MBB 木瓜福利影视
Radio interview with Eefjan
On August 28th 2025, Eefjan Breukink was interviewed for the Dutch radio station BNR. The interview was about the effect of painkillers on the increased development of bacterial resistance, as was published in the article below.
Chen, H., Sapula, S.A., Turnidge, J. et al. The effect of commonly used non-antibiotic medications on antimicrobial resistance development in Escherichia coli. npj Antimicrob Resist 3, 73 (2025).
Veni Fellowship - Eva Bertosin
In July 2025, assistant professor Eva Bertosin was granted the NWO Veni fellowship 'From design to function: DNA origami nanomachines for protein folding'.
DNA nanotechnology, and in particular DNA origami, is emerging as a powerful technique for building increasingly complex nanostructures with any desired shape, tuneable dynamics, and switchable conformations. Eva will employ DNA origami to develop nanostructures that mimic the function of the eukaryotic TRiC chaperonin system. This system is an intricately regulated protein complex that folds client proteins. This bottom-up engineering approach will allow full control over structural conformations.
The project will not only yield deep insights into protein folding and chaperone function; it will also serve as a stepping stone toward designing nanomachines that carry out novel complex functions.
Welcome to Steven Arisz
MBB is very pleased to welcome Steven Arisz, as a new researcher to the group of Toon de Kroon.
Steven started June 1st, 2025.
You can read more about his work & projects on the MBB website and on Steven鈥檚 UU profile page
Welcome to Eva Bertosin
MBB is very pleased to welcome Eva Bertosin, as a new assistant professor to the group.
Eva started May 1st, 2025.
You can read more about her work & projects on the MBB website and on Eva's UU profile page
PhD defense Min Xie
On Monday 3 February 2025, Min Xie successfully defended her PhD thesis 鈥淓xploration of Antibacterial Mechanisms of Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP)- Effects on cell membranes during responses to oxidative stress".
Congratulations dr. Min and to her supervisors Antoinette Killian and Joseph Lorent!
Inaugural lecture - Eefjan Breukink
Prof.dr. Eefjan Breukink gave his inaugural lecture entitled 鈥楾he Golden Fleece鈥 on December 11, 2024.
Eefjan Breukink is appointed as professor at the Faculty of Science on June 15, 2023 to undertake activities in the field of 鈥楳icrobial membranes and antibiotics鈥.
Interview with Eefjan Breukink
In December 2024, Eefjan Breukink was interviewed by MedScape about "New Hope for Antimicrobial Peptides?".
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PhD defence Maik Derks
On Monday 23 September 2024, Maik Derks successfully defended his PhD thesis 'Antibiotic Action Beyond Simple Target Binding - Exploring Supramolecular Mechanisms of Membrane-Active Antibiotics'.
Congratulations dr. Maik and to his supervisors Eefjan Breukink and Markus Weingarth!
Welcome to Perrine
On September 1st 2024, Perrine Humphreys joined MBB as PhD researcher in the team of Christian Kaiser.
Welcome Perrine!
MBB lab outing 2024
On August 28th 2024, MBB organized the annual lab outing.
After climbing the Dom Tower, we had a nice lunch and leaned how to golf at Chi Chi. We ended the lab outing with a delicious BBQ.
Spetses Advanced Lecture Course
Eefjan Breukink succesfully co-organized the EMBO-FEBS Advanced Lecture Course:
"Membranes, Lipids and Proteins in Organelle Biogenesis"
The course was held from Sunday May 26th until Saturday June 1st, 2024 on the island of Spetses in Greece.
More information:
NWO ENW Open Competition M1 Grant
In May 2024, Toon de Kroon was awarded an ENW-M1 grant to carry out the project 鈥淩egulation of membrane lipid acyl chain length: a tug of war between two enzymes?鈥. Optimal membrane fluidity is essential to ensure proper function of biological membranes. A key factor determining membrane fluidity is the length of the acyl chains attached to the lipids that constitute the membrane matrix. We aim to elucidate the regulation of lipid acyl chain length in the model eukaryote S. cerevisiae (baker鈥檚 yeast), including the players involved. The underlying hypothesis states that acyl chain length is determined by a tug of war between acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase, the key enzymes catalyzing fatty acid synthesis.
MBB Ping-Pong tournament
In the spring of 2024, master students at MBB organized a ping-pong tournament for the whole group.
A playing schedule with a lot of games was set up until the final on April 5th.
Eefjan Breukink won the tournament and Dette Faber made it to the second place!
PhD defence Yang Xu
On Monday 26 February 2024, Yang Xu successfully defended his PhD thesis 'The Bacterial Cell Envelope: Specific Labelling and Its Applications'.
