Leiden Science in 2021 by Universiteit Leiden

Leiden Science in 2021

Contents Making It Work

We Are Science

Discoveries 28 Quantum Leiden

Education

Nano Medicine

Science & Society

Facts & Figures

Editorial team Bryce Benda, Charlotte Ellerman, Hilde Pracht-Altorf, Marjolein van Schoonhoven, Christi Waanders

English language editing Marilyn Hedges

Design Creja ontwerpen

Photo: Monique Shaw

Leiden Science in 2021 2021 was a year of unexpected challenges. It was a year all about resilience, innovative thinking, being flexible and staying connected. Despite all these challenges, we look back on a year filled with top research, impressive awards, innovative teaching methods and many creative ideas, all of which made it possible to continue working together. We also looked to the future and celebrated the start of the second phase in the construction of our new campus. In this year’s booklet we proudly show you how staff members and students of Leiden Science kept our Faculty working. 3

‘We should eat together more often’ Two deans: one leaving and one just arriving. Paul Wouters was deputising at the Faculty from March up to December. Jasper Knoester is taking over from him. Who are these two managers? Four questions to help you get to know them better. Phone or mail? Jasper: I’m more likely to send an app than to call. Of course, it depends on the subject or the person, but if there’s a problem, I prefer to have more direct contact. Paul: If you want to have trouble in an organisation, mailing is a sure way to achieve that. Particularly when emotions are running high. So, if it’s something sensitive, call me. Even better: drop by. Teams can sometimes be a good option too. And apping is handy if you know people are busy. Jasper: That’s why I’m going to really try to meet people in person if it’s at all possible. It’s disappointing that there are so many infections now; I hadn’t seen that coming. But, I’m staying optimistic and hope we’ll be able to see one another in person in January. Public transport or your own car? Jasper: I like driving, but not for work. It takes up precious time and if I take the train I can work, probably even better than in the office. I get good vibes from the cadence of the train. Reading, writing, it all goes fine.

Photo: Edwin Weers

Paul: It’s the train for me too, though I don’t find writing as easy in the train; I prefer to do that at home listening to music. What kind of music? Mostly jazz. Art Blakey and people like that. They’re my heroes from my younger days. Humanities, social sciences or natural sciences? Jasper: Natural sciences is my first reaction, although that isn’t the only thing I like. In my teens I wanted to be an archaeologist and for me that’s still really interesting. But when I’m out walking or on my bike I mainly notice things that have to do with sound or light. What’s behind that, I ask myself. I also like telling my children about these kind of things, but they’re teenagers now and they don’t always appreciate my explanations. Paul: I had a hard time choosing between chemistry, astronomy or history. I’m interested in all three: from the natural sciences, I find the theory of evolution very interesting; from the humanities I like philosophy of science and history, but in the end I look at things from a social sciences perspective. Cook or take-away? Paul: COOK! That’s so much more fun. My husband is a professional chef, but I do some cooking too. Take-away is really a last resort. I enjoy experimenting with dishes very much, which may have to do with the fact that it’s about chemistry. And then enjoying a long, relaxing meal together, none of this downing food as fast as you can. No way; a couple of hours over a meal is real enjoyment. Jasper: I’m no chemist so experimenting doesn’t come easily to me. I can cook and I do it if I have to, but I have a total lack of fantasy with cooking. My children really love it though. Spending hours over a good meal with great people around you, that’s something I enjoy. Nothing brings people together more than eating together. Now that’s a good idea for our Faculty: maybe we should eat together more often.

Photo: Monique Shaw

Who is Marc Koper? Marc Koper (1967) has been Professor of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry in Leiden since 2005. He has won numerous prizes, such as the Allen J. Bard Award, the Faraday Medal 2017 and the Netherlands Catalysis and Chemistry Award. He is currently President of the International Society of Electrochemistry. The year 2021 has been a high point in his career with an ERC Advanced Grant and the Spinoza Prize, together worth five million euros in research funding.

Photo: Pim Rusch

Marc Koper receives prestigious Spinoza Prize for electrolysis research ‘I am absolutely delighted; it is a real recognition of your work,’ said Marc Koper about winning the Netherlands’ highest personal science award. He investigates how you can use electrical energy to make or break chemical bonds. Fundamental research, but with an important societal application. Can you tell us in a nutshell about your research? ‘I work in the field of electrochemistry, the area of chemistry that studies the relationship between electricity and chemical reactions. These reactions take place in the battery of your mobile phone, for example. But they have a lot more applications, such as storing green energy. At the moment, we don’t have a good way of storing surplus energy from wind and solar farms, so that energy is lost. But, what if we use this surplus electricity on a large scale to split water into hydrogen and oxygen? We can then use the hydrogen as fuel for cars or for all kinds of applications in the chemical industry, for example in the production of fertilisers. That would be a win-win situation because at the moment it takes a lot of fossil fuel to produce hydrogen. I study how this process of electrolysis works in molecular detail, and how we can improve it by making it more efficient and more stable.’

household appliances, but also for numerous other chemical processes that rely heavily on fossil fuels. In other words: we have to find ways of producing the building blocks of the chemical industry using electricity. I’m convinced that this has to go hand in hand with a stricter policy on environmentally friendly practices. You sometimes hear that sustainable technology isn’t profitable, but the reality is that practices that pollute are just too cheap.’ The Spinoza Prize is a personal award, but I guess that a lot of other people are also involved in your research? ‘Definitely! Without the talented people in my research group I wouldn’t get far. I also get a lot of support from my institute and the rest of the University, both financial and moral. Leiden University is a great place because you are given the freedom to carry out your research. That’s part of our motto (Bastion of Freedom, Ed.), and you also see that in the students.’ What will you use the Spinoza Prize for? ‘That’s something I need to think about. You have complete freedom in how you use the Spinoza Prize and that opens a lot of doors. I want to use it for a project for which it would otherwise be difficult to get funding, something outside my comfort zone. And I’ll probably take on a talented PhD candidate or postdoc – on their topic of choice – because that’s often the best way to generate exciting research ideas.’

