News archive
21 December 2009
BE-Basic: Biotech sector joins forces for biobased economy
As of 1 January 2010, knowledge institutes, the Dutch government and industry are to cooperate more intensively and at international level to speed up the introduction of the bio-based economy, an economy based on renewable sources. By placing the emphasis on scale-up research, an open innovation model and a proactive role for the financial sector, the BE-Basic consortium aims to stimulate innovation which will lead to accelerated introduction. TU Delft is coordinating the new initiative that includes, among others, an R&D budget exceeding 120 million euro, of which 60 million is made available by the Dutch Ministries of Finance and Economic Affairs.
Read more: Press release (pdf-NL+English)
27 November 2009
Inaugural lecture by Patricia Osseweijer
Title: Wetenschapscommunicatie: hoe en waarom, wie en wanneer?
25 November 2009
Prof. Jack Pronk wins Dow Energy Prize 2009
Jack Pronk has won the Dow Energy Prize 2009 for his contribution to the efficient production of bioethanol from pentosesugars. Minister of Economic Affairs, Maria van der Hoeven, handed the award preceeding a debate about chain efficiency. The Dow Energy Prize is an initiative from Dow Benelux and has been awarded since 1985 to those who have provided exceptional services in the promotion of renewable energy in the process industry. It is the 20th time the award was presented and includes a 25.000 euro cash award.
Read more: DOW Benelux
24 November 2009
First graduates BioProduct Design
On the 24th November 2009 the first three trainees of the new programme BioProduct Design received their diploma and degree "Professional Doctorate in Engineering" (PDEng).
Read more: Persbericht (pdf-NL) and www.pdeng.tudelft.nl/bpd
20 November 2009
Delft breakthrough in bioethanol production from agricultural waste
With the introduction of a single bacterial gene into yeast, researchers of the Industrial Microbiology group of the Department of Biotechnology, achieved three improvements in bioethanol production from agricultural waste material: 'More ethanol, less acetate and elimination of the major by-product glycerol'. This week the invention was published in the scientific journal "Applied and Environmental Microbiology".
Read more: Press release (pdf-NL+English) and the article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/AEM.01772-09
19 November 2009
Pascale Daran-Lapujade obtains NWO-VIDI subsidy
Dr. Pascale Daran-Lapujade, scientist in the Industrial Microbiology group of prof. Jack Pronk, Department of Biotechnology, has obtained a VIDI subsidy from the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). With the 800.000 euro subsidy budget for five years she will develop a research line on the 'Synthetic glycolitic pathways in Saccharomyces cerevisiae'.
4 November 2009
iGEM competition: LST Students TU Delft win gold medaland award
The Delft team Life Science & Technology students won a gold medal and the Best Information Processing Project Award during the international Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition at MIT in Boston between 30 October and 2 November 2009. The Delft team developed bacteria able to pass on messages to other bacteria in their environment. The design and construction of this kind of bacteria improves our understanding of bacterial communication. This can help scientists e.g. prevent antibiotic resistance in bacteria.
Read more: Bacterial relay race and http://2009.igem.org/Team:TUDelft
2 November 2009
Mark van Loosdrecht's group contributes in EU research on CO2 storage using bacteria
TU Delft is taking part in a European R&D project (CO2SolStock) that focuses on using bacteria to capture and store CO2 in limestone. The project's key objective is to develop a sustainable, biological method for storing CO2 in mineral form.
Read more: Press release (pdf)
28 October 2009
Corjan van den Berg wins best lecture prize at Netherlands Process Technology Symposium
His presentation concerning a techno-economical evaluation of solvent impregnated resins in a bioreactor was awarded first place by the jury. The prize money of 2500 Euros is rewarded annually by the Netherlands Research School in Process Technology (OSPT).
15 October 2009
Mark van Loosdrecht nominated for the Dutch Science and Society Award 2009
Prof. Mark van Loosdrecht has been one of the 8 nominated for the Science & Society Award 2009 (Prijs van Wetenschap & Maatschappij 2009) because of his research on bioplastics. The winner has been announced at the Science and Society Night (Avond van Wetenschap en Maatschappij) on November 2th, 2009, at the Ridderzaal in The Hague.
Read more: www.avondwenm.nl
13 October 2009
Esteban Freydell represents TU Delft in FIGON-dmd PhD competition
Esteban Freydell, PhD student in the Bioseparation Technology group of the Department of Biotechnology, was selected and nominated to represent the TU Delft in the FIGON Dutch Medicine Days PhD competition. Alongside twelve other representatives of various Dutch universities, Freydell presented his work on the application of liquid chromatography to protein refolding. The topics of the presentatations were quite diverse and covered fundamental as well as applied research. The presentation of the TU Delft was very well received as it showed the possibilities to carry fundamental research, from a technical and applied perspective, to a new process for the production of recombinant proteins, which is of great significance to the pharmaceutical industry.
Read more: C2W artikel (NL)
16 September 2009
Kedar Deshpande wins Scientific Writing competition on ECB-14
During the 14th European Congress on Biotechnology in Barcelona, Spain, 13 - 16 September 2009, Kedar Deshpande, PhD student in the Bioseparation group of the Department of Biotechnology, was the winner of a competition on Scientific Writing, organized by Biotechnology Journal.
9 September 2009
Celebration 10th anniversary Life Science and Technology educational programme
In 1999, a group of enthusiastic pioneers within the Delft University of Technology and in the Leiden University founded together a novel educational programme based on 2 institutes within 2 universities.
Read more: Press release (pdf)
4 September 2009
Frank Hollmann granted the Green Chemistry Award at EUROPACAT IX in Salamanca
The scientific oral contribution presented at EUROPACAT IX - Catalysis for a sustainable world, 30 August to 4 September 2009, Salamanca, Spain - with title "A novel approach for O2-driven chemo-enzymatic oxidation reactions" by Frank Hollmann (and Seda Aksu, Isabel Arends) has been granted the Green Chemistry Award.
