Plenary Speakers
Celebrating 150 Years of Fragrance Chemistry Serving Perfume Innovation
Van ‘t Hoff Speaker: dr. Olivier David,
UVSQ · UFR des Sciences, University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France
Industrial research collaborator (Speaker): dr. Franco Doro,
FD-INNOV, The Netherlands
Perfumery has evolved from a handcraft activity, marking supreme aristocratic luxury in the Renaissance, to a global industry powering scent experiences for present-day consumers through the use of a myriad of consumer packaged goods. Fragrance chemistry, at the core of this revolution in the last two centuries, has been the playground of several esteemed scientists (many awarded with the Nobel prize) which, in the course of the years, has delivered the rich palette of ingredients we know today. These scientific and technological advancements enabled perfumers to design the olfactory signatures for brands consumers love. This rich scientific and artistic heritage is however in jeopardy as we believe, it is falling into oblivion. Hence the ambition of a small community of individuals (at both academic institutions and companies) to bring this rich heritage back to light in a way that it can be understood, appreciated, and be a source of inspiration for newer generations of scientists, marketers, and designers.
Heterogeneous Redox Catalysis – from Thermal to Photo-, Electro- and Plasma catalysis
Prof. Dr. Martin Muhler,
Max Planck-Institut für Energiekonversion, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany
The Laboratory of Industrial Chemistry at Ruhr-Universität Bochum performs fundamental research in heterogeneous redox catalysis. The scientific challenge is the elucidation of the reduction and oxidation reactions on the atomic level and their interplay with the complex surface chemistry of catalytically active solids. In my talk, I want to illustrate how transient kinetic experiments can contribute to a deeper understanding.
Parallel Speakers
Machine Learning for Applications in Energy Storage and Conversion
Dr. Nong Artrith,
Materials Chemistry & Catalysis, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
This lecture discusses how computational methods can be used for optimizing and designing energy storage and conversion materials, exploring the intersection of machine learning (ML) and first-principles calculations. In combination, ML models, genetic algorithms, and molecular dynamics simulations enable accurate simulations of realistic atomic structures. Applying this framework to battery materials, we revealed structure-composition-conductivity relationships crucial for battery performance. Another example is the ML-guided discovery of catalyst materials by combining data from computations and experiments.
Reinventing Chemical Analysis in Forensic Science, On-Scene Identification of Drugs or Explosives in Seconds by Non-experts: Fiction or Reality?
Prof. Dr. Arian van Asten,
Analytical Chemistry (AC), Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Thousands of cases are handled by the Netherlands Forensic Institute and the Dutch Police annually where advanced laboratory techniques are employed by trained experts to chemically identify banned substances such as illicit drugs and explosives. Within the criminal justice system, the efficiency and efficacy of this chemical identification process would be dramatically improved if technology exists that would allow non-experts to conduct such analyses on-scene. Information available immediately and on the spot would support important decisions such as whether to arrest a suspect or to evacuate an area. If rapid screening could yield admissible evidence in court, there would be no need to send samples to dedicated laboratories and to use advanced equipment and forensic expert capacity in the process. In this lecture, it will be shown that through a smart combination of chip technology, data science, and cloud computing, such a paradigm shift in forensic chemical analysis could be realized sooner than you might think.
Towards Molecular Redesign: A Perspective on Biobased, Circular and Safe Chemicals and Materials
Prof. Dr. Pieter Bruijnincx,
Organic Chemistry & Catalysis (OCC), Institute for Sustainable & Circular Chemistry (ISCC), Utrecht University (UU), The Netherlands
The energy, materials, and resource transitions and the associated move from a linear to a circular economy are all means to the same end: a more sustainable society. As chemists, these changes require us to reconsider the molecules and materials we make. Changing feedstock to renewables to make the current slate of products (with clean production processes) is not sufficient for sustainability. We need to incorporate the necessary safe, sustainable, and circular design principles into the actual molecular blueprint of our chemical building blocks. This means making new molecules from new feedstock, which requires new chemistry. In this lecture, I will discuss some examples from our lab in this direction.
Expanding the Enzyme Universe With Genetically Encoded Non-canonical Amino Acids
Dr. Ivana Drienovská,
Organic and Peptide Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Enzymes are the main workhorses for green processes, powering the shift towards a more sustainable society. However, there's a catch: sometimes, the perfect enzyme for a specific task simply doesn't exist in nature. This leads us to a fascinating quest - designing biocatalysts from scratch, ones that can perform entirely novel transformations. In this lecture, I will delve into the efforts of my laboratory as we strive to overcome this challenge by designing enzymes modified with innovative, non-native building blocks.