How will your specialist field change the world? ‘The only way we can make our world more sustainable is by switching to green energy. And not just for our cars and

Helping new students on their way At the beginning of the corona pandemic, our Faculty appointed student mentors to guide first-year and international students. What drives these mentors, and what is it like to be back at the Faculty again? Marten Raaphorst (27) and Mireia Alegre (24) tell us all about it. What is a student mentor? Marten: During the start of the corona pandemic, the Faculty recognised that first-year and international students needed extra support. That’s why they initiated the system of student mentors who guide new students. What do you do with your mentee students? Marten: We get together every week and organise meetings and fun events for the group. During the lockdown, that was often online, but sometimes we were allowed to meet on the campus. That was really nice in those difficult times!

Photo: Monique Shaw

Why did you become a mentor? Mireia: I’m an international student and started my master’s here during the pandemic. In my first year, I was in a mentor group myself. I didn’t know anybody, so it was really nice to be able to meet new people, and get help from a mentor. Now I want to do something in return for other students who are struggling and might be feeling alone. And now, back at the Faculty again. What’s that like? Mireia: Oh, it’s really amazing to be back here again and talk to other people face to face! I was a little bit nervous when I came to the lab the first time, as I wasn’t sure what Dutch culture would be like. But I soon felt very welcome; people helped me get started in the lab. And it’s such a great feeling to be able to say: 'See you tomorrow!'

Making It Work

Marjo de Graauw looks after the wellbeing of students and teachers Heavy! This is the first word that comes to lecturer Marjo de Graauw’s mind when she looks back on the past year. But with her creativity and experience with educational innovation she was nonetheless able to provide her usual high standard of teaching. She wasn’t on the campus very much herself over the past year, but she still received very high evaluations from her students. And that for a subject with over 400 first-year students. So, what is her secret? ‘The focus of this subject was on research and teamwork. It’s an enormous challenge to do that online, but we managed to create a really useful workplace in Teams. The students told me afterwards how well they learned to work together. I’m really proud of that.’ Quiz about wellbeing De Graauw pays a lot of attention to her students’ wellbeing. ‘I always start my online lectures with a quiz about wellbeing, something with smileys, for example, that produce a word cloud with emojis. That gives me a good idea of how my students are doing, and it’s a nice way to start your day.’ Recharging batteries As supervisor of the Skills platform, De Graauw is also responsible for the wellbeing of her colleagues. ‘It was a tough time, and the continuous switching meant that we were all at the end of our tether. I encouraged my team members to put work aside from time to time and focus on recharging their batteries. Together we managed to make sure our team stayed motivated.’

Photo: Monique Shaw

‘The Faculty Council is there for everyone’ Victor van der Horst is a busy man. He is in the first year of his master’s and he is the Chair of the Faculty Council. As a student, that’s unique. Victor tells us everything about his role as Chair. What are you studying? ‘My subject is mathematics and I’m in the first year of my master’s. Before that I did a dual Bachelor’s in Mathematics and Physics.’ Why the Faculty Council? ‘The Faculty Council represents all 6,000 students and 2,800 members of staff. We are both sparring partner and decision-making partner for the Faculty Board. That means we’re involved in a wide range of different issues, looking critically at the decisions that are going to be taken and what effect they will have on staff and students.’ What kinds of issues do you deal with in the Faculty Council? ‘As Faculty Council, we deal with very diverse issues, from the digitalisation of education to the implementation of the new Collective Labour Agreement. We’re also involved in the appointment of new Board members at our Faculty.’ You are Chair of the Council. Isn’t that a difficult role? ‘At the Faculty of Science, the Chair of the Faculty Council is a student. That’s unique; ours is the only faculty where that’s the case. I think it’s a huge challenge to be both part of the Council and chairperson. Luckily I know my way around, and, besides, I’m not doing this on my own. As Chair, I make sure that things run smoothly; I’m coordinator as well as the face to the outside.’ Who is the Faculty Council for? ‘The Faculty Council is there for everyone. Let us know what’s going well, or what isn’t. If you’re having problems with your studies or work, make use of us! We can talk to the right people in the Faculty.’

Photo: Pim Rusch

Making It Work

Making timetables during corona: a brain-teasing effort Corona totally disrupted the work of Nikie Veld, who produces the timetables for Biology students. It involved a sudden shift to online lectures, and almost as suddenly back to normal again. ‘We were constantly rearranging the timetables.’ What does your job entail? ‘I’m an education coordinator at Biology, where I make timetables for about 800 students. In normal circumstances that is quite a challenge, but in times of corona it was even more so. Those last-minute changes from the government made my job very difficult. Creating a timetable can easily take two months of full-time work!’ What was the corona period like for you? ‘I started last February, so in the beginning it was difficult that I couldn’t meet my new colleagues in person. But I still have the feeling that I have got to know my colleagues very well. I think working from home is one advantage of corona. In the Biology department, I have quite a lot of freedom to decide whether I want to work in the office or at home. I like the fact that I am given that freedom. Some tasks I prefer to do at home, such as entering data in uSis, the administration system. On the other hand, drawing up timetables is much easier at the office.’ What are you hoping for in 2022? ‘I hope the government will come up with a clear policy, no more lastminute changes. But above all, I hope students can keep attending lectures and staff members can keep going to the office. That generates a lot of energy. It’s when you sit in the office and meet students and lecturers that you remember why you are doing this.’