19 May 2009
GBR Society launched
Leading scientists from eight countries have launched the independent "Global Biorenewables Research Society" (GBR Society). In announcing the new organization, Professor Joaquim Cabral, President of Portugal's Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (IBB), said the network will provide the standard for science-based knowledge for sustainable bio-renewables. Chair of the GBR Society is prof. Luuk van der Wielen.
Read more: Press release (pdf-NL+English) and GBR Society
29 April 2009
Steven Flipse wins NBN Rabobank Thesis Award
Life Science and Technology student Steven Flipse has received the NBN Rabobank Thesis Award for his MSc thesis "Life to Lego" on April 29, 2009 in Amsterdam. His thesis treats the ethical aspects of the “international Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition”, an international scientific competition in the area of Synthetic Biology. The prize of 1000 euro is awarded every year by the “Netwerk Bedrijfsethiek Nederland”, the Dutch Network for Business Ethics, for the best MSc thesis in the area of business ethics, integrity and/or sustainable responsible business. Flipse was a member of the winning (!) TU Delft team that participated in the prestigious iGEM competition, November last year at MIT in Boston. Flipse is currently working at the Working Group on Biotechnology and Society of the Department of Biotechnology of the TU Delft.
Read more: NBN Rabobank scriptieprijs (NL) and TU Delft in the iGEM competition
16 April 2009
Loesje Bevers and Esteban Jamarillo Freydell win the 6th Imagine school competition
With their project ‘What’s the deal with the orange peel’ Loesje Bevers and Esteban Jaramillo Freydell, both working at the TU Delft Department of Biotechnology, have won the 6th round of the Imagine school competition. Four high school students from the Johannes Fontanus College in Barneveld developed a business plan that was ranked first during the Imagine final on 16 April in Ede. The project describes a process to extract pectin from orange peel in Colombia to stimulate the local economy. Pectin is used as a thickening agent in food products and is applied in medicine. Orange juice is one of the main export products of Colombia, while at the same time pectin is imported by this country.
Read more: Imagine Foundation
16 March 2009
Loesje Bevers obtains Rubicon subsidy
The NWO Rubicon programme is directed at promising young postdoctoral researchers who are still at the start of their careers but whose academic strengths give them the potential to become established figures in the Dutch research world. Ir. Loesje Bevers, young scientist of research group Enzymology of our Department of Biotechnology, will do her Rubicon research, entitled 'Pore conformation in ferritin nanocages related to regulating ferritin iron release in cells' at Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI) in Oakland, California (USA) for 24 months.
Read more: NWO-Rubicon-maart2009
3 March 2009
Patricia Osseweijer appointed professor Science Communication
As from 3 March 2009 Patricia Osseweijer has been appointed professor Science Communication. She will help shaping and building a new department and educational program 'Science Education and Communication' within the Faculty. She will continue her role as groupleader of research group Biotechnology and Society of the Department of Biotechnology, as program leader and managing director of the Kluyver Centre and as principal investigator for the NGI Centre for Society and Genomics.
Read more: Osseweijer appointed professor (pdf)
5 December 2008
Rintze Zelle wins second prize in worldwide Knovel University Challenge
On 5 December 2008, PhD candidate Rintze Zelle of the Department of Biotechnology won the second prize in the international Knovel University Challenge. He received the award, a Nano iPod, in de central hall of TU Delft Library on 17 December. Over 7000 students from 40 universities took part in the Challenge, a set of 12 difficult questions whose answers could be found in Knovel’s e-books. Knovel is a publisher of e-books and specializes in applied sciences.
28 November 2008
Inaugural lecture by Peter Verhaert
Title: From the cockroach to the elephant, it is all the same!
21 November 2008
Mark van Loosdrecht delivers first copy of book to HRH Prince of Orange
The first and signed example of the book Biological Wastewater Treatment: Principles, Modelling and Design has been delivered to HRH Prince of Orange during the closing ceremony of the International Year of Sanitation on 21 November in Amsterdam. Mark van Loosdrecht is one of the four authors of the book.
9 November 2008
iGEM competition: LST Students TU Delft win Gold Medal and Wiki Award
The TU Delft has won a gold medal and the award for the best wiki in the International Genetically Engineered Machine competition at the MIT in Boston. More than eighty teams of students from all over the world designed and built parts of bacteria or other cells.
Read more: artikel (pdf-NL) and winning wiki and iGEM 2008
29 October 2008
Rintze Zelle wins Poster Prize at 4th BSDL/DRC-LST Symposium
At the 4th BSDL/DRC-LST Symposium on 29 October 2008 in the Aula Conference Centre of the TU Delft Rintze Zelle won the Poster Prize with his poster "Engineering L-malic acid production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae".
23 October 2008
Daan Schuurbiers wins Mekelprize 2008 for PhD students
The essay Ethics in Action by Daan Schuurbiers was awarded the Mekelprize 2008 for PhD students. The Mekelprize is an annual essay prize for students of Delft University of Technology, awarded by the Platform on Ethics and Technology.
Read more: Ethics in Action (pdf)
8 October 2008
European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant for Mike Jetten
Mike Jetten, extra-ordinary professor at the Department of Biotechnology of the Delft University of Technology, receives the ERC Advanced Grant of 2,5 million euro.
Read more: Press release (NL-pdf)
29 September 2008
DNA genome sequence Penicillium chrysogenum published in Nature Biotechnology
Royal DSM NV announces the publication in 'Nature Biotechnology' of the paper on a breakthrough analysis of the DNA sequence of the fungus Penicillium chrysogenum. Professor Jack Pronk of research group Industrial Microbiology of the TU Delft and some of his groupmembers are co-authors of the paper.
