Our ambition is to understand spatiotemporal behavior at the molecular and cellular level and to unravel the underlying biological and physicochemical principles. This also offers the perspective of designing new strategies and interventions to control cell behavior in order to maintain health and combat disease. 

The Cell & Systems Biology theme also houses two of the institute’s key underpinning technologies: The Van Leeuwenhoek Centre for Advanced Microscopy (LCAM) and the Genomics and Transcriptomics core (MAD). These core facilities are available to all SILS researchers and external scientific collaborators.

In addition to our research, we are dedicated to translating our knowledge and state-of-the-art expertise into academic education, by providing BSc and MSc students with optimal theoretical and practical education in the molecular and cellular processes that control intra- and intercellular communication. 

Each Cell & Systems Biology research group approaches this joint mission from a distinct perspective with respect to the studied cellular regulatory mechanisms, the experimental and computational model systems that are used, and the different life-sciences technologies that are used:

Research Groups of the Research Theme Cell & Systems Biology

Biosystems Data Analysis
Chaired by Prof. Age Smilde
Dr Anna Heintz-Buschart
Dr Huub Hoefsloot
Dr Johan Westerhuis
Dr Antoine van Kampen

Developmental, Stem Cell and Cancer Biology
Headed by Dr Renée van Amerongen
Dr Thijs van Boxtel

Molecular Cytology
Chaired by Prof. Dorus Gadella
Dr ir. Joachim Goedhart
Dr ir. Mark Hink

Molecular and Cellular Epigenetics
Headed by Prof. Pernette Verschure
Dr Rutger Gjaltema

RNA Biology and Applied Bioinformatics
Headed by Dr Timo Breit
Dr Martijs Jonker
Dr Rob Dekker

Biological Immunology
Chaired by Prof. Marieke van Ham