Photo: Monique Shaw

The Sneakers Team: going the extra mile for secure systems Leiden University wants to strengthen the security of its systems. That’s why since 1 May, the Sneakers Team has been covering many miles through our buildings. The specialist team is going to map all the measuring and research systems from an information security and privacy perspective, starting at the Faculty of Science. Researchers collect an enormous amount of data. Where does this go, how is it stored and what happens to it afterwards? ‘These data flows are important to understand,’ says security analyst Redouan Belhaj. ‘We visit all the research environments. That's why we wear sneakers; we run around like crazy! I don't keep track of my steps, but I already have holes in my sneakers.’ says business analysist Onno Timmermans. Visiting staff members 'Each institute is different and has its own systems,’ says Timmermans. ‘Sometimes those systems are very specific, so we assess and give advice to each institute separately, summarising all the risks and areas to address.’ Project manager Roland van Dam (wearing sneakers) adds: ‘The reports per institute enable research teams to decide which risk areas to tackle and in what order.’ ‘In the end, our integral report will enable the University to address the issues at stake and prioritise the order in which they should be tackled’, says IT architect Joost Melsen. Balancing between open and secure ‘Our work will enable the University to organise and manage its information security better,’ says Van Dam. ‘The challenge is that, on the one hand, the University wants to be open and share knowledge and data, but on the other hand, we want to do it safely. It’s difficult to balance all this.’ Happy to help Everyone wants to work securely, but how? The Sneakers Team can show the risks and possible solutions. Joost Melsen: ‘People are very enthusiastic. They need help and we're happy to provide that. I think it's incredibly clever how researchers solve the problems they encounter themselves. Our team tries to contribute to this, so that their solutions also comply with the existing laws and regulations on information security.’ Van Dam: ‘In the end, people are the key. Security only works if you do it together.’

Photo: Pim Rusch

Making It Work

Technical problems are history with the Teacher Support Desk For many teachers, they are a lifesaver: the people at the Science Teacher Support Desk. When a teacher has technical problems, they come to the rescue immediately. Veerle Warnders is one of them and she tells us what is so great about her job. Challenging times In September 2020, in the middle of the corona pandemic, the Science Education and Student Office decided to set up a new facility: the Teacher Support Desk. It was a good move because, with all that online teaching, this new helpdesk turned out to be a godsend for many teachers. Grateful teachers Teaching is now partly in person again. But hybrid education also brings with it a lot of technical difficulties, as Veerle Warnders knows. Since February of this year, she has been assisting teachers with their lectures, from preparing webcams to solving technical problems. ‘It’s rewarding work to do because teachers are generally very happy with our help.’ Finally on campus Since September, Warnders has been working full time on campus. ‘Those first few weeks were incredibly busy because everyone had to get the hang of hybrid education. Fortunately, the teachers knew where to find our department.’ Warnders is happy to be back in the office. ‘I get much more energy from it. You really see who you are helping, instead of looking at a screen.’ Teachers are in luck: if it is up to Warnders, she will stay at the Teacher Support Desk for a long time. ‘The work is a lot of fun and we have a great team, so I really fit in here!’

Photo: Pim Rusch

Lab robots save the day for students The fact that corona has sparked a wave of creativity becomes evident when walking around in the lab of pharmacologist Coen van Hasselt. He invested in lab robots to ensure that students could continue their lab experiments safely. Corona threw a spanner in the works and ensured that students could only do their work in the lab to a limited extent, as they had to deal with maximum utilisation of lab and office space. To manage this, Van Hasselt came up with automation solutions. ‘Normally, one student at a time can use a device, but with the solutions we used, twelve students can do a measurement at the same time.’ Getting used to robots In the beginning, master’s student of Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences Annemoon Roeland had to get used to robots in the lab. ‘We had to figure out how the robots worked. Sometimes things went wrong or the robots got stuck, but eventually we got the hang of it.’ By now, everybody is used to the robots. And it is clear that they have added value. Van Hasselt: ‘Apart from saving time, the chance of making a mistake is a lot smaller, because the robots work very precisely. In addition, students are now forced to think carefully about their experiments in advance, because you have to enter a template in the computer that the robot can use.’ Robots after corona The robots are so successful that Van Hasselt plans to continue with the automation after corona. ‘I see that students enjoy working with these robots,’ he says. Student Roeland is a fan as well: ‘I need to do less manual work myself, because a robot can do it faster and more precisely. So it makes my work better and easier, and I’m very happy with that!’

Photo: Pim Rusch

Making It Work

‘We focus on what is still possible’ Our six study associations have also experienced turbulent times. How do you stay in touch with your members if everyone is forced to stay at home? Everyone is delighted that students are welcome back in the Faculty, say Lucie Spek and Cesar van Nispen of the 89th Board of the Chemisch Dispuut Leiden. ‘It’s great to be back after a year and a half online,’ says Lucie. ‘We especially missed the events and the social aspects. Something as simple as spending time together in the board’s meeting room between lectures, you appreciate so much more.’ ‘We left the Faculty as second-year students, and now suddenly find ourselves back in our fourth year as board members,’ says Cesar. ‘It feels a bit like you’ve skipped a whole period.’ Catching up The Chemisch Dispuut Leiden is busy catching up. Lucie: ‘There are weekly drinks in the Science Club again, and all kinds of activities such as sports and laser games.