Read more: Press release (pdf)
11 September 2008
Mark van Loosdrecht wins IWA Grand Award
Professor Environmental Biotechnology at the TU Delft, Mark van Loosdrecht, has won the IWA Grand Award from the International Water Association. 'He is a globally recognized pioneer of new techniques that synthesise environmental biotechnology and good engineering practice. He has been instrumental in developing wastewater treatment, biofilm processes, nutrient removal and the production of chemicals by open microbial cultures. These techniques have contributed worldwide to major improvements in the effectiveness and energy efficiency of water treatment.'
Read more: European Water News and see Picture
8 July 2008
Klaas van ’t Riet appointed part-time Professor of BioProduct Design
In September 2007 the Biotechnology department set up a new postdoctoral designer programme (PDEng) in BioProduct Design. Klaas van 't Riet will design and develop the new course specifically for this programme.
5 June 2008
DHV with Nereda®-technologie chosen as runner-up in the European Business Awards for the Environment 2008
The wastewater purification Nereda®-technologie ‘aerobic granular sludge’, developed among others by scientists of the Department of Biotechnology of the TU Delft, has won a second prize in the European Business Awards for the Environment (EBAE) 2008.
Read more: Persbericht (NL-pdf)
30 May 2008
TU Delft and Grontmij win IWA Europe Project Innovation Award 2008
With the project "SHARON Garmerwolde" the TU Delft and Grontmij win the Project Innovation Award 2008 Europe of IWA. The SHARON technology was developed by the TU Delft research group of prof. Mark van Loosdrecht.
27 May 2008
Jack Pronk wins Teacher of the Year award TNW
The first Teacher of the Year awards of the faculty of Applied Sciences have been presented to Jack Pronk (LST), Ger Koper (MST) en Rob Mudde (AP). The students judge Jack Pronk as an inspiring lecturer, who is always willing to expand on his instructions. The award is an initiative of the Director of Education and three student societies of the faculty. Students from each of the three bachelor programmes MST, LST and AP voted for teachers in their year. The winners of the lists of candidates received the award from the Dean.
15 May 2008
Sef Heijnen and Theo Odijk elected as members of the KNAW
Sef Heijnen and Theo Odijk, both professors of the Department of Biotechnology of the Faculty of Applied Sciences of the TU Delft, are elected as members of the "Koninklijke Nederlands Akademie van Wetenschappen" (KNAW) (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences). Mark van Loosdrecht, also professor of this department, has been elected as KNAW member in 2004.
25 April 2008
Karel Luyben received the Royal award Officer in the Order of Oranje Nassau
Prof. K.C.A.M. Luyben has received this Royal award for his outstanding work for the scientific research and education in the Biotechnology and for his driven, sound and creative deanship of the Faculty of Applied Sciences of the TU Delft.
18 April 2008
Leo-Petrus-Innovation-Trophy 2008 for Wouter van der Star
Wouter van der Star (Deltares), just obtained his doctoral degree on April 15th, received the Leo-Petrus-Innovation-Trophy from B-Basic, during the yearly B-Basic symposium on 17-18 April 2008, for the proposal to 'turn sand into sandstone'. The proposal is the result of cooperation between B-Basic academic partners and and external company Deltares.
Read more: Press release (pdf)
17 April 2008
Life Science student team wins the Green Prize of the Philips Innovation Award
The Green Prize was given to the team that is about to bring the most corporate social responsible innovation to the market. With the Powerbin, a bin that extracts biogas from house trash and connects it to the house gas network, a LST student team won the 2000 euro. With this Powerbin the team won also a prize in the 2nd round of New Venture 2008. Prof. Mark van Loosdrecht was their coach.
Read more: www.phia.nl and www.newventure.nl
11 April 2008
Inaugural lecture by Han de Winde
Title: Van Blauwdruk tot Groenboek: de verwondering voorbij?
1 April 2008
TU Delft and BAM win Intertraffic Innovation Award 2008
The 'Fine dust reduction system' of the TU Delft and BAM has won the Intertraffic Innovation Award 2008. It is a patent invention by drs.ing. Bob Ursem, director of the Botanic Garden of the TU Delft.
Read more: Flyer (NL+English pdf) and Persbericht (NL-pdf)
12 March 2008
Inaugural lecture by Isabel Arends
Title: Enzymen op maat.
8 - 9 January 2008
DRC-LST organizes successful Workshop for Journalists
In a two days in-house workshop "Biotechnology for Sustainability" a group of 14 international journalists learned about the latest developments in industrial and environmental biotechnology and got hands-on experience in the research being done by the Delft Research Centre 'Life Science and Technology'.
More information: Workshop programme (pdf)
7 December 2007
Valedictory lecture by Roger Sheldon
Title: E Factors, Green Chemistry & Catalysis: Records of the Travelling Chemist.
Read also: www.bt.tudelft.nl/sheldon
30 November 2007
KVWN/NVA essay prize for Pieter Pickhardt
During the Water Symposium of the KVWN ('Koninklijke Vereniging voor Waterleidingbelangen in Nederland') and NVA ('Nederlandse Vereniging voor Waterbeheer') on 30 November 2007 the essay prize for the best Master's thesis on water issues has been presented to Pieter Pickhardt. His graduate teachers were prof. Mark van Loosdrecht en prof. Peter Appel.
23 November 2007
UfD-StuD-award 2006-2007 for Bart Haverkorn van Rijsewijk
The UfD-StuD-award for the best graduate of the faculty Applied Sciences in the academic year 2006-2007 has been won by Bart Haverkorn van Rijsewijk. He graduated in 'Life Science and Technology' at the TU Delft. His graduate teacher was prof. Han de Winde.
