General information Bacterial Cell Biology
Short introduction
Bacteria play a central role in our existence: They digest our food but can also kill us. They are used to preserve food and yet they can spoil it. They cause infections that are treated with antibiotics produced by bacteria. Considering their importance, it is surprising how little we know about the workings of the bacterial cell. In the Bacterial Cell Biology group (BCB) we combine advanced fluorescence microscopy with molecular biology and spectroscopy tools to look at the dynamics and interactions of proteins in bacterial cells. In addition, we study the behaviour of individual cells within bacterial populations using different techniques among which time lapse microscopy. Our key model systems are Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. With these model systems, we investigate a wide variety of processes, such as cell division, cell wall synthesis, cellular differentiation, gene regulation, protein localization, and we study more applied questions, including antibiotic resistance, novel antimicrobial compounds, and enzyme production.
TEDxBinnenhof presentatie
Celbioloog Leendert Hamoen gebruikt microscopie om individuele bacteriecellen tot in detail te bestuderen. Door hun werking te ontrafelen hoopt hij bij te dragen aan de ontwikkeling van nieuwe antibiotica.
Hamoen: Hoewel iedereen het belang van nieuwe antibiotica onderschrijft -- bacteriën worden resistent en de laatste nieuwe klasse van antibiotica stamt uit 1987 -- wordt er door het bedrijfsleven relatief weinig geïnvesteerd in onderzoek naar antibiotica. Dit door de hoge kosten en de lage opbrengsten. Ruimte voor ontwikkeling dus.
Leendert Hamoen is Vici-laureaat en wordt gesteund door STW