We also just had our constitution drink and first-year get-together.’ The celebration of the 19th lustrum also had to wait. ‘But this summer, we are finally planning to go on a lustrum trip.’ Extra attention for new students The Board also felt that the past two years were particularly difficult for new students. Cesar: ‘Last year, the entire First Year weekend took place online. So, this year, we also organised a special Second Year Day for students, so that the second-years could get to know each other even better and experience a bit of that atmosphere.’ Do more sports If the statistics do rise again, the Board wants to focus on the things they can do. ‘We want to keep up the activities as much as possible,’ says Lucie. ‘Our objective is: what is physically possible, we do physically. If we’re only allowed to play outside sports, we’ll just organise lots of sports events. By now, everyone is a bit tired of having to do everything online.’

Photo: Pim Rusch

Faculty Awards in 2020 Anja Rüten-Budde C.J. Kok Jury Award

‘The best clinical models come from close collaborations between statisticians and clinicians.’

Michiel Veldhuis

Thomas Nagler

C.J. Kok Public Award

Teacher of the Year Award

‘I started my career as an ecologist, but I’m becoming more and more of a sociologist as well.’

‘Sparking excitement for my subject and seeing the many talented students grow is an extremely rewarding experience.’

Renske Donkers

Teacher of the Year Award

Young Star Award

‘I’m delighted to

‘Because of my bachelor’s

contribute to making

in Molecular Science

this subject a bit more

& Technology, I now

accessible and hopefully

realise that Chemistry

also more popular.’

is everywhere, and it’s

We Are Science

Jörg Meyer

essential to our survival.’

Alexander van Oudenhoven Teacher of the Year Award

‘I strongly believe that we should value teaching more highly, at least as highly as research.’

Photos: Pim Rusch

Assessor Joost Barendse keeps a close eye on everyone After a turbulent year, Joost Barendse has started his second term as student assessor. That’s pretty unique, but we’re also living in a pretty unique time. ‘I want to make sure everyone stays happy and healthy.’

Photo: Pim Rusch

Grades are not everything ‘Fortunately, students still appreciate the quality of our education,’ Joost says. ‘On average, students are achieving good results: we obtained the same number of study credits during the pandemic as in previous years.’ Yet grades are not everything, he realises. ‘It’s true that for many students, their wellbeing has suffered, due to stress, loneliness and lack of motivation, for example. That’s why I’m happy student wellbeing is a high priority now and that our Faculty has appointed a student wellbeing officer who is focusing on new initiatives to improve this.’ Keeping an eye on things However, the situation is not yet as it was before corona, and it is uncertain whether everything will continue to go well. ‘That is why I pay extra attention to the students’ well-being. I also keep a close eye on everyone’s position in discussions about vaccinating or not, and the use of QR codes. We shouldn’t allow our students to become divided and, fortunately, I don’t think that’s happening. We maintain a good dialogue with each other.’

Giving students a better voice Joost wants to use his second term to improve student participation. ‘Students have many useful ideas. They share them with each other, but those ideas don’t always end up in the right place. This is partly because the study programmes have grown so much that there are too few representatives on committees and board: usually only one for each study year. My idea is therefore to introduce representation for each year: several students for each study year who have regular contact with a student in the programme committee or board. That way, students can make their voices heard better.’

We Are Science

Visiting staff members Joost is pleased that he can be at the Faculty more often, both in his role of assessor and that of student. And that makes for quite a busy combination: ‘The weeks are jam-packed, but I don’t mind,’ he says. According to Joost, most students are also glad to be back on campus. ‘I can imagine that there are still concerns, but most students are over the moon to be able to have a real conversation again. That doesn’t really work online; all you can do during a break is make yourself a cup of tea and sit there drinking it on your own.’

Looking forward At the end of this year, Joost and the rest of the Faculty Board will say goodbye to interim Dean Paul Wouters. ‘I’m very grateful that he has dedicated himself so wholeheartedly to our Faculty. With two dean positions, his agenda is overflowing.’ Of course, Joost has already met the new Dean Jasper Knoester. ‘I’m looking forward to when he actually arrives. He is a very experienced dean with a lot of knowledge about relevant and recent developments in the field of science. I think he will be an excellent successor and I hope he’ll bring some calm to our Faculty.’ Furthermore, Joost hopes that students will continue to take good care of each other. ‘Keep in touch. And if we can’t do that physically, then it’s always possible online. Over the past year, we have proven that we are creative and strong!’