6 November 2007
Jana Tatur 5000th PhD of the TU Delft
On 6 November Jana Tatur obtained her doctoral degree. After the graduation ceremony Rector Magnificus Jacob Fokkema congratulated her as the 5000th PhD at the TU Delft. The first PhD graduated at the TU Delft in 1906.
Read more: 5000th TU Delft doctorate and Jana Tatur & TU Delft Repository
31 October 2007
Emrah Nikerel wins Poster Prize at 3rd BSDL/DRC-LST Symposium
At the 3rd BSDL/DRC-LST Symposium on 31 October 2007 in the Aula Conference Centre of the TU Delft Emrah Nikerel has won the Poster Prize with his poster "Development of large scale dynamic metabolic model of Penicillium chrysogenum using linlog kinetics".
22 October 2007
Nestlé Research Center joins Kluyver Centre’s Research Platform
The Nestlé Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland, the world’s leading private food and nutrition research institution, joins the research platform of the Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation, Netherlands.
Read more: Press release (pdf)
21 October 2007
Science Day: 2300 visitors
In 2007 the number of visitors during Science Day ('Wetenschapsdag') in our department's building and Botanic Garden was higher than ever before: 2300 (many children, parents, grand parents).
4 October 2007
Merle de Kreuk selected as 'Simon Stevin Gezel'
At the STW Conference on 4 October 2007 in De Doelen, Rotterdam, the audience has choosen Merle de Kreuk to Simon Stevin Gezel 2007 out of three nominees. The three promising young technology researchers each gave a brief lecture. With the prize, Merle can work on her own scientific research. She is postdoc at the TU Delft Department of Biotechnology, in Mark van Loosdrecht's group Environmental Biotechnology.
Read more: Press release and read also Researcher in the spotlight, Merle de Kreuk
3 October 2007
Botanic Garden wins prize for Accessibility 2007
The Botanic Garden is the best accessible facility for handicapped persons in the city of Delft. Therefore the Garden received the Accessibility Prize 2007 from alderman Rensen on 3 October 2007. This year the theme of the award was 'culture and tourism'.
Read more: Persbericht (pdf-NL)
28 September 2007
Celebration opening new PDEng programme 'BioProduct Design'
The opening of the new PDEng programme BioProduct Design was celebrated 28 September in 't Keldertje. The new programme has been developed by Han de Winde and Janine Kiers.
Read more: artikel Biochem (pdf-NL) and an earlier Press release
4 September 2007
Kedar Deshpande wins Springer Poster Award on BACG 2007
On the British Association of Crystal Growth (BACG) conference in Dublin, Ireland, 3 and 4 September 2007, the Springer Poster Award was won by Kedar Deshpande, PhD student in the Bioseparation group of the Department of Biotechnology.
13 July 2007
Guus Roeselers obtains Rubicon subsidy
The NWO Rubicon programme is directed at promising young postdoctoral researchers who are still at the start of their careers but whose academic strengths give them the potential to become established figures in the Dutch research world. Drs. Guus Roeselers, young scientist of research group Environmental Biotechnology of our dept. Biotechnology, will do his Rubicon research, entitled 'The quest for nitrogen: Nitrogen assimilation in hydrothermal vent symbioses' at Harvard University (USA) for 24 months.
Read more: www.nwo.nl/rubicon, Rubicon project (pdf)
22 May 2007
Prof. J. Gijs Kuenen wins Procter & Gamble Award in Applied and Environmental Microbiology
The Procter & Gamble Award for Applied and Environmental Microbiology has been presented to Kuenen on 22 May at the 107th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Toronto, Canada, 21-25 May 2007.
Read more: http://www.asm.org/microbe/index.asp?bid=49030
16 May 2007
Sandra Mitic wins Poster Award at Lab on a Chip World Congress
Sandra Mitic, PhD student in the Enzymology group of the Department of Biotechnology, has won the Lab on a Chip Poster Prize at the Lab on a Chip World Congress, 15 - 16 May 2007 in Edinburgh, Scotland, with her poster ‘Characterization of Nanosecond Glass Micro-Mixer Setup’.
Read more: www.selectbiosciences.com/conferences/loac2007
11 May 2007
Leo-Petrus-Innovation-Trophy for Wouter van Winden and Leo Vleugels
Wouter van Winden (TU Delft/TNW/BT) and Leo Vleugels (DSM) received the Leo-Petrus-Innovation-Trophy from B-Basic during the yearly B-Basic symposium on 11 May 2007. They got the prize for the pioneering production method to make biodiesel out of algae. The winners received 100.000 euros to implement their idea.
Read more: website NWO, website DSM, website Imagine, Persbericht (pdf-NL)
9 May 2007
SHARONreactor winner Poster Award at Watermatex 2007
Eveline Volcke, Mark van Loosdrecht and Peter Vanrolleghem have won the Poster Award at Watermatex 2007, the 7th International IWA Symposium on Systems Analysis and Integrated Assessment in Water Management, 6 - 9 May 2007 in Washington DC, USA, with their poster ‘Interaction between control and design of a SHARON reactor: Economic considerations in a plant-wide (BSM2) context’.
Read more: www.watermatex2007.org
27 April 2007
Sjaak Lispet received the Royal award Member of the Order of Oranje-Nassau
Sjaak Lispet, head Facilities of the Department of Biotechnology, has received a Royal award from the mayor of Delft: he is ranked ‘Lid in de Orde van Oranje-Nassau’. Sjaak got the ‘lintje’ for his inexhaustible dedication to employees of the TU Delft and inhabitants of the city of Delft.