Yang defended his dissertation online from China.
Congratulations dr. Yang and to the supervisors Eefjan Breukink and Roland Pieters!
PhD defence Xiaoqi Wang
On Wednesday 6 December 2023, Xiaoqi Wang successfully defended her PhD thesis 'Membrane Effects of Antimicrobial Peptides'.
Xiaoqi defended her dissertation online from China.
Congratulations dr. Xiaoqi and to her supervisors Antoinette Killian and Eefjan Breukink!
Welcome to Pavlo Stehantsev
On October 1st, 2023, Pavlo Stehantsev started as postdoc at MBB.
He will work in the team of Toon de Kroon at the collaborative research project CAMELOT: Coenzyme A & MEmbrane Lipids, an Opportunity for Treatment. The aim is to understand the complex interrelationship between CoA and membrane lipids with the aim of developing treatments for CoA-linked diseases.
Welcome Pavlo!
Welcome to Christian Kaiser
MBB is very pleased to welcome Christian Kaiser, as a new professor to the group.
Christian started September 1st, 2023 and is appointed chair in Biophysical Chemistry of Membranes & Proteins.
You can read more about his work & projects on the MBB website and on Christian's UU profile page.
Interview / Podcast Maik Derks - Clovibactine
On 29 August 2023, Maik Derks (MBB & NMR PhD candidate) was interviewed by the Dutch Radio station BNR about the discovery of Clovibactine.
This is the link to the .
MBB lab outing 2023
On June 29th 2023, MBB organized the annual lab outing.
After fun sports activities and puzzles at Olympos, we enjoyed a delicious BBQ.
Eefjan Breukink appointed as professor
On 15 June 2023, Utrecht 木瓜福利影视 has appointed Eefjan Breukink as Professor of Microbial Membranes and Antibiotics. Eefjan and his group are engaged in research aimed at finding new antibiotics that target bacterial cell membranes, the structures that separate the inside and outside of bacteria.
Cum Laude PhD Defence - Rhythm Shukla
On Monday 6 March 2023, Rhythm Shukla successfully defended her PhD thesis 'New era of lipid-targiting peptide antibiotics' with a cum laude designation.
Congratulations to Rhythm and her supervisor Markus Weingarth!
Interview Tessa Sinnige - Data Management Plans
In February '23, Tessa Sinnige was interviewed about the importance of making Data Management Plans.
Read the interview with Tessa.
Zon-Mw Open Competition Grant
In December 2022, Ody Sibon (UMCG) and Toon de Kroon were awarded a ZonMW Open Competition grant for carrying out the collaborative research project CAMELOT: Coenzyme A & MEmbrane Lipids, an Opportunity for Treatment. Research teams will join forces to understand the complex interrelationship between CoA and membrane lipids with the aim of developing treatments for CoA-linked diseases. Read more about .
NWO ENW-XS grant - Tessa Sinnige
In November 2022, Tessa Sinnige was awarded the ENW-XS grant from NWO for her research on protein aggregation in C. elegans as a model organism. Her team will investigate how protein aggregation develops around the time of death of the organism, which could have major implications for our understanding of disease mechanisms. Read the article about .
MBB Lab Outing
On October 12th 2022, MBB organized the annual lab outing. The group was challenged to be creative like Picasso. In the afternoon, we did some nice games like kubb, laser gaming, frisbee golf and cheese rolling outside in the forest of De Bilt. It was a nice and relaxing day!
Gold for Eefjan Breukink @ Hockey Masters World Cup
In October 2022, Eefjan Breukink won a gold medal with the Dutch national team at the Hockey Masters World Cup in Cape Town South Africa.
Congratulations Eefjan!
You can read more about .
Enzymology Symposium - Maarten Egmond
On the occasion of the retirement of emeritus professor Maarten Egmond, after more than 50 years of research in Enzymology, we organized the Symposium 鈥楨nzymology, Past, Present, Future鈥 on October 6th, 2022. Current understanding of structure-function relationships of enzymes were shared and highlighted by 10 experts in the area of Enzymology. Also insight has been presented to strengthen understanding of enzymes for further application in Academia and Industry.
We look back on a wonderful day!
Welcome to Vera
On October 1st 2022, Vera van Schijndel joined MBB as PhD candidate in the C. elegans team of Tessa Sinnige.
Welcome Vera!
PhD Defence Adrian Kopf
On Monday 26 September 2022, Adrian Kopf successfully defended his PhD thesis 'Membrane Solubilization by Amphipathic Copolymers - Expanding the Toolbox for the Study of Membrane Proteins'.
Congratulations dr. Adrian!
