AMOLF

The group of Kristina Ganzinger carries out fundamental research that is of potential interest for new or improved medicines. But, how to take knowledge from our labs to the marketplace where patients can benefit from it?  The group is now taking important steps to make this possible. Kristina announced that - together with partner 1NA - the group is officially joining the Biotech Booster program that supports commercialization of biotechnology findings.  The research project introduced in the program is entitled NanoLoom. It aims to unlock the potential of single-molecule techniques for drug development. This is done by combining the DNA curtain technology of partner company 1NA with AMOLF DNA-PAINT labeling techniques. The collaborating partners will conduct proof-of-concept studies combining the two techniques. This will enable them to do long-time observation of DNA-protein interactions across thousands of DNA molecules, providing a new setting to assess efficacy and mechanisms of action for new or existing drugs on DNA binding molecules.      

On Monday 4 November, AMOLF researcher Wim Noorduin participated in the NWO debate "Science Works! The future of research and innovation in the Netherlands" in Nieuwspoort, The Hague. At this NWO debate, Marcel Levi (President of NWO), Jolanda Kluin (Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery at ErasmusMC and AWTI board member), Laurens Dassen (leader of parliamentary party Volt) and Robert-Jan Smits (President of Eindhoven University of Technology) discussed the conclusions of the Draghi report. Among other things, they stressed the discrepancy between the need to invest in our knowledge and innovation (also endorsed by the cabinet) on the one hand, and the huge cuts in education and science on the other. Wim Noorduin, scientific group leader at AMOLF and professor at the University of Amsterdam, was interviewed about his experiences, bringing to market a lead test spray. Wim: “I read about lead water pipes and found out that 1 in 3 children in the world has lead poisoning. That's a whopping 800 million children. One of the biggest problems is to find the lead. Even in very small amounts, lead can cause permanent brain damage or cardiovascular disease. Building on my work on semiconductors, I then thought, ‘What if I could convert lead into a material that behaves like a semiconductor, so that the lead will reflect light? Then you can see where it is and do something about it.” Wim proved able to turn his vision into reality: together with his PhD student Lukas Helmbrecht and other group members, he developed a spray that makes materials containing lead reflect light, even lead in very small amounts. Given the seriousness of lead poisoning worldwide, Wim realized ‘I have to do something with this finding’. With help from AMOLF, Wim approached NWO about his invention, receiving a grant to explore a startup. He later successfully applied for a loan, so he didn't have to seek outside investors. Together with Lukas Heimbrecht and Jeroen van den Bosch, Wim founded the startup Lumetallix in order to turn the results into a practical kit. Wim: “I didn't want to sell the invention because I wanted to avoid the proceeds going to the wrong people. I want (potential future) profits to be used to create scale, so we can deploy the product in parts of the world where this problem is greatest.” You can watch the interview with Wim on YouTube (in Dutch): https://lnkd.in/eCddSydR . Here you also find the panel debate. NWO (Dutch Research Council)

It wasn’t the first time they poured oil in an optical cavity. But this time, the team of Said Rodriguez was in for a surprise. Covering a metal grating in oil resulted in spontaneous symmetry breaking. How was this possible? Together with a scientific team of the University of Madrid, they figured out how the spontaneous symmetry breaking they observed, entails the breakdown of one of the most fundamental laws of physics: conservation of momentum. Have a look at the news item https://lnkd.in/eqvD8Q6x or read the article in Physical Review Letters. 

On Monday 4 November, AMOLF researcher Wim Noorduin will participate in the NWO debate "Science Works! The future of research and innovation in the Netherlands". At this NWO debate, among others, Marcel Levi (President of NWO), Jolanda Kluin (Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery at ErasmusMC and AWTI board member) and Robert-Jan Smits (President of Eindhoven University of Technology) will discuss the conclusions of the Draghi report. In his report on the future of Europe's competitiveness, Mario Draghi argues that investment in research, innovation and education is structurally too low. In an interlude conversation, Wim Noorduin will be interviewed about his experiences, bringing to market a lead test based on solar cell technology. Wim is scientific group leader at AMOLF, professor at the University of Amsterdam, and cofounder of Lumetallix - a lead detection startup. A few spots at this debate in Nieuwspoort are still available, so if you're interested, visit https://lnkd.in/gbW4i8aB to register! NWO (Dutch Research Council) Nieuwspoort

