Low-mass main-sequence stars like our Sun are continuous sources of outflowing hot magnetised plasma. In the case of the Sun, this is known as the solar wind, whereas for other stars they are called stellar winds.

This dissertation focuses on developing new mathematical and statistical methods to properly represent time-varying covariates and model them within the context of time-to-event analysis.

Anthropogenic noise negatively affects wildlife in a wide range of taxonomic groups.

Streptomyces are bacteria abundant in soil that participate in diverse and complex interactions. These bacteria are the main producers of the antibiotics we currently use in the clinic.

Promotor: W.T. de Groot

We have studied the impact of particle shape anisotropy, multivalent interactions and flexibility on systems of micron-sized colloidal particles.

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

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

In this thesis, bioorthogonal chemistry is combined with correlative light-electron microscopy to selectively label and study pathogenic intracellular bacteria within the host immune cell.

The progressive loss and degeneration of dopaminergic neurons is a major pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD). The onset and progression of PD can be triggered by multiple risk factors, for instance, genetic mutation, environmental exposure, and aging.

Netherlands Statistics (CBS), Leiden University and the University of Amsterdam have started a collaboration in the form of a research project titled 'Enriching official economic statistics using data-driven modelling techniques'.

Consequences for sediment stability and seston trapping

The external tissues of plants and animals are colonized by microbial communities termed microbiota. When organisms are exposed to environmental pollutants, these substances will therefore encounter microbiota at the exposure interface.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), one of the largest families of membrane proteins, are responsive to a diverse set of physiological endogenous ligands including hormones and neurotransmitters.

Heterogeneous catalysis is essential to many industrial applications. These catalysts are often comprised of supported nanoparticles, which contain various different surface sites.

Promotor: E. Gittenberger, Co-promotor: B.W. Hoeksema

Promotor: T.H. Oosterkamp

Promotor: Prof.dr. M. Danhof

Promotor: Prof.dr. G.P. van Wezel

Promotor: P.D. Grünwald

This thesis explores different avenues to develop insurmountable antagonists for CC Chemokine Receptors, such as CCR1, CCR2 and CCR5.

Promotor: Prof.dr. J.A. Bouwstra, Co-promotor: A. El Ghalbzouri

Plant diversity is essential for us and our planet as it sustains the stability of our ecosystems, provides vital materials and food to us and supports many ecosystem services.

Promotores: Prof.dr. C.A.J. Knibbe, Prof.dr. M. Danhof, Prof.dr. K. Allegaert (Leuven)

Fungal infections pose a significant threat to individuals with compromised immune systems and despite advancements in diagnosis and treatment, they continue to jeopardize patient’s health.

Transplantation of labial salivary glands to the eyelids for patients with dry eye appears to give excellent results clinically.

Promotor: J. Schaye

Mycorrhizas are symbiotic associations between soil fungi and most plant species.

Heart failure is a major health care problem with high mortality.

DNA carries various forms of information. Out of these forms of information the most well-known is classical genetic information.

This thesis pioneers diatom molecular identification and quantification through genome-scale methods, with four key aims: (i) reviewing DNA/RNA sequencing methods in aquatic biomonitoring to highlight their strengths and limitations;

Promotor: G.R. de Snoo, W. Kustiawan, Co-promotor: H.H. de Iongh

Promotor: G.P. van Wezel, Co-promotor: D. Claessen

Mycoheterotrophy is a particular mode of life in which plants obtain carbohydrates from their associated fungal partners, instead of by using photosynthesis.

Cardiovascular diseases are among the most frequent causes of death in the world. The main underlying pathology of cardiovascular diseases is the development of atherosclerosis in the medium and large-sized arteries.

This thesis describes the development and optimization of the first molecular tools to study the enzyme PLA2G4E.

This dissertation is an experimental study of laser-generated, atmospheric pressure, transient toroidal helium plasmas.

In summary, the collective results described in this thesis show that nanoparticulate vaccines can be delivered intradermally by coated and hollow microneedles and evoke antigen-specific immune responses.

For many system in statistical physics the microcanonical and canonical ensemble are equivalent in the thermodynamic limit, but not for all.

Promotor: W. T. F. den Hollander, F. H. J. Redig

High-angular-resolution observations of the circumstellar material have uncovered numerous and very diverse substructures in protoplanetary discs, raising the question of whether they are caused by forming planets or other mechanisms.

Promotor: G.F.A. Kersten, W. Jiskoot, Co-promotor: B. Metz

Sustainable energy from wind and solar is most readily available near the sea.

Balsaminaceae is a diverse plant family characterized by a huge floral morphological diversity.

Bicarbonate buffer is largely found in nature due to its ability to regulate pH variations around neutral values. As the pH changes, so does the speciation of the buffer.

The power of personalized nutrition lies in being able to conduct clinical research on healthy people while capturing metabolic markers sensitive to the impact of environmental and metabolic stressors (e.g. diet, changing sex hormones and the menstrual cycle).

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

The main research question of this thesis was: Can nitrogen cycling on dairy farms on peat soil in the Dutch Green Heart area be improved by adapting management to the nitrogen supply from soil and by using other grassland species and crops without affecting milk production?

Synthetic microswimmers take an important place within the interdisciplinary field of active soft matter.

Promotor: Prof.dr. G.R. de Snoo, Prof.dr. G.A. Persoon, Co-promotor: H.H. de Iongh