25 April 2007
Prof. Mark van Loosdrecht wins Dow Energy Prize 2007
Mark van Loosdrecht received the prize for his contribution to the 'aerobic granular sludge technology', an innovative biological wastewater purification technology.
Read more: Persbericht (pdf-NL)
10 April 2007
Jana Tatur obtaines NWO Rubicon subsidy
The NWO Rubicon programme is directed at promising young postdoctoral researchers who are still at the start of their careers but whose academic strengths give them the potential to become established figures in the Dutch research world. Ir. Jana Tatur, young scientist of research group Enzymology of our dept. Biotechnology, will do her Rubicon research, entitled 'Crystallization of membrane proteins using novel nanotubes-crosslinked supports' at Imperial College London (UK) for 20 months.
Read more: www.nwo.nl/rubicon
7 March 2007
Schools project 'Imagine' nominated for the Descartes Prize
Patricia Osseweijer as initiator of the project was the only Dutch nominated for this European prize for science communication. The prize giving ceremony was in Brussels, where she distributed the first copies of the Imagine booklet on the biofuel project in Mozambique.
Read more: Persbericht (pdf-NL) and http://ec.europa.eu/research/descartes/index_en.htm
28 February 2007
Inaugural lecture by Julian Kinderlerer
Title: Globalisation, Risk and Biotechnology.
25 February 2007
Shell appoints professor Van der Wielen 'principal scientist biotechnology'
Van der Wielen will scout for Shell the possibilities of biofuels as serious candidates for future fuels and the role of biotechnology. He is staying on as professor at the TU Delft.
Read more: Persbericht (NL-pdf)
18 January 2007
Jack Pronk wins Bachiene Prize
The ‘Thorbecke-en Bachienestichting’ presented the prize for the first time. Pronk won the prize for his research on baker's yeast which has led to breakthroughs in the field of the production of ethanol from xylose.
Read more: Bachieneprijs Leiden and Uitreiking (NL-pdf)
1 January 2007
Isabel Arends appointed professor biocatalysis and organic chemistry
As from 1 January 2007 Isabel Arends has been appointed professor biocatalysis and organic chemistry. She is successor of professor Roger Sheldon who will retire in 2007. Arends will work on the development of new - tailor made - enzymes in favour of clean and sustainable processes in the chemical industry.
Read more: Isabel Arends hoogleraar (NL-pdf)
19 December 2006
Peter Prinsen obtaines NWO Rubicon subsidy
The NWO Rubicon programme is directed at promising young postdoctoral researchers who are still at the start of their careers but whose academic strengths give them the potential to become established figures in the Dutch research world. Ir. Peter Prinsen, young scientist of research group Complex Fluids Theory of our dept. Biotechnology, is one of the 25 granted in this Rubicon subsidy round. His research title: 'How large is a large RNA molecule'. He will do research at University of California for 24 months.
Read more: www.nwo.nl/rubicon
1 November 2006
Maria Cuellar wins Poster Prize at second BSDL/DRC-LST Symposium
At the 2nd BSDL/DRC-LST Symposium on 1 November 2006 in the Aula Conference Centre of the TU Delft Maria Cuellar has won the Poster Prize with her poster "Towards the integration of fermentation and crystallisation".
31 October 2006
Dissertation Patricia Osseweijer
Patricia Osseweijer obtained her doctorate at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam on 31 October 2006 with a thesis titled: A short history of talking biotech - Fifteen years of iterative action research in institutionalising scientists' engagement in public communication. Her promotor was Prof. Tj. de Cock Buning (VU A‘dam).
Read more: Summary thesis (pdf) and Persbericht (NL-pdf)
3 October 2006
DHV and TU Delft win Process Innovation Award 2006 with NeredaTM
DHV and TU Delft have won the Process Innovation Award 2006 (formerly: Machevo Prize) with the aerobic granular sludge technology "Nereda". The wastewater purification technology won both the professional and the public’s prize. Dr.ir. Merle de Kreuk (TU Delft) and ir. Hugo van Gool (DHV) received the awards on 3 October 2006 at the Industrial Week Network Meeting in the ‘Jaarbeurs’ at Utrecht.
Read more: Persbericht (NL-pdf) and Pictures
7 September 2006
Jack Pronk nominated for the Dutch Science & Society Award 2006
Prof. Jack Pronk has been nominated for the Science & Society Award 2006 (Prijs van Wetenschap & Maatschappij 2006) because of his research on baker's yeast for biofuels. The winner has been announced at the Science and Society Night (Avond van Wetenschap en Maatschappij) on November 6th, 2006, at the Ridderzaal in The Hague.
Read more: www.avondwenm.nl
20-25 August 2006
Prof. J. Gijs Kuenen wins Jim Tiedje Award at ISME-11
At the 11th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology (ISME-11) in Vienna, Austria, 20-25 August 2006, the International Society for Microbial Ecology presented prof. J. Gijs Kuenen with the Jim Tiedje Award, in recognition of his outstanding lifetime contribution to microbial ecology.
Read more: ISME awards
26 June 2006
Roger Sheldon awarded 2006 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award
Roger Sheldon of TU Delft and Codexis have won the 2006 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. They received the award for a technology used to reduce cost and waste in the production of hydroxynitrile: “Directed evolution of three biocatalysts to produce the key chiral block for Atorvastatin, the active ingredient in Lipitor®”. Lipitor is the world’s best-selling drug that lowers cholesterol.
See www.epa.gov/greenchemistry.
1-2 April 2006
BIOPOP in Delft
Nearly 3000 people visited the second event of BIOPOP in Delft on 1-2 April 2006. They were introduced to the future of biotechnology; over 50 young European researchers were awaiting them, equipped with DNA from kiwis, cow cells and their own saliva. The DNA launched great discussions between visitors and scientists on the benefits and risks of DNA databanks, genetically modified food and gene therapy. Joost van den Brink, PhD-student of the Department of Biotechnology, was the event’s coordinator from the TU Delft. Eight other young colleague scientists from our department assisted him.