On October 11th, we celebrated the launch of our latest acquisition: a Transmission Electron Microscope (#TEM). This state-of-the-art #microscope has the unique capability to couple in light, enabling researchers to look at materials over time under the influence of light at the atomic scale. This capability will enable new scientific discoveries and technological advances. The launch was part of this year's Sustainable Energy Materials Symposium, which brought together researchers working on sustainable energy materials with electron microscopists. Keynote speakers Dr. Sophie Meuret, Prof. Ulrich Lorenz, Dr. Armin Feist and Prof. Jennifer Dionne shared their experiences with TEM microscopy and latest advances in the field. As Dr. Wiebke Albrecht (AMOLF) explains, this microscope opens doors for groundbreaking discoveries in renewable energy: "For real operating conditions of a catalyst or a solar cell, you might want to introduce gas or liquid environments or heat and electric biasing. This is combinable with the light excitation in our TEM. One of the reasons it's so unique." Prof.dr. Erik Garnett (AMOLF) adds: "With the TEM, we can now see nanoparticles changing shape under light, unlocking new possibilities to design better solar cells and catalysts. Now that we know the exact shape under light, we can make better solar cells and better catalysts." The TEM is the result of collaboration between AMOLF, ARCNL, University of Amsterdam, and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam), made possible by NWO (Dutch Research Council)’s Research Infrastructure funding. The TEM is available to researchers worldwide, academic or industrial. To learn more about this symposium and the TEM, visit https://lnkd.in/e27ZS3y7

Alberto Comoretto works on #softrobotics. Looking for answers on how to make his soft robots move without power sources like batteries, he went to lab of Ellen Roche at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Want to know more about the collaboration? Read our news item: https://lnkd.in/eUjsH93t

Researchers from Delft University of Technology and AMOLF have, for the first time, unraveled how the protein GBP1 works. This protein is essential for our innate resistance to bacteria and parasites. GBP1 coats bacteria, breaking their membranes – the protective layer surrounding the intruder – and allowing immune cells to clear the infection. This research could help develop medications for those with weakened immune systems. Biophysicist Arjen Jakobi and PhD candidate Tanja Kuhm from Delft University of Technology, and professor Sander Tans and PhD candidate Luca Gross from AMOLF, have unraveled the mechanism of this antibacterial function using cryogenic electron microscopy. Their findings may lead to more effective treatments for bacterial infections through targeted activation or deactivation of specific proteins with medicine. The research has been published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. Visit our website to learn more about this research: https://lnkd.in/eMFM_DT8

We would like to congratulate Bruno Ehrler on winning the 2025 Energy Lectureship Mid-Career Award! This prize was awarded by the ACS (American Chemical Society) Applied Energy Materials and the ACS Energy & Fuels (ENFL) Division. The topic for this year was: Solar Energy Conversion. The award will be presented to Bruno in San Diego at the end of May. We are very proud of Bruno and his team at AMOLF, who are committed every day to delivering outstanding research on sustainable energy materials and light management in new photovoltaic materials (LMPV).

Last Saturday, AMOLF opened its doors for Science Day or ‘Wetenschapsdag’ (formerly named ‘Open Dag’). A wonderful event to celebrate science with both adults and children. At AMOLF, our guests joined lab tours and lectures, like ‘tracing lead’ and ‘lessons we learn from organoid intestines’. Also, a large number of children flocked Amsterdam Science Park campus and were treated to workshops, like the AMOLF favorite ‘make your own solar cell, from berries’. Leaving AMOLF, one of the children proudly carried her own solar cell sample, saying that hers ‘contained electricity’. Hence, a successful day at which we kindled enthusiasm, answered questions and made many people smile ☺ AMOLF is one of the partners of Wetenschapsdag Amsterdam Science Park, which is organized every year during the Weekend of Science or ‘Weekend van de Wetenschap’, #wvdw2024 

On 3 October, we celebrated 75 years of magical times at AMOLF with more than 300 esteemed alumni. It was a wonderful celebration where many precious memories were shared. After warm words of welcome by our director Huib Bakker, participants attended several sessions and demonstrations. Like the ‘Aretha Sample Robot’, detecting lead, a VR arena, and much more. Of course, our alumni also visited our labs, where the real AMOLF magic happens! After short colloquia on soft robots, ‘lessons we learn from mini-intestines grown in the lab’, and photonics for a sustainable future, there was plenty of opportunity to catch up over a diner buffet. Many thanks to our alumni for joining our celebration! Want to stay up to date?? Then subscribe to our newsletter on https://lnkd.in/eXqssiiA