‘The weeks are jam-packed, but I don’t mind’

The future campus of Leiden Science The construction of the second phase of the

Gorlaeus lecture halls • 1,241 solar panels. Leiden's largest solar panel roof • Includes Leiden University's largest lecture hall for 700 students • Renovation finished in 2023

Gorlaeus bicycle park

new campus and the Gorlaeus Building is in full swing. We’re proud to show you a preview of the building from the outside and the inside. 1

Photo: Zes x Zes

Campus square: • 24,800 m2 • Main entrance to the Gorlaeus Building and the Gorlaeus lecture halls • Green meeting place for students and staff, and future venue for events

• • •

Covered bicycle storage for over 3,000 bicycles on ground floor Rooftop garden on the first floor Repurposing of steel from the former high rise

We Are Science

The Gorlaeus Building • 100,000 m2 floor area • 22,600 m2 offices • 15,200 m2 laboratories • 4,000 m2 lecture rooms • 8 wings connected to the central hall • Brasserie and Bèta Cafe

Photo: Zes x Zes

Sustainability The Gorlaeus Building will focus on sustainable building and will be BREEAM certified. BREEAM stands for ‘Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method’. The key sustainable measures to be incorporated are: • Thermal energy storage system: a sustainable way to generate energy • Triple glazing • LED lighting • 1,150 m2 of solar panels • Façades, roof and floor installed to a high insulation standard (Rc is 6.0 m2K/W) to limit heat loss and improve energy efficiency

Photo: Zes x Zes

We Are Science

Library • • • •

Central library for the whole Faculty Area with a lot of natural light 121 study places 860 metres of book shelves

Where to study in the Gorlaeus Building? There are several places for students to work in groups spread around the building. There are a variety of open and closed study places. There is also a central area for study associations with its own bar, the Science Bar.

Curious about the rest of the Gorlaeus building? Please visit  universiteitleiden.nl/en/gorlaeusbuilding

Photo: Zes x Zes

Photo: Pim Rusch

Female network RISE: achieved a lot, but not finished yet For six years now, the RISE scientists have been dedicating themselves to equal opportunities in science. How are things at the Faculty of Science? ‘There is increasing awareness, but there is still plenty of work to be done.’

From pioneer to partner ‘There are many things we are proud of, like the fact that we are now a full-fledged partner in discussions with the Faculty Board. We have real influence,’ says Irene Groot. As an example, she mentions a policy document that advised that within one year, two of the eight scientific directors should be women. ‘We indicated that we are happy with the ambition, but that unfortunately it just isn’t realistic. The pool of women with management experience, who also have the ambition to take on such a position, is still very small. As a result of our efforts, the Faculty Board is now aiming for two female scientific directors within five years. A good start!’ Be cautious with role models Role models for young women are very important, which is why many boards have decided there should be a compulsory gender balance for committees. You might say that this is good news, but there is also a problem, Martina Vijver says: ‘Because there are so few female scientists, the ones that there are find themselves taking on these roles all too often. That’s why we are on almost every committee, for instance during a PhD defence or in committees evaluating grant applications.’

Practise what you preach The new Dean, Jasper Knoester, will start on 1 January. What advice would RISE like to give him? Miranda van Eck: ‘That the Faculty should invest in diversity and inclusion. All too often it’s a bit too much of an afterthought, while it should be an integral policy subject with a purposeful approach by the Faculty Board and the institutes. The Faculty Board needs to free up time and money to tackle this issue seriously.’

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In 2015, Martina Vijver, Irene Groot and Miranda van Eck wanted to do something about the under-representation of women in science, especially higher up the academic ladder. There are plenty of female PhD candidates – last year in Leiden more than half were women – but in 2021 there are still few female professors. Even so, the RISE board members have achieved a lot in the past six years.

Vijver adds: ‘If, as a Faculty, you believe diversity is so important, why is there no diversity and inclusion committee at faculty level? I think you should practise what you preach!’ Moving forward In the coming years, RISE wants to be there not only for women. Vijver: ‘We want to give workshops for a wider audience, like our workshops on having impact as a scientist, on productivity, but also on inclusion in teaching. At the same time, we know from research that the focus on broad inclusion comes at the expense of the focus on women in science. Because our Faculty still has a gender imbalance at the moment, we will mainly remain a network for women in science in the coming years.’ Groot adds: ‘We have to solve diversity problems together: with the Faculty and the institutes, and with women, men, people who are non-binary and people with a migrant background. Awareness is growing, but for now there’s still a big task ahead for RISE and all its members and supporters.’

It is therefore important to weigh up the pros and cons, argues Vijver. ‘Even though we are happy to do it, it’s also at the expense of valuable time for research and education. Our advice to the Faculty is to deal sensibly with role models, and choose those committees where diversity has a real impact.’

‘We have to solve diversity problems together’

We Are Science | Our community Staff

STAFF MEMBERS STAFF200+ MEMBERS

200+ 51-200 51-200 11-50 11-50 1-10 1-10 0

83 0

Nationalities Nationalities . .

STAFF FACULTY OF SCIENCE* STAFF FACULTY OF SCIENCE* Total Total

2781 2781

* End 2021, excluding guests and PhD candidates * End 2021, excluding guests and PhD candidates

Nationalities Nationalities % % % % Dutch other male female % % % %

58 42 61 39 58 42 61 39 Dutch

other

PhD candidates PhD candidates

male

female

% 60 % 59 % 41 % % 60other % 59 male % 41female % 4040 Dutch Dutch

other

male

female

We Are Science | Our community Students

STUDENTS STUDENTS 200+

200+ 51-200 51-200 11-50 11-50 1-10 1-10 0

84 0

Nationalities Nationalities End 2021, End 2021,all among among all at students students at our Faculty. our Faculty.

STUDENTS FACULTY OF SCIENCE* STUDENTS Total FACULTY OF SCIENCE* Total

5905 5905

BSc & MSc students BSc & MSc students

% 15 % 57% 43 % 8585 % 15other % 57male % 43female % Dutch Dutch

other

male

female

* End 2021, excluding guests * End 2021, excluding guests

Stadium wave in the nerves Electrical signals travel like a stadium wave through our neural pathways. The mathematical models for these movements were not yet able to describe accurately all the biological properties of the nerves. PhD candidate Willem Schouten-Straatman changed this by improving the existing models. ‘I hope that one day we’ll be able to predict the behaviour of electrical signals in our bodies.’