The first BIOPOP event was in Bologna on 8-9 October 2005.
Read more: Press release (pdf), www.biopop-eu.org, BIOPOP flyer (NL-pdf)
16 March 2006
Patricia Osseweijer wins the Silver Hourglass Prize with ‘Imagine’
At the 11th Nederlands Biotechnologisch Congres (NBC-11) in Ede on 16 March 2006, Patricia Osseweijer was presented with the Silver Hourglass Prize for Education 2006 (SBN/Niaba) for the schools project “Imagine”. The jury found the combination of education, science and development work very original and a prime example of successful communication about biotechnology.
Read more: Persbericht (NL-pdf)
16 March 2006
Project Bob Ursem in third round ‘Imagine’
To bring a plantation in Suriname into bloom again with a culture of Bixa orellana, the plant with seeds from which the popular colouring Annatto can be extracted. With this project from Bob Ursem, scientific director of the TU Delft Botanic Garden, five high school pupils from ‘t Atrium in Amersfoort have won the 3rd round of “Imagine”.
Read more: Persbericht (NL-pdf)
1 April 2006
Professor Han de Winde chairman of Department of Biotechnology TU Delft
Prof.dr. Han de Winde has been appointed chairman of the Biotechnology Department, part of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, with effect from 1 April 2006. He succeeds Professor Gijs Kuenen who stepped down from the position on 1 January. Read more (pdf)
13 January 2006
Prof.dr. Jack Pronk delivered Dies Natalis Lecture 2006
At the celebration of the 164th Dies Natalis of the TU Delft Professor Jack Pronk has delivered the Dies Natalis Lecture entitled “Industrial Biotechnology: Drive my car”.
See www.tudelft.nl/dies to view his lecture (video) and powerpoint presentation.
Read text of his lecture (pdf)
13 January 2006
Honorary doctorate for Prof. Matthias Reuss by Prof. Sef Heijnen
At the celebration of the 164th Dies Natalis of the TU Delft an honorary doctorate was conferred on Prof.dr.-ing. M. Reuss, Professor and Director of the Institute of Biochemical Engineering at the University of Stuttgart, Germany. Honorary supervisor was Prof.dr.ir. J.T. Heijnen, Professor of Biokinetics at the Department of Biotechnology.
2 December 2005
Farewell Lecture Professor Gijs Kuenen
Prof.dr. J. Gijs Kuenen has given his Farewell Lecture on 2 December 2005 at the Aula Conference Centre of the TU Delft, at the end of the symposium ‘Full circle: Microbial cycle of the elements’. At the age of 65 he retired as Chairman of the Department of Biotechnology and Professor of General and Applied Microbiology. The title of his Farewell Lecture was “Microbiology is my hobby”; we will still see hem around.
October 2005
Professor Hans van Dijken is (the only) ISI Highly Cited author of the TU Delft ISIHighlyCited.com, powered by the ISI Web of Science, shows that Prof.dr. J.P. van Dijken of the Department of Biotechnology is the only Highly Cited Author of the TU Delft. ISI: “The selection is based on the total number of citations received by an individual within a given category as recorded in the ISI database between 1981-1999”. Van Dijken is selected in the ISI category Microbiology. See http://isihighlycited.com
15 August 2005
Peter Verhaert full time Professor of the Analytical Biotechnology group
As of 15 August Peter Verhaert has been appointed as full time Professor of the Analytical Biotechnology research group of the Department of Biotechnology of the TU Delft.
14/15 November 2005
NanoBio-RAISE wins session award at CER 2005
At the conference on ‘Communicating European Research’ (CER 2005) in Brussels, organised by the European Commission, the project NanoBio-RAISE won the prize for the best Forum session with the session on Nanobiotechnology. The Delft University of Technology is contractor for this project. More information: Daan Schuurbiers and Dr. David Bennett. Read more: www.nanobio-raise.org
3 November 2005
Bob Ursem wins NL-ID Yearly Prize 2005
With the ‘Biological UV Filter’ Bob Ursem, scientific director of the Botanic Garden of the Delft University of Technology, has won the NL-ID Yearly Prize 2005.
Read more: www.id-nl.com
2 November 2005
Penia Kresnowati & Inga Matijosyte win Poster Prize at first BSDL/DRC-LST Symposium
At the 1st BSDL/DRC-LST Symposium on 2 November 2005 in the Aula Conference Centre of the TU Delft Penia Kresnowati and Inga Matijosyte have won the first respectively second Poster Prize.
Read more: www.drclst.tudelft.nl
13 October 2005
Selvedin Telalovic obtains NWO Mozaïek subsidy
Selvedin Telalovic, now PhD student in the group Biocatalysis and Organic Chemistry of professor Roger Sheldon, was one of the 22 graduated MSc students who obtained the Mozaïek subsidy from NWO with his MSc’s thesis ‘Multifunctional catalysts for sustainable chemistry’. With this subsidy he is able to carry out a PhD project for four years.
Read more: http://www.nwo.nl/nwohome.nsf/pages/NWOP_6FMA7N?Opendocument
16 June 2005
Gijs Kuenen elected to Fellowship in the American Academy of Microbiology
Read more: Delft Professor elected (pdf)
8 June 2005
Ton van Maris laureate DSM Award
Ton van Maris was honoured as a laureate of the DSM Award for Chemistry and Technology 2005.
