Marnix Medema appointed chair of Bioinformatics at WUR
Wageningen University & Research has appointed Marnix Medema as chair of the Bioinformatics group with effect from 1 February. He succeeds Dick de Ridder, who recently took up the position of Dean of Education at Wageningen University. At a time when biological research is increasingly driven by large and diverse datasets, Medema aims to further strengthen bioinformatics as a connecting discipline within the life sciences.
“Biological research has changed dramatically in recent years,” Medema explains. “Scientists now work with vast amounts of data, ranging from DNA and RNA sequences to information on proteins, metabolites and observable traits of organisms.” According to Medema, the main challenge is no longer data generation, but making sense of it all. “Modern biology relies more and more on large-scale datasets. To understand this complexity, we need computational methods that go beyond analysing a single type of data at a time.”
Better insights by combining data
Central to his vision is the integration of so-called multi-omics data: the joint analysis of different types of biological information, such as genes, RNA, proteins and metabolites. By combining these data layers, Medema argues, researchers can gain a much clearer picture of how biological processes at the molecular level ultimately manifest themselves in cells, organisms and even ecosystems.
A key prerequisite is the smart use of existing knowledge. Medema therefore stresses the importance of open science and shared data curation, in which research data are carefully standardised and made accessible for reuse. This provides a solid foundation for advanced computational approaches, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, to detect patterns and uncover links between molecular processes and biological traits. In this way, researchers can move more quickly from data to understanding.
Developing smart antibiotics
One major research focus within Medema’s work is antibiotic resistance, a growing problem caused by bacteria becoming increasingly insensitive to existing medicines. With funding from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS), he works with colleagues in Wageningen and European partners on the development of smart antibiotics. In this project, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence and biotechnology are combined to improve the treatment of infections caused by resistant bacteria.
Linking research and education
Education is an essential part of Medema’s vision. He sees a close integration of research and teaching as a prerequisite for preparing students for today’s data-intensive practice. By embedding real research experiences in education, students learn not only to formulate relevant biological questions, but also to select the computational tools needed to answer them.
Medema also points to the great potential of generative AI, which lowers the barrier to programming and data analysis and enables a much broader group of students to work actively with computational methods. In this way, students at bachelor’s, master’s and PhD level are prepared for a research environment in which biology and data science are inseparably linked.
With his appointment, Medema aims to further develop the Bioinformatics chair group as an academic environment where data, methods and biological questions come together, and where research and education reinforce each other within Wageningen University & Research.
Modern biology increasingly relies on large-scale datasets (Photo: WUR)
“I am delighted that Marnix Medema will lead the Bioinformatics group,” says managing director of the Plant Sciences Group Richard Harrison. “His appointment comes at an important moment for the life sciences. Advances in data generation, artificial intelligence and computational methods are fundamentally changing how we do biology. Bioinformatics is key to translating these developments into new scientific insights and into education that prepares students for this data-driven future. Marnix brings exactly the expertise and leadership we need in this rapidly evolving field.”
About Marnix Medema
Marnix Medema developed an early fascination with the molecular complexity of life. He studied biology in Nijmegen and Groningen and obtained his PhD in bioinformatics in 2013, focusing on computational methods for the analysis of microbial genomes. After his PhD, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen. In 2015, he joined Wageningen University & Research as a tenure-track assistant professor within the Bioinformatics group. In 2022, he was appointed professor with a personal chair. He has now also taken on the role of chair holder.
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