Swammerdam Inst. for Life Sciences

Management and secretariat

Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences

Introduction

Jan Swammerdam (1637-1680)

The Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences is named after the 17th century Dutch biologist and microscopist Jan Swammerdam.

About the Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences

The Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS) is the largest institute of the Faculty of Science. The institute comprises biological disciplines including molecular and cell biology, microbiology, plant science, physiology and neurobiology, supported by modern enabling technologies for the life sciences.

News 2012

Stamcellen in het volwassen brein – kan het brein zichzelf in de toekomst repareren?

Interview met Prof. dr. Elly Hol; Hoofd onderzoeksgroep Astrocyt Biologie & Neurodegeneratie Nederlands Instituut voor Neurowetenschappen en Buitengewoon Hoogleraar SILS.
Gepubliceerd in de Groene Amsterdammer (Special: Beta-Wetenschappers)

Amsterdam Science & Innovation Award 2012

De publieksprijs van 1000 euro is dit jaar gewonnen door Carlos P. Fitzsimons en Joan Domingo Espín (Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, UvA). Voor hun onderzoek naar het gebruik van modulaire eiwitten bij gentherapie kregen zij de meeste publieksstemmen.

SILS researchers develop orange fluorescent protein for quantitative microscopy

Using structure-guided molecular evolution and advanced microscopy techniques, dr.ir. Mark A. Hink, ing. Linda Joosen & prof. dr. Theodorus W.J. Gadella Jr. of the section of Molecular Cytology of the Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS) in collaboration with the group of prof. Verkusha, scientist at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, have created, characterized and applied a new fully genetically encoded orange fluorescent protein LSSmOrange

Honourable mention thesis Yoav Noam

An honourable mention goes to two young neuroscientists: Dr. Yoav Noam (SILS-CNS, UvA) for his thesis ' Mechanisms of HCN Channel trafficking and surface expression' and Dr. Christiaan Klink (Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht) for his thesis ' Neural mechanisms of context-driven conscious visual perception'.

Amsterdam Science & Innovation Award 2012 finalists

Last week, a jury chaired by Prof. (Louise) Fresco came together to determine the finalists for the Amsterdam Science & Innovation Award 2012. A record number of innovative and applicable ideas were sent in this year. The jury has decided to select six finalists.
For SILS: Dr. Joan Domingo Espín and Dr. Carlos P. Fitzsimons

SILS researchers set a world record with a new super bright turquoise fluorescent protein

Using structure-guided molecular evolution, researches in the chair group of Molecular Cytology (dr.ir. J. Goedhart, L. Joosen, dr.ir. M.A. Hink, L. van Weeren & prof. T.W.J. Gadella Jr.) have created a fully genetically encoded turquoise fluorescent protein with the highest efficiency (quantum yield) ever reported for a monomeric fluorescent protein.

UvA starts trial run for more efficient production of biofuel

On Friday, 23 March, the University of Amsterdam will open the first Photanol test production plant. The facility’s purpose is to test and design the best mass production method for the new biofuel Photanol.

A new pathway for Cannabis to activate the brain

Functional CB2-receptors can also be found in the brain. This is the striking conclusion of the paper Excitability of prefrontal cortical pyramidal neurons is modulated by activation of intracellular type-2 cannabinoid receptors, published in the February 2012 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and written by, amongst others, Femke den Boon, Pascal Chameau, Wytse Wadman en Taco Werkman (SILS).

NWO-middelgroot grantproject

SILS researcher Dr. Timo Breit (MAD-IBU) received a NWO-middelgroot grantproject of 400 k€.

Sleep deprivations alters brain structure

Chronic sleep restriction causes a decrease in hippocampal volume in adolescent rats, which is not explained by changes in glucocorticoid levels or neurogenesis.

Use of antidepressants during pregnancy causes structural changes in the brain of the unborn child

The use of certain antidepressants by pregnant women influences the development of the brain of their foetus, according to researchers of the University of Amsterdam (UvA). The results of their research was published in 'Neuropharmacology'.

Councillor Gehrels visits SILS

Friday, 20 January, the Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences received a visit from Carolien Gehrels, councillorfor, amongst others, Economic Affairs, Art and Culture. She was presented with a short series of lectures concerning the Research Priority Area ‘Green Life Sciences’.

Shrinking nuclei

Plants have various ways of protecting their seeds in extreme conditions, such as drought or freezing temperatures. Recently, scientists from the Max Planck Institute, in collaboration with SILS researchers Paul Fransz and Maria Koini, have discovered a new preventive defense mechanism. During seed formation, the nuclei of plant seeds shrink to a dramatic degree.

Beethoven and his high notes

It is well known that, with increasing age, Beethoven lost more and more of his hearing. However, so far it was unclear if this was reflected in his compositions. SILS-researcher Edoardo Saccenti found evidence that the German composer was indeed influenced by his progressing deafness.

News 2011

Paul Lucassen receives ISAO funding

Faculty of Science professor Paul Lucassen (Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences) has been awarded a €100,000 scholarship by the International Fund for Alzheimer’s Research (ISAO) for his research regarding Alzheimer’s disease. Professor Lucassen studies the impact of physical exertion on brain stem cells.

I.M. Kolthoff award for Ewoud van Velzen

On October 13th, Ewoud van Velzen received the I.M. Kolthoff award for his thesis entitled ‘Nutrikinetics’. The prize was awarded by the Royal Netherlands Chemical Society to the best analytical chemistry thesis during the past 4 years, as part of the yearly ‘Analytical Challenge’ event for laboratory professionals. Ewoud’s thesis was labelled both innovative and of high quality.

The Impact of Synthetic Biology on Science and Society

In discussion with prof. Robbert Dijkgraaf. President of the KNAW and professor in Mathematical Physics (FNWI, UvA)

UvA Master’s student successful in NWO Talent programme for Plant Sciences

The Graduate School Experimental Plant Sciences concluded this year’s NWO Talent programme for Master’s students with a research proposal competition. In this competition, 11 students defended their own PhD research proposal in front of a jury of five scientists from Wageningen, Leiden, Utrecht, Nijmegen and Amsterdam.

Doorbraak voor ontwikkeling nieuwe antibiotica tegen groei bacteriecel

Wetenschappers van de Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA) hebben, samen met een internationaal onderzoeksteam, ontdekt dat twee aan het buitenmembraan gebonden lipoproteïnen de activiteit van penicilline-bindende eiwitten stimuleren. De resultaten van het onderzoek zijn gepubliceerd in Cell.

Collaboration between Westburg and SILS

Neurosciences and Westburg have started a close collaboration concerning the Li-Cor Odyssey Fc Infrared Imager.

Also refer to

Newsarchive SILS

SILS Research programmes & Research groups

Organogram SILS

Film: De Bèta-betekenis

Science Park Amsterdam