Co-publication in Nature
Several group members of MBB have together with the group of Markus Weingarth, Kim Lewis from the US and others published in the August 11, 2022 issue of Nature. In this article the NMR structure of the complex of a rather novel antibiotic teixobactin in interaction with its target Lipid II is shown. Besides this, we demonstrate that it forms, together with Lipid II, fibrillar like structures on the membrane that are likely to be responsible for the additional membrane perturbation that teixobactin causes. Read the article .
Congratulations to Rhythm and all co-authors!
Interview Maik Derks - about Nature Publication
Maik Derks (MBB & NMR PhD candidate) was interviewed by the Dutch Radio station NPO1 about the mentioned above.
This is the link to the , from minute 31'20 onwards.
Moreover RTV Utrecht has written a Dutch Utrechtse wetenschappers doen belangrijke antibioticum-ontdekking: 'Nu testen op dieren en mensen'.
Chemistry Worm Lab Tour - 1 September
The nematode C. elegans has made its way into the Chemistry department as a new model organism!
You are very welcome to visit the lab of Tessa Sinnige's group.
DATE: Thursday 1 September 2022
TIME: 16h-17h - Lab tour with 4 different demonstrations starting every 15 minutes & at 17h Drinks
LOCATION: Kruyt building 8th floor, East wing
ICPM9
From 27 June to 1 July 2022, the Plasma Group of Joseph Lorent co-organized the 9th edition of the International Conference on Plasma Medicine in Utrecht.
At ICPM9, MBB PhD candidate Min Xie received the 'Best Student Paper Award' for her oral presentation. More information can be found at the .
Retirement Antoinette Killian
On April 29th 2022, Antoinette Killian has become emeritus professor at Utrecht 木瓜福利影视. Eefjan Breukink has succeeded Antoinette as MBB group head.
Thank you very much Antoinette for all the wonderful work you did for MBB, Chemistry and Utrecht 木瓜福利影视!
Spetses Advanced Lecture Course
Eefjan Breukink successfully co-organized the EMBO-FEBS Advanced Lecture Course:
鈥淟ipids, proteins and their interactions in organelle biology鈥
DATE: Sunday May 29th 鈥 Saturday June 4th, 2022
LOCATION: Isle of Spetses, Greece
WEBSITE:
MBB lab filmed
In March 2022, our lab was used as background in an item on doping in sports by the Dutch Broadcasting Company (NOS). Watch the (in Dutch).
Publication Mike Renne & MBB co-authors
Former PhD student Mike Renne published part of his PhD research in the January 17, 2022 issue of the EMBO Journal. In collaboration with the lab of Christer Ejsing (SDU, Odense), Mike demonstrated that mitochondrial phospholipid import is molecular species selective.
Read the .
Congratulations to Mike and co-authors!
Eefjan Breukink - MBB Group Head
Due to the upcoming retirement of Antoinette Killian, Eejan Breukink has taken over as head of MBB starting January 1st, 2022.
Publication Xue Bao & MBB co-authors
In October 2021, our study on yeast suppressor mutants devoid of the major membrane lipid phosphatidylcholine has now been published in the EMBO Journal.
Read the .
Congratulations to Xue Bao and co-authors!
ICBL2021
From 12 till 15 October 2021, MBB co-organized the 61st International Conference on the Bioscience of Lipids in Utrecht. The meeting included plenary lectures by established and young scientists, the Van Deenen lecture, poster presentations, as well as opportunities for networking and social activities. We thank all the participants and speakers for their contributions to make this a successful live conference. You can read more about the .
Welcome to Mehmet Akdag & Maithili Joshi
On March 1st 2021, Mehmet Akdag joined MBB as PhD candidate in the C. elegans team of Tessa Sinnige.
On April 1st 2021, PhD candidate Maithili Joshi joined the MBB C. elegans team too.
Welcome Mehmet and Maithili!
New MBB group picture
New: our 1,5m proof MBB group picture!
Welcome to Jorieke Tiggelaar
On November 1st 2020, Jorieke Tiggelaar has started at MBB as technician in the C. elegans team of Tessa Sinnige.
Welcome Jorieke!
Welcome to聽Tessa Sinnige
On September 1st 2020, Tessa Sinnige has started at MBB as Assistant Professor.
Tessa studies protein aggregation using C. elegans as a model organism.
You can read more about her research on Tessa's MBB profile pageand the
Visit Eveline Koch primary school
Eveline Koch, MBB鈥檚 research technician, visited primary school Fatima in IJsselstein in February 2020.
Eveline entertained the youngest classes with various fascinating chemical experiments.
The visit was organized because of the school theme 鈥楲aboratory & Experiments鈥.
The children were incredibly enthusiastic and impressed.