Discoveries © Rolando Barry, University of Vienna

AI learns faster with quantum technology Quantum technology can speed up the learning process of artificial intelligence. Leiden physicist and computer scientist Vedran Dunjko contributed to a Nature paper that presents us with the proof. The scientists used a state-of-the-art quantum processor for single photons. Their work brings us one step closer to a future with quantum AI applications, such as the quantum internet.

Atomically precise measurements around exoplanets Measuring atomically small details on planets in other solar systems. An international team led by Leiden astronomers has become the first in the world to detect isotopes in the atmosphere of an exoplanet. In Nature, they write that carbon atoms on the gaseous giant plant TYC 8998-760-1 b come in different weights. In the future, isotopes will further help us understand exactly how planets form.

Discoveries Photo: Frank Auperlé / Graphdude

Raindrops-on-the-roof-technique reveals new quantum liquid Do you ever listen to the raindrops falling on your roof at night? Well, Koen Bastiaans did and it inspired a pioneering technique that allowed him to ‘listen’ to the electrons in superconductors. This way, he and his colleagues discovered a new quantum liquid unlike anything ever seen. They presented their groundbreaking results in Science.

Making the chemical industry more sustainable In order to make the chemical industry more sustainable, scientists are trying to find a way to use electricity to convert CO2 into building blocks for other molecules. Leiden chemists have unravelled a fundamental part of this process and applied this knowledge in a real device, as they write in Nature Catalysis and Nature Communications.

Discoveries

betere foto?

Improving drug dosage for children For obvious ethical reasons, it is impossible to test drugs in children. At our LACDR drug institute, scientists use smart computer models to create virtual children to experiment and test all kinds of scenarios. This allows them to find the best weaning strategy to prevent withdrawal symptoms, or to learn more about drug clearance by the kidneys in children of different ages.

Finding new antibiotics with AI Artifical intelligence offers valuable help in the urgent search for new antibiotics. Smart software developed by Leiden biology PhD candidate Alexander Kloosterman searched genomes of bacteria and found DNA pieces that code for new antibiotics. ‘In the lab, bacteria don’t produce all the antibiotics for which they have the "recipe" in their DNA. Our software finds these recipes, so we are still able to produce them.’

Discoveries Nano-sized particles in our food Nanomaterials can pass much further along the food chain than previously thought, researchers from the Institute of Environmental Sciences have discovered. The particles can change shape and size in each organism, enabling them to pass on to the next one in the chain. From algae to zooplankton, the particles end up in fish. In fish, the particles primarily accumulate in the brain. The discovery was international news and was published in Nature Communications.

How quantum might shape our future Quantum Leiden is up and running. In this Leiden network, scientists from various disciplines join forces to investigate the potential of quantum technology for our future. Computer scientist Vedran Dunjko: ‘After years of very abstract and theoretical research, useful quantum computers may now be within our grasp.’ The scientists at Quantum Leiden work closely together to develop technologies that will enable the production of a ‘useful’ quantum computers. ‘That means: a quantum computer with applications relevant to society as a whole,’ says Dunjko. ‘The current quantum computers are only capable of performing exotic computations that prove they can do more than classical computers, but these computations are of little use in the real world. By developing new algorithms, Quantum Leiden is trying to change that.’ Solving hard problems Quantum computers could be especially useful in solving hard problems, according to Dunjko. ‘Think of advanced quantum chemistry calculations or difficult optimisation problems, such as vehicle routing.’ Here, the goal is to find optimal routes for multiple vehicles visiting a set of locations, for example, ambulances or delivery services. ‘More broadly, we can use these limited quantum computers as a new way of machine learning or learning from data. The fun thing is that what we learn about machine learning, in its turn, can help us build better quantum computers, which again will improve our machine learning, and so on.’ Industrial partners provide real problems At Quantum Leiden, researchers are interested in three factors: the algorithms, the physics of the devices themselves and the problems

Photo: Pim Rusch

Quantum Leiden

that have to be solved. ‘Or in other words: what we can apply it to,’ says Dunjko. ‘Instead of looking at abstract, artificially designed problems to prove a mathematical point, in Leiden we’re interested in real problems from industrial partners, such as Google and TotalEnergies. They provide us with data, the classical know-how and the particular applications that they need. It’s then up to us to experiment and find out whether quantum algorithms would be able to provide solutions.’ How cool would that be? Dunjko: ‘We’re still at a fundamental stage, and very far from tackling actual problems. But in a few years, we might see real evidence of the fundamental quantum world. That could be very meaningful things, such as early detection of diseases or designing new drugs. If quantum could help us with that, how cool would that be?’ How does society feel about quantum? The quantum world is very abstract and even counterintuitive. How does the broader public perceive this, and how much do they know about it? This is something physicist and science communication researcher Julia Cramer and her team are trying to find out. ‘We study how quantum is currently explained and framed,’ she says. ‘And also how the public feels and thinks about this topic.’ This first inventory will serve as a baseline for further research, in which the team will investigate how quantum should be explained. Quantum will be our future Even though there is plenty of communication about quantum already, it’s often not based on any research or facts. Cramer believes it is important to talk about quantum in a right and well thought-out way. ‘As scientists we have a certain responsibility,’ she says. ‘A lot of money is invested in quantum research and we claim quantum technology will change the world. So, we have to talk with society about what that means, what it will look like, and what people think of it. From the discussions around other major topics, such as 5G, nuclear technology or vaccinations, we have already learned that merely sprinkling our communication with facts isn’t enough. If quantum is our future, we ’d better start the dialogue now.’

