Microbes are true team players

Platform Managers

prof. dr. Hauke Smidt UNLOCK, platform manager of Biodiscovery Platform. Facility Coordinator. Part of the UNLOCK Team.

Prof. dr. H. Smidt

Heads the Molecular Ecology Group at the Laboratory of Microbiology (MIB, WUR), which investigates diverse natural and man-made microbial ecosystems. He is Facility Coordinator of UNLOCK and manager of the Biodiscovery Platform.

dr. R. Kleerebezem UNLOCK - platform manager of the Parallel Cultivation Platform. Part of the UNLOCK Team.

Dr. R. Kleerebezem

Is Associate Professor at the Department of Biotechnology (TUD), a group which is worldwide leading in research on cultivation, system analysis and functional development of microbial ecosystems. He is manager of the Parallel Cultivation Platform.

dr. ir. Dirk Strik UNLOCK

Dr.ir. D. Strik

Is Associate Professor in the field of Environmental Technology (WUR), whose group investigates the use of micro-organisms in engineered open-culture bioreactors to convert organic, bioplastic or CO2 waste streams into useful products. He is manager of the Modular Bioreactor Platform.

Dr. P.J. Schaap UNLOCK, platform manager of the FAIR Data Platform. Part of the UNLOCK Team.

Dr. P.J. Schaap

Leads the Computational Biology group at the Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology (SSB, WUR), a multidisciplinary team with experts in the fields of Genomics, Bioinformatics and Applied Statistics. He is manager of the FAIR Data Platform.

General Assembly

Prof. dr. M. Suarez Diez UNLOCK

Prof. dr. M. Suarez Diez

Is Chair holder of the Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology (WUR), which aims at elucidating and modelling interactions among microbes and between microbes and their environment.

Prof. dr. T.J.G. Ettema UNLOCK

Prof. dr. T.J.G. Ettema

Is Chair holder of the Laboratory of Microbiology (WUR). He also leads a research group focusing on the diversity and evolution of microbial life on Earth.

Prof. dr. J.T. Pronk UNLOCK

Prof. dr. J.T. Pronk

Is Head of the Department of Biotechnology at TU Delft. As full professor in Industrial Microbiology, he is fascinated by quantitative physiology and metabolic engineering of industrially relevant microorganisms.

Prof. dr. Annemiek ter Heijne UNLOCK

Prof. dr. Annemiek ter Heijne

Is chair and professor in (Bio)Recovery Technology for Circular Economy, at Environmental Technology. Her research group focuses on developing technologies for recovery of energy, carbon, and nutrients from waste streams, using (a combination of) biological, chemical and physical processes, to contribute to a more circular world.

Research Staff

Dr. J.J. Koehorst UNLOCK

Dr. J.J. Koehorst

Is staff member at SSB (WUR), is an expert in FAIR data approaches to large scale genomics, with hands-on experience in applying Semantic Web technology in the Life Science domain. Technical manager of FAIR Data Platform.

Dr. W. Scott UNLOCK

Dr. W. Scott

Is a Postdoctoral researcher at the FAIR Data Platform (WUR), and is an expert in dynamic and metabolic modelling.

Xiaofang Yan M-unlock

Dr. X. Yan

Is a postdoctoral researcher at Modular Bioreactor platforms. Her main tasks include setting up platform reactors, conducting bio-electrochemical measurements, designing monitoring systems, and contributing scientific insights to shape the platform’s future.

Dr. E. Alaux

Is a Postdoctoral researcher at the Biodiscovery Platform (WUR), and is an expert in in fermentation research, working with microalgae, cyanobacteria, and bacterial consortia in laboratories.

Jinsong Wang UNLOCK

Dr. J. Wang

Is a postdoc researcher and the technical manager at the Parallel Cultivation Platform

Anna Malinowska

Dr. Anna M. Malinowska

Anna supports data analysis within various projects.  She specializes in 16S RNA amplicon sequencing primarily in projects involving the human host and its association with health.

Dr. M. Endika

Is the Technical Manager of the Biodiscovery Platform (WUR), with a background in microbiology, fermentation, and food biotechnology, and expertise in supporting microbial research across health, food, and environmental systems.

Technical Support Staff

J. Zamudio, MSc UNLOCK

J. Zamudio, MSc

Is Research Assistant at the ETE (WUR) with expertise in data analysis and chemical analysis using chromatographic techniques and NMR, and is responsible for the equipment and the supervision of the Modular Bioreactor Platform.

K. de Carlo, MSc UNLOCK

K. de Carlo, MSc

Is Fermentation Technician at the Department of Biotechnology (TUD) and is responsible for the equipment and the supervision of the Parallel Cultivation Platform.

T. Schonewille, BAS UNLOCK

T. Schonewille, BAS

Is Workgroup Technician at MIB (WUR) and has experience in molecular biology, screening methods, chromatographic techniques.

M.T. van den Broek UNLOCK

M.T. van den Broek

Is an all-round Technician at ETE (WUR). He is responsible for the construction of the modular bioreactors and of the data acquisition & controlling systems of this platform.

Ing. D. Geerts UNLOCK

Ing. D. Geerts

Is Research Technician at the Department of Biotechnology (TUD) with expertise in fermentation, process control, and data acquisition and control systems.

Martijn Melissen M-unlock

M.C. Melissen

Computational Research Technician at FAIR Data Platform. He will focus on FAIRification, data management, and data analysis within the FAIR-data platform. His tasks also include helping researchers process study metadata via the FAIR Data Station, maintaining and developing CWL workflows and other software.

T. H. Escare, MSc

Is a lab technician at the Biodiscovery platform (WUR)  focused on liquid handling automation and Nanopore sequencing for microbiome research.

A. A. Santirso, MSc

Is a lab technician at the Biodiscovery platform (WUR), specializing in automated liquid handling and Nanopore sequencing for environmental microbiology research.

Associated Staff

Dr. S. Deshpande UNLOCK

Dr. S. Deshpande

Is an Assistant Professor at the Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter (PCC, WUR). His interests lie in biological soft matter, self-organisation, bioengineering, and on-chip microfluidics. He has a strong liking for interdisciplinary, collaborative research.

Dr. M. Pucetaite

Is an Assistant Professor at the Laboratory of Biophysics (BIP, WUR). Her academic focus is on bridging the gap between advanced optical microspectroscopy techniques and their application in soil microbiology and microbial ecology, with primary interest in metabolic processes of filamentous fungi and their influence on terrestrial nutrient cycling.

UNLOCK Office

M. Wijntjes UNLOCK

M. Wijntjes

Is Manager Daily Operations. She’s first point of contact at UNLOCK and responsible for daily operations, such as Customer Relationship- and Contractmanagement and coordinating front- and back office.