Research of Biophysics
Laboratory of Biophysics makes use of advanced magnetic resonance and optical techniques to study systems from the molecular level up to the macroscopic level.
Biophysics is the field that seeks to understand life processes and structures by exploring biological structures, functions and dynamics through the lens of physical laws and principles. Instead of viewing biology and physics as separate worlds, biophysics combines them: it uses physical methods to study molecules, cells and organisms, and to explain living processes in terms of forces, motion and energy. A key focus is dynamics: the constant movement and change that underpin life, from the rapid motions of DNA at the nanoscale to the flow of water and nutrients in plants. By revealing these processes in action, biophysics helps explain not just how biological systems are built, but how they behave and where errors can occur.
Research themes
Magnetic resonance for foods
We use the magnetic resonance techniques NMR and MRI to unravel the composition, structural organisation and dynamics of food products.
Advanced NMR/MRI in soft matter
We apply advanced NMR and MRI techniques to study complex materials such as foods, biological tissues, and polymer networks.
Single-molecule biophysics
Our lab studies DNA-protein interactions on the molecular level.
Acclimation responses in photosynthetic organisms
In this theme, we investigate how plants and cyanobacteria cope with differences in light quantity and quality.
Research videos
Curious about our research? Here you can view some videos about several of our research programmes:
The Capitalise project
The world’s population is booming. By 2050 our planet is predicted to have 9.7 billion mouths to feed. The clock is ticking. To avoid a global food crisis, we’ll need to increase our crop production by an estimated 60%.
Photosynthesis
Plants use sunlight to produce their own nutrients and energy: photosynthesis. If we want to keep the planet and its growing population running in a sustainable way, we will need plants to produce far more food, energy and applicable biomass than they do now.
Precision Medicine
The new 4TU programme, Precision Medicine, hopes to raise diagnostics to a new level by integrating a special form of artificial intelligence called deep learning with medical imaging techniques.