‘If quantum is our future, we better start talking to society about it’

©Julia Cramer

A+ for astronomy student who simulated chaotic black hole interactions Master’s student Arend Moerman has managed to achieve the highest possible score for his graduation research into black holes: an A+. It only happens once every ten years that an Astronomy student receives such an exceptional grade. His remarkable achievement was picked up by national media such as NU.nl and NOS. Moerman’s research appeared in the leading journal Physical Review D.

Education Photo: ICPCNEWS / Michael Roytek

Young mathematicians uphold Leiden’s honour at international programming contest Three young MI students have upheld Leiden’s honour in the finals of the International Collegiate Programming Contest. PhD candidate Ludo Pulles and master’s student Reinier Schmiermann travelled to Russia and came 15th out of 117 teams. PhD candidate Pim Spelier participated in the online contest and finished tenth out of 57 teams. They lived up to the high expectations, after having scored highly during qualifications.

Highly contagious card game Infecting each other with viruses and bacteria while protecting yourself with medicines and vaccinations. Sounds like a fun evening, right? Master’s students of Life Science & Technology Rafael Jezior and Dennis de Beeld certainly think so. Together, they developed ImmunoWars: an exciting card game based on real science. ‘We hope to get prospective students enthusiastic about choosing beta studies as well.’

Education Photo: Joey Markx

Spitting cobra leads to Science publication During a jungle trip, a Thai cobra spits in the eye of reptile enthusiast Jory van Thiel (right). Some years later, he and fellow biology student Roel Wouters (left) are co-authors of a Science publication on the evolution of spitting cobra venom. Together with Professor Michael Richardson, the bachelor’s students found that venom spitting in cobras originated as a defence mechanism against the first humans.

Photo: Liesbeth Dingemans

First graduates of Master’s Programme in Governance of Sustainability The first-generation Governance of Sustainability master’s students received their diplomas during a festive ceremony at Wijnhaven. And they won’t be the last: the new master’s programme is growing in popularity. During the programme, students gain in-depth knowledge of sustainability from both a governance and an environmental science perspective: the perfect mix to solve complex sustainability issues.

Education Photo: ANP Foto

Olympic gold for Industrial Ecology student Dirk Uittenbogaard At this year’s Olympic Games, Dirk Uittenbogaard (left), a student in the Delft-Leiden Master’s programme in Industrial Ecology, and his teammates won the gold medal in the men’s quadruple sculls. The men had some trouble in the beginning, but soon overcame their slow start and, in an enormous surge, took the first Dutch gold medal for men’s rowing in 25 years.

Photo: Universiteit Leiden

Virtual preparation for lab practicals During their first laboratory courses, new students find themselves in a lab full of unfamiliar materials and techniques. Marjo de Graauw wants to avoid spending valuable lab time on explaining practical matters, leaving no time for in-depth teaching. She and her team have received a 100,000-euro SURF grant to develop online teaching materials that allow students to prepare for their practicals.

Education Photo: Monique Shaw

New international bachelor’s programme at LIACS How do you create self-learning systems, how do algorithms work and how do they solve problems? From September 2022, the Faculty of Science will offer a new bachelor’s programme: Data Science & Artificial Intelligence. This will be the first international bachelor’s programme at our Faculty. Students will develop a strong fundamental basis in computer science, combined with knowledge of machine learning, cognitive science and AI competence.

‘Localising drug action can become a game changer in medicine’ The world of nanomedicine is highly promising, but real applications are still sparse. Professor of BioTherapeutics Matthias Barz works on tiny particles that can either transport drugs or activate drugs at the right place in the body. ‘I’m totally committed to delivering such systems.’

Photo: Monique Shaw

Making drugs more effective Nanomedicines are small particles that aim to transport an existing drug more specifically to its target in the body, much as a cab driver takes you to your destination. ‘The idea is that nanomedicines localise drug action. That means that we aim to provide tools that only make a drug active in the tissue where you want it to be active,’ Barz explains. One of the applications could be for the treatment of cancer. ‘The existing drugs used in chemotherapy are only slightly more toxic to cancer cells than to healthy cells. The fact that chemotherapy also attacks healthy tissue makes it such a radical treatment. But with future nanomedicine, we hope to ensure that these cancer drugs are only active at the tumour cells, thus reducing the adverse effects on healthy tissue.’ Barz’s unique approach Barz has a unique approach: his lab works with their own class of materials. They design the nanoparticles themselves, using only amino acids that are found in the body. ‘Our goal is for these compounds to do their work, and then get metabolised by the body. That way we can avoid leaving foreign material in the body.’

But ’m totally committed to make it work. To advance fundamental research from bench to bedside, the Barz Lab collaborates closely with players in the pharmaceutical industry, such as BioNTech.’ Feeling at home in Leiden In Leiden, all the right conditions are in place for success. ‘I feel totally at home at the LACDR. I’m still amazed by all the nice colleagues and the incredible working environment. Our Scientific Director, Hubertus Irth, has managed to set up a highly interdisciplinary institute with a great collaborative climate. I think that’s really unique.’

