The research programme Probability Theory focuses on probability theory and on operations research.

The LACDR represents the core of bio-pharmaceutical research at Leiden University, and we interact closely with our partners:

An overview of the research at the Biologics Formulation group

Joost Batenburg is a mathematician and computer scientist who works to build bridges to other disciplines. He hopes to bring intelligent software to fields where it can make a difference. Conversely, he also seeks connections to the disciplines that are needed to make AI a success.

Learning from nature and utilizing microbial biodiversity to identify and characterize enzymes for degradation and upcycling of plastics and other polymeric materials.

Research at the Catalysis and Surface Chemistry group is comprised of the following research themes:

We find ourselves in an era of transition, not just towards a more computing- and data-driven society but also away from unsustainable fossil fuels as an energy source.

During the development of the Humanities Campus, as many 'green choices' as possibile are being made. This concerns the buildings as well as the surrounding area. Making the campus more sustainable is measured using the BREEAM.NL method.

The goal of the research presented in this thesis was to explore the chemical space of ruthenium(II) photocages, investigate their ability to host potent chemotherapy drugs, and to red shift the activation wavelength of the most promising PACT candidates to conduct biological studies.

On 15 February 2024, Alexandros Sarris defended the thesis 'International Law and Governance of the Arctic in an Era of Climate Change'. The doctoral research was supervised by Nico Schrijver and Freya Baetens.

Cancer is considered the silent pandemic of the 21st century and the second leading cause of death worldwide.

Food waste is a defining inefficiency of the modern food system, with profound implications for resource use, climate change, and circular economy transitions. This dissertation examines food waste through two complementary lenses: the prevention of avoidable food waste and the valorization of unavoidable…

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.

Promotores: R. Cramer, A.K. Lenstra, Co-Promotor: B.M.M. de Weger

This thesis investigates the application of deep learning techniques in image analysis across various domains, focusing on four main themes: feature extraction, classification, segmentation, and integration, demonstrating the transformative potential of these technologies.

Intelligence scholars have been struggling to find the conditions under which international intelligence cooperation occurs. Most focus on transactional motives and guaranteed returns, the so called ‘Quid pro Quo’. At the same time, trust is often mentioned as one of the foremost conditions, yet it…

The effects of anthropogenic noise on interactions between predators and their prey are still little understood.

Promotor: Ed F. Deprettere, Co-promotor: Todor P. Stefanov

Promotor: J.N. Kok, P.E. Slagboom Co-promotor: J.F.J. Laros

Promotor: Prof.dr. H.J.A. Rottgering, Co-promotor: David Sobral

With increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and their detrimental effect on the global climate, modern society needs to push for more renewable energy sources. Storing widely accessible and abundant solar energy in chemical bonds in the form of molecular fuel via artificial photosynthesis…

The potential of liposomal cancer vaccines

Supervisor: S.F. Portegies Zwart Co-Supervisor: A.G.A. Brown

Engineering an efficient microbial enzymatic polyethylene degradation pathway via an innovative combination of biochemistry and computational biology tools for enzyme discovery and characterization.

Key publications of the Biologics Formulation group

Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) has become the standard for business processes diagrams.

Promotor: E.R. Eliel, Co-Promotor: M.J.A. de Dood

Combinatorial games are games for two competing players, moving in a turn-by-turn fashion, in which there is no chance nor hidden information⁠. Chess, checkers and the simpler tic tac toe are well-known examples of this class of games, as well as game of go⁠.

Promotor: M. Ubbink, Co-promotor: G. Siegal

This thesis investigates a pharmacological challenge model induced by Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) activation, focusing on skin inflammation and its implications for early drug development.

The role of material production as a driver of environmental impacts is increasing, which calls for a better understanding of global material flows. This thesis explores the role of in-use stocks of products, buildings and infrastructure as a key driver of global material demand and discusses the implications…

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…

Source: Eur J Med Chem, Volume 101, pp. 681-91 (2015)

International trade has played a major role in defining the modern global economy. Trade, however, entangles the environmental pressures of economic sectors, giving the illusion of environmental improvements, while the opposite may be occurring.

Image segmentation is a fundamental task in computer vision, with applications ranging from medical diagnostics to archaeological research.

Aviation safety is of global concern. Yet 43% of countries worldwide lack the expertise and administrative capacity to ensure effective safety oversight of the aviation activities for which they are responsible under international law.

Promotor: B. van de Water, Co-Promotores: J.H.N. Meerman, F.J. Verbeek

Kohei Suzuki, Assistant Professor at Institute of Public Administration, researched, together with two other authors, whether public managers with private sector experience have more core managerial values.

The work described in this dissertation contributes to a better mechanistic understanding of nanoparticles in vivo. To achieve that goal, we used the zebrafish as a highly predictive pre-screening model of nanoparticles.

Living together in a residential setting adds another dimension to this learning, as our students have to learn to live with others who may not share the same daily routines or standards.

The Film Studio in Huizinga 0.13 has facilities to record professional videos for a range of educational and/or research purposes.

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.

Catalysis is of extreme relevance in the production of everyday materials and plays a central role in many aspects of our life.

Supervisor: P.J.J. Hooykaas Co-Supervisor: R. Offringa

Membrane proteins and membrane interactions of proteins are studied by spin label EPR. Intact, native membranes, vesicles of all sizes and nano-disks can be investigated, because the size of the object does not matter in EPR. Whereas solution NMR is limited to micelles (a few nm in diameter), by EPR…

Promotor: R.C.M. Pelger Co-Promotor: G. van der Pluijm

Promotor: G.P. van Wezel

Just as in phase 1, phase 2 of the Gorlaeus Building will focus on sustainable building.

Key publications of the Biotherapeutic Delivery group

Why do many medical institutions struggle to use AI in their clinical practice? What are the essential steps for and before an effective implementation of AI in radiology workflow? How can AI implementation trigger enduring improvements in the clinical process? The book shows how change management is…