Research
Improving nature's molecules
The department focuses on design, chemo- or biosynthesis of compounds with biological or (potential) medicinal applications and interaction with their receptors. Insights thus obtained could lead to new bio-active compounds, new approaches for the treatment of still incurable diseases and new approaches to unsatisfactory treatments.
We are interested in answering questions related to understanding as well as influencing peptide-protein, carbohydrate-protein and protein-protein interactions that underlie e.g. infection, immunological and neurological disorders. Especially modified peptides and peptidomimetics as well as carbohydrates are synthesized and studied.
Geert-Jan Boons
Synthesis and biological functions of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates.
Balthasar Heesters
Immune-glycan communication and complement interactions in adaptive immune responses, antibody production, b-cell biology, and host-pathogen interactions.
Zeshi (Jack) Li
Photochemical probes for RNA, Cell-surface localized RNA, and Chemoenzymatic synthesis of carbohydrates.
Rita Petracca
Photo-activated chemical probes to investigate lysine-crotonylation (Kcr) in cancer and cardiovascular diseases; RaPID-TEC (Random non-standard Peptide Integrated Discovery-Thiol-ene click) to identify novel protein-protein interaction inhibitors.
Roland Pieters
Design, synthesis, and applications of multivalent carbohydrate systems.
Rob de Vries
Virus - Glycan interactions, evolution, species adaptation, pathogenicity, and immunology.
Tom Wennekes
Synthesis and use of smart chemical probes to understand and control glycans in health and disease.