Nano Medicine

Can you tell us in a nutshell about your research? The University of Mainz, Seoul National University and Harvard Medical School: these have been the stop-offs on Matthias Barz’s scientific journey. In spring 2020, Leiden University became his next stop. The German researcher is Professor of BioTherapeutics at the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, or LACDR in short. Here he focuses on the wondrous and challenging world of nanomedicine.

Barz also appreciates the facilities at the Leiden Bio Science Park. ‘My office is in the state-of-the-art Gorlaeus Building. The working conditions are not at all bad there,’ he laughs. ‘Also, the Bio Science Park with all its biotech companies is the right place for me to be. So it’s not just the nice city, the nice colleagues, and the nice building, but also the place with all the right connections to take the next steps.’ The bucket list Before he retires – in about 30 years from now – Barz wants to ensure these fundamental technologies are applied in a drug. ‘Ultimately, I want to deliver something tangible, and show that our approach works and improves patients’ lives!’ But that’s not the only thing on his bucket list, he says. ‘I also want to learn Dutch as soon as possible, but it’s difficult when every Dutch person speaks English so well. Added to that, in high school my talents weren’t exactly in the field of foreign languages, haha…’

It’s a challenging field, the professor says. ‘In this research area, you have to be an expert in many fields, including polymer chemistry, biology and pharmacology.

How often is ‘often’? What exactly does it mean when your doctor talks about a ‘good chance’ of survival? Leiden researchers discovered that there is a big difference in how people interpret such probability phrases. ‘In the medical field, this can be problematic,’ says statistician Sanne Willems. ‘For example when talking about the likelihood of serious side effects.’ The researchers are calling for more attention to be paid to statistical thinking in education.

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Science & Society

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Prize-winning particle poems Two poems by Professor Sense Jan van der Molen about the electron and the tau-neutrino won a prize in the NNV poem contest ‘Dicht een Deeltje’ (Poems about Particles). ‘Whereas among bosons free love is celebrated, the electron lives a neat monogamous life’, the electron poem begins. The Dutch Physical Society (NNV) held the contest in honour of its centennial anniversary.

Photo: Marc de Haan

Biologists against plastic waste The deposit scheme for small plastic bottles is finally a fact. That’s partly thanks to the efforts of Leiden Biology alumnus Merijn Tinga. Biologists Liselotte Rambonnet and Auke-Florian Hiemstra also fight against plastic waste with their Plastic Spotter citizen science project. Together with Leiden residents, they collect plastic from the canals of Leiden and investigate the floating waste.

An artist's view of the hidden fungi in the soil Music from a compostable cello, photographs and scents of fungi and a woven tapestry. With her multimedia project Super Organism, visual artist Suzette Bousema enabled people to experience the underground fungal network with all their senses. Environmental scientist Nadia Soudzilovskaia and her team provided materials and scientific background information.

Don’t walk past the plants on the pavement Weeds between the pavement might look messy, but wild plants are very important to the city’s microclimate. They bring coolness, proper drainage and food for insects. The Hortus botanicus wants to increase the popularity of pavement plants, including through citizen science. ‘If people start to appreciate them, they will be more likely to allow them to stay and multiply!’

Science & Society Photo: Frans Wiersma / Stad in Steentjes

The Old Observatory in LEGO Every week, German expat Uwe Hensch walks past the Old Observatory in the centre of Leiden. In Corona times, he decided to make a LEGO design inspired by the historic building. It has a rotating dome and includes a mini-Albert Einstein. If Henssch collects enough votes in the coming year, LEGO might take his design into production.

NeCEN’s contribution to the Janssen vaccine To develop their corona vaccine, Janssen Pharmaceutica called on the help of NeCEN, the Dutch electron nanoscopy facility. This Leiden-based facility takes pictures at dazzling temperatures of around minus 196 degrees Celsius. Janssen needed to select a specific type of spike protein. ‘With our equipment, we were able to help them pick the right one,’ says Ludovic Renault, head of NeCEN.

Polderlab: farming with biodiversity in mind Farmers, citizens and researchers from Leiden University are joining forces in a unique ten-year study in a peatland area near Leiden. The Vrouw Venne Polder Lab should provide insight into what is best for biodiversity, and reducing nitrogen and CO2 emissions, but also for food supply, recreation and combatting land subsidence. The project was kicked off by planting trees during a festive opening.

Photo: Universiteit Leiden

Summer camp behind a laptop This summer, eighteen children between the ages of 10 and 12 came to our campus to learn the programming language Hedy. The young participants lit up the Snellius building with their enthusiasm and endless ideas. They made their own digital haunted house, a programme to predict the outcome of the 2022 world cup and you could even use their Hedy console to order chips.

Unwrapping animal mummies in the CT scanner The story of Tutankhamun, the Egyptian pharaoh, is world famous. But the Ancient Egyptians mummified animals as well. The National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden recently put a number of animal mummies through a CT scanner. Biologists from the Institute Biology Leiden were given the noble assignment of working out which kinds of snake or bird species were inside the wrappings.

Diplomas 2020-2021

2203

Bachelor’s

1215 19

Master’s

114

988 25

218

cum laude

summa cum laude

Students 2021

229 197 374 701 107 4

3422 2483 43 % 57 % 996 835

Full professors

Assistant & associate professors

Postdocs

PhD candidates

PhD defences

Cum laude PhD defences

Facts & Figures

Staff 2021

BSc students

MSc students

Female

Male

Intake BSc students

Intake MSc students

Faculty of Science P.O. Box 9502 2300 RA Leiden The Netherlands  publications@science.leidenuniv.nl

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