential to provide crucial insights into health and disease.

Promotor: Prof.dr. H.P. Spaink, Co-promotor: Dr. M. van der Zee

The investigations described in this thesis lay out strategies aimed at advancing antibiotic research and development. The examples presented revolve around two main approaches: understanding drug-target interactions and target identification.

Promotor: T. Schmidt, Co-promotor: S. J.T. van Noort

Promotor: J. Zaanen, Co-Promotor: V. Juricic

Promotor: Prof.dr. M. Danhof, Co-Promotor: J. de Jongh

Glycosidases are essential in fundamental biological processes and are responsible for the degradation of most (oligo)saccharides, glycolipids and glycoproteins.

Vitamin A or retinol is essential in embryonic development, the visual cycle and the immune system.

Promotor: B. van de Water

In this thesis unconventional tools based on fluidic interfaces were developed to study the surface and interfacial chemistry of graphene, to characterize the intrinsic properties of graphene, to disentangle the effects of substrate and of the environmental factors, and to improve handling protocols…

There is an urgent need for more physiologically relevant cell culture methods to guide compound selection in pre-clinical stages of the drug development pipeline.

This thesis describes the functional analysis of the Arabidopsis AHL15 gene.

We consider the propagation of electrical signals through nerve fibres.

Traditionally, vaccines are administered intramuscularly using conventional hypodermic needles, which cause pain and distress. Microneedles are very short needles (smaller than 1 mm) that are practically invisible to the naked eye.

This thesis describes the design and development of subunit‐selective inhibitors of particular catalytically active subunits of human constitutive proteasomes and immunoproteasomes.

The increasing resistance of pathogenic bacteria to antibiotics necessitates the discovery of new medicines.

Promotor: Prof.dr. A. P. IJzerman, Co-Promotor: L.H. Heitman