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Around 250 pupils from the Willem van Veenschool, Dalton de Leeuwerik, Hofdijckschool and Dukdalf primary schools in the Leiden region have declared researcher Carolien Bastiaanssen of the Netherlands Cancer Institute the winner of the ‘Vuurvliegen’ science battle in Leiden. After a thrilling contest against four other scientists, she managed to present her research to the children in the clearest and most convincing way. She compared genes in cells to a World Cup football team. A cell only works if every gene plays its own part.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Proteins do not fold on their own. Chaperones guide this process. Anne Wentink studies how they do this, and why things sometimes go wrong.  

Professor of Bio-organic Chemistry Hermen Overkleeft (KNCV Gold Medal Winner 2008) develops innovative methods to study disease processes. This increases our understanding of the human body and enables the development of new medicines. Overkleeft has been awarded the Spinoza Prize: the most prestigious scientific award in the Netherlands.

How can lifelike ‘droplets’ help us understand how life first emerged on Earth? Evan Spruijt’s groundbreaking research into these self-organising systems is yielding new insights. 

 Various neurological disorders are characterised by problems with the bonding between proteins and fats. Marc Baggelaar is investigating this process using mass spectrometry.

Willem Jespers studies the ‘dance’ of G proteins with a virtual microscope.

From rigid, coarse machines towards softer, smarter robots using chemistry. That's what Michael Lerch and his group are investigating.

Merijn, Thirza and Irem from Piter Jelles – De Dyck secondary school have won the Science Tournament at Firda. During this national competition for fourth-year VMBO students, teams carry out practical tasks in a professional laboratory, combining biology, physics and chemistry. The edition at Firda was themed around ‘Paint’. To mark this and the extension of the partnership between organiser C3 and PPG, the winners received a colourful paint tin filled with treats.

Sugar is not always bad for you, as glucose is essential for our body as fuel. Christian Büll is creating a collection of sugar molecules in the lab to study their beneficial effects on the immune system and gut microbiota.