3 June 2005
DHV/TU Delft wins the ‘Vernufteling 2005’ with Aerobic Granular Sludge
DHV Water BV and the TU Delft have won the ‘Vernufteling 2005’, the ONRI Innovation Prize, with the Aerobic Granular Sludge technology, an efficient and low cost method for biological wastewater treatment. Merle de Kreuk and Bart de Bruin received the prize in Den Haag.
Read more: www.dhv.nl en De Ingenieur Vernufteling (pdf)
May 2005
CCTO-approval for Designers Programme (BODL)
The ‘TWAIO’ postgraduate programme “Designer in Bioprocess Engineering”, resulting in the degree of PDEng (Professional Doctorate in Engineering), has been approved by the Certifying Committee for Educational Programs to Designer in Engineering (CCTO) for another five-year period.
Read more: BODL-website
December 2004
Graduate Research School BSDL re-accredited by the KNAW
The Graduate Research School Biotechnological Sciences Delft Leiden (BSDL) is re-accredited by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) for another six-year period.
Read more: BSDL website
30 November 2004
B-BASIC starts
In 2003 the Dutch government granted 25M€ from the natural gas revenues to the research consortium B-BASIC (BioBAsed Sustainable Industrial Chemistry), in order to strengthen the Dutch knowledge infrastructure. The European Commission has now given permission to do so. B-BASIC is lead by professor Luuk van der Wielen of the Department of Biotechnology of the TU Delft. The consortium focuses on the development of sustainable products and processes with renewable feedstock and biocatalysts.
Read more: B-Basic
20 November 2004
Stefania Ortu wins A. Rozzi prize
Stefania Ortu has won the A. Rozzi prize in Italy for the best MSc’s thesis in the field of environmental technology. As ‘Erasmus’ student Stefania carried out her MSc’s project at the Environmental Biotechnology group under the supervision of professor Mark van Loosdrecht and Antonio Martins.
11 November 2004
Sef Heijnen wins Akzo Nobel Science Award 2004
Professor Sef Heijnen receives the Akzo Nobel Science Award 2004 for his research in the field of process and information technology, in particular biofilm processes. This annual award, which alternates between Sweden and the Netherlands, is now in its 34th year and carries prize money of EUR 50 000.
Read more: Hollmij ANSA
10 September 2004
Aleksandar Cvetkovic wins Malcolm Lilly Award at ESBES-5
Aleksandar Cvetkovic, PhD student in the Bioseparation Technology group of professor Luuk van der Wielen, wins the Malcolm Lilly Award at the European Symposium on Biochemical Engineering Sciences, 8-11 September 2004 in Stuttgart (ESBES-5). He received the prize (4500 euro) for his lecture ‘Anisotropic adsorption-diffusion of small solutes in protein crystals’. The prize is for young researchers in the field of Biochemical Engineering.
Read more: BSTprCvetkovic (pdf)
31 August 2004
High school students win on project ‘Biodiesel in Mozambique’ by Van Winden
The winner of the 1st ‘Imagine’-pupils competition was announced during the Genomics Momentum 2004 Congress in Rotterdam. The winning pair of pupils from the Baarnsch Lyceum presented a business plan based on a submission by Wouter van Winden and Bram van Beek, which won the public’s prize at the Netherlands Biotechnology Congress in March. The prize-winning plan, the small-scale production of biodiesel from alga-oil and ethanol, will be implemented in Mozambique during the coming year. Maria van der Hoeven, Minister of Education, Culture and Science, who found out about ‘Imagine’ at the Congress, was very impressed by the project and wished the organizers much success.
Read more: Imagine
31 August 2004
Dirk Heering wins Poster Award at EUROBIC-7
Dirk Heering, postdoc in the Enzymology group of professor Fred Hagen, won the best poster award at the 7th European Biological Inorganic Chemistry Conference (EUROBIC-7), in August 2004 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany). He won the prize for his poster ‘From Zeptomole to Single Enzyme Voltammetry’.
Read more: ENZprHeering (pdf)
24 August 2004
First two LST students graduated as MSc
Professor Luuk van der Wielen presented the first two MSc diplomas of the new educational programme Life Science and Technology to Susan Meijer and Nelleke Snelder at Department of Biotechnology.
Read more: www.lst.tudelft.nl
May 2004
Mark van Loosdrecht elected as member KNAW
The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) has elected Mark van Loosdrecht, professor Environmental Biotechnology, as new member. The Academy consists of 200 members. Main functions are advising the government, promoting international cooperation and managing 17 institutes in all scientific research fields.
Read more: www.knaw.nl
May 2004
Joao Xavier wins Poster Prize at Biocomplexity VI
Joao Xavier, postdoc in the Environmental Biotechnology group of professor Mark van Loosdrecht, won the poster prize at the Biocomplexity VI congres in May 2004 in Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
28 May 2004
Siew Leng Tai wins presentation prize at Yeasterday 2004
Siew Leng Tai, PhD student in the Industrial Microbiology group of professor Jack Pronk, won the first prize for his presentation at yeast meeting Yeasterday on 28 May 2004 in Haren (Groningen-NL).
28 May 2004
Roger Sheldon delivers 25th PhD
Professor Roger Sheldon, leader of the group Biocatalysis and Organic Chemistry, was granted with the TU Delft honorary medal for his 25th PhD he delivered at 24 May 2004.
29 April 2004
Gijs Kuenen elevated to rank of Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
Gijs Kuenen, professor general and applied microbiology, is elevated to the rank of Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion on 29 April 2004. He received the rank in Delft, for his extraordinary performance as scientist. Mayor of Delft Van Oorschot explained: ‘He counts as one of the – in scientific sense – most successful professors of Delft University of Technology’.