Reinventing Drug Discovery Using AI
Speaker: dr. Anthe Janssen,
Molecular Physiology, Leiden Institute of Chemistry (LIC), Leiden University, The Netherlands
The explosive use of tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney has truly kicked off the Age of AI. The field of drug discovery has been building towards its own AI applications for years. These applications vary from synthesis analyses, and protein folding to the prediction of binding affinities. This talk will showcase some recent developments from Leiden in this field.
Green Chemistry in Paintings Conservation: From Regenerate-Based Treatments Towards Greener Practices
Prof. Dr. Katrien Keune, Conservation & Science Department, Rijksmuseum, Van ’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Increased understanding of chemical processes in paintings has allowed for the improvement of restoration techniques. In 1889, “The Night Watch”, painted by Rembrandt, underwent a pioneering regeneration method using alcohol vapors to restore transparency to a dulled varnish. This methodology is deemed obsolete today. This presentation will cover the chemistry behind cleaning paintings and explore the shift towards sustainable and greener conservation methods.
Spatial and Temporal Control Over Mechanics in Supramolecular Biomaterials
Dr. Roxanne Kieltyka, Supramolecular & Biomaterials Chemistry, Leiden Institute of Chemistry (LIC), Leiden University, The Netherlands
The natural extracellular matrix (ECM) serves as a great inspiration for the development of innovative polymer strategies for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. Supramolecular materials consisting of non-covalently polymerized small molecules particularly stand out in this regard, because they can mimic the structure and function of the biopolymer networks of the ECM that direct cell behaviour. In my lecture, I will share our efforts in developing materials from this class that can be used as 3D cell culture matrices and their impact on cells.
Tying Molecular Knots
Prof. Dr. Jan van Maarseveen,
Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Synthesis & Catalysis (SC), Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam (UvA), The Netherlands
Over the recent years, it became obvious that in nature several knotted molecules exist of which the knottins and lasso peptides are the ultimate examples. Although synthetic chemists have already been able since the early sixties of the last century to make such so-called mechanically interlocked molecular architectures, the natural examples remain synthetically out of reach. The Amsterdam synthetic group is busy with the development of a novel covalent methodology to make nature-inspired knotted molecules. In this short talk, I’ll share the latest results in the lab and our future goals for several applications.
Reinventing and Regenerating Light With Lanthanides
Speaker: prof. dr. Andries Meijerink, Condensed Matter & Interfaces (CMI), Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University (UU), The Netherlands
Lanthanides have transformed the world of lighting. Presently, almost all artificial light sources rely on the emission of light by lanthanide ions. In this presentation, an introduction to the unique optical properties of lanthanides will be followed by an overview of the invention of light sources using lanthanide luminescence and more exotic applications such as persistent (regenerating) luminescence, money, and data communication.
Reinventing Self-assembled Cages For New Applications; From Catalysis to Biological Applications
Prof. Dr. Joost Reek,
Homogenous, Supramolecular & Bio-Inspired Catalysis, Synthesis & Catalysis (SC), Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University of Amsterdam (UvA), The Netherlands
The interface between supramolecular chemistry and transition metal catalysis has received surprisingly little attention in contrast to the individual disciplines. We have intensively explored the use of well-defined nanospheres that form by self-assembly in transition metal catalysis. These nanospheres create catalysts (and substrates) at high local concentrations, just like in enzymes, higher reaction rates are observed for several reactions that operate via binuclear mechanism. More recently we have translated the chemistry from the typical organic solvents to aqueous media and relevant conditions. This allows using these nanostructures for new functions such as gene delivery and non-natural catalytic conversions in living cells. In this lecture, I will outline the strategies in catalysis and discuss the application in cells for potential cancer treatment and gene delivery, with a focus on the general concepts and most recent results.
Reinventing Chemistry To Regenerate Carbon Dioxide With Electricity
Dr. Ward van der Stam,
Inorganic Chemistry & Catalysis (ICC), Institute for Sustainable & Circular Chemistry (ISCC), Utrecht University (UU), The Netherlands
Electrocatalytic conversion driven by renewable energy is expected to play a major role in our transition toward a sustainable chemical industry. The electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 (CO2RR) into valuable base chemicals and fuels is a very complex reaction, which can be considered as a black box: we put material and reactants in and get catalytic descriptors out (activity, selectivity, stability). In this talk, I will discuss how we use light to look inside this black box to reinvent chemistry.
When Things Are Not Straight But Curved
Dr. Tomáš Šolomek,
Molecular Photonics (MP), Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
I will tell a story about the importance of outstanding teachers who tend to shape our lives and launch our careers, and will share how such a teacher helped me become a scientist who likes exploring organic molecules with unusual shapes and topologies. Thereby, I wish to highlight not only the joy of scientific discovery but the people hidden behind it.