28 April 2004
Raji Kumaraswami and Guus Roeselers winners at ESEB 2004
Raji Kumaraswami and Guus Roeselers, both PhD-students in the Environmental Biotechnology group of professor Mark van Loosdrecht and Gijs Kuenen, were winners at the European Symposium on Environmental Biotechnology held in April 2004 in Oostende, Belgium: Raji won the Poster Prize and Guus won the Question Award.
19 April 2004
Kluyver Centre and NGI contract signed
The contract between the Kluyver Centre and the Netherlands Genomics Initiative (NGI) was signed on 19 April. The TU Delft coordinates the Kluyver Centre. In addition to the Delft groups (Pronk en Heijnen) the Kluyver Centre includes groups from 8 other organisations. The cooperation agreements between the TU Delft and these organisations were also signed during this celebratory meeting.
Read more: www.kluyvercentre.nl
April 2004
Alexei Cherepanov obtains NWO-VENI subsidy
Alexei Cherepanov, postdoc in the group of professor Simon de Vries, has obtained a VENI subsidy (200.000 €) from the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) for research on DNA-ligase reaction intermediates.
27 November 2003
Wouter van der Star wins CIVI prize
Wouter van der Star, now PhD student in the group Environmental Biotechnology of professor Mark van Loosdrecht, won the CIVI Technology prize for his MSc’s thesis on the mathematical modelling of biologically enhanced corrosion. The Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities yearly grants the prizes, each 12.000 Euro, on theses on three research fields, to stimulate education in exact sciences. Wouter was the best MSc student in the field of Biochemistry and Biotechnology.
Read more: hollmij en EBTprVdStar_FIN1 (pdf)
1 September 2003
Sef Heijnen wins ‘Leermeesterprijs 2003’
The prestigious ‘Leermeesterprijs 2003’ of the Universiteitsfonds Delft has been granted to professor Sef Heijnen. The prize is given yearly to a professor who is not only a very good lecturer/teacher. He/she excels in the quality of education ánd research, ánd by his/her personality and inspiring charisma on the whole scientific setting.
September 2003
Dirk Heering obtains NWO-VIDI subsidy
Dirk Heering, postdoc in the DIOC LifeTech-project of Simon de Vries en Cees Dekker, has obtained a VIDI subsidy from the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). With the € 600.000 subsidy budget for five years, Heering will set up a research line on the way of generating and transport of electricity by one enzyme molecule, with electrodes as small as the molecule itself.
2 July 2003
Lex Scheffers receives FEMS Special Merits Award
At the occasion of the 1st FEMS Congress in Ljubljana, Slovenia, ir. Lex Scheffers received the first FEMS Special Merits Award for his structural inputs to the federation, his organisational inputs in establishing FEMS Central Office, and for founding a new FEMS journal, FEMS Yeast Research.
Read more: www.fems-microbiology.org
3 June 2003
Wouter van Winden laureate DSM Award
Wouter van Winden was honoured as laureate of the DSM Award for Chemistry and Technology 2003.
December 2002
NWO-VICI subsidy for Mark van Loosdrecht
Mark van Loosdrecht, in 2002 professor in the Bioprocess Technology group, was one of the 27 Dutch researchers granted with a VICI that year. He received 1.250.000 Euro to develop his own research group in the following five years. Van Loosdrecht uses the subsidy to investigate the use of much cheaper reactors and feedstocks based on open mixed microbial cultures in dynamically fed reactors and their competitive evolution towards efficient product formation. The research focuses on production of bulk bioplastics from (organic waste derived) lower fatty acids.
19 November 2002
Department of Biotechnology scores very well in research quality assessment
On 19 November the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) published the final report on her latest Assessment of Research Quality ‘Chemistry and Chemical Technology’. In this assessment also the seven research programmes of our Department of Biotechnology were reviewed. On a scale from 1 to 5 our department scored on average at least 4,3 on all assessed criteria: quality, productivity, relevance and viability.
2 October 2002
Anammox research awarded Machevo Prize
The professors Gijs Kuenen, Mike Jetten and Mark van Loosdrecht together received the Machevo prize 2002 at the annual Machevo fair in Utrecht, for their research on the application and microbiology of the Anammox process. The anammox process is an innovative process for the removal of nitrogen from wastewater, discovered in Delft. Read more:
31 August 2002
Honorary Fellowship EFB for Karel Luyben
During the fourth European Symposium on Biochemical Engineering Sciences (ESBES-4), 28-31 August 2002 in Delft, the European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB) awarded Karel Luyben with an Honorary Fellowship for his outstanding services. First as national member, later as chairman of the EFB, he was one of the re-organizers of the EFB, and started the Section ESBES. He was also a founding board member of the NBV (Netherlands Society of Biotechnology) and of the SBN (‘Stichting Biotechnology Nederland’).
27 May 2002
Sef Heijnen delivers 25th PhD
Professor Sef Heijnen, leader of research group Bioprocess Technology, was granted with the TU Delft honorary medal for his 25th PhD he delivered at 27 May 2002.
October 2001
Mark van Loosdrecht wins ‘Het Ei van Columbus’ 2001
In 2001 professor Mark van Loosdrecht was a winner of the ‘Ei van Columbus’ competition in which Dutch Ministries grant prizes for innovation and sustainability. Van Loosdrecht won the prize for his research and educational activities in the field of sustainable wastewater purification.
Read more: www.ei-van-columbus.nl
13 September 2000
Thomas Jensen wins Malcolm Lilly Award at ESBES-3
Thomas Jensen, PhD student in the Bioseparation Technology group of professor Luuk van der Wielen, won the Malcolm Lilly Award at the third European Symposium on Biochemical Engineering Sciences, 10-13 September 2000 in Copenhagen (ESBES-3). He won the prize for his lecture ‘Improving SMB chromatography by gradient application’.
29 March 2000
Sef Heijnen wins ChemFerm Award
