The common thread of my research is the impact of the spatial and community context on adaptation. I performed evolutionary experiments with an arthropod herbivore species (Tetranychus urticae) to test its adaptation to novel host plants under different conditions. I am also intrigued by the microbiota living inside multicellular hosts and this led me to perform both field and lab work to further investigate correlations between hosts, their diet and microbiome, and how these are affected by environmental factors. Currently, I am involved in the 'Predicting Evolution' project to test how robust and predictable evolutionary results are across different institutes in The Netherlands and Belgium using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model species.

I work on the predictability of genetic adaptation during evolution. We have introduced the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a universal model species in biology, to a novel bacterial food source and observed how C. elegans growth rates adapt to this novel environmental challenge. My role is to analyze the genomes of these nematodes before and after adaptation to find the genetic underpinnings and explore the factors that determine the extent to which genetic adaptation is predictable.

I have an expertise in population and conservation genomics in wildlife and livestock. I am interested in how genetic variation arises, is maintained and lost in animal populations, and how this variation can be used for conservation.

I work in understanding how and why chemical networks display life-like properties and in revealing under which conditions these transitions are promoted. I aim to be involved in the design of space exploration missions targeting the water-rich planetary bodies of the Solar System.

I work on understanding how higher levels of biological organisation originate from - and feed back to - lower-level components, and how these multilevel systems evolve. I am currently focusing on three topics: how genetic elements in the RNA world evolve into cellular life; the co-evolution of ecological dynamics and genome structure; and the evolution of multicellularity.

- modelling the habitability of the Milky Way through time
- which is the most habitable type of galaxy in the local Universe
- modelling the habitability of the Universe as an ensemble through time

I aim to explore the role of RNA-protein interactions in molecular life and health in my new fellowship. This is by developing computational approaches to model large molecular systems with coarse grained molecular dynamics (CGMD). Applications of the CGMD model are directed towards understanding the role of RNA-protein interactions in liquid liquid phase separation as well as nuclear export of RNA, but modelling of other processes, like chromatin dynamics and

I work on multilayer networks applied to ecology and adaptive networks in general

How did current complex multicellullar life evolve? A key factor is division of labor. Can we recreate multicellullar life by studying the evolution of microbial populations and communities in the lab? What is the role of heterospecifics in the origin and maintenance of ecological communities?

- chiral self-sorting of supramolecular assemblies
- chiral symmetry breaking
- chirality in coupled processes (self-replication, metabolism...)

Evolution of development and differential gene expression

Our research focuses on the evolution of sexual attraction in relation to speciation, and how our knowledge on evolutionary processes can help to predict evolution. We use model (C. elegans) and non-model (Lepidoptera) organisms, with which we conduct field and lab experiments, as well as quantitative and population genetic analyses.

We are working to develop optical methods to study the Darwinian evolution of self-replicating molecules within a small volume (e.g. Artificial Organelles).

More than 1000 different chemical reactions in cells convert food molecules into the building blocks for new cells and energy. We found that this network oscillates in an autonomous manner. We would like to find out whether these oscillations are an early coordinator of the cell growth and division process.

I am an astrochemist by training but with a keen interest in scientific instrument building, mainly in the far-IR regime. One of the main areas of interest for the astrophysical community today is the question of the origin(s) of life and its associated star- and planet-formation.

Information integration in evolving systems
RNA world
Genotype Phenotype mapping
Evolution of evolution EVOEVO

Despite much progress in developing prebiotically plausible synthetic routes towards the molecular building blocks of life, we do not understand how complex molecular systems emerged. How did life arise out of a soup of molecules and chemical reactions? Our prime interest is in developing an understanding of how reactions self-organize in response to changes in the environment.

I work on the interior and global evolution of Earth and other rocky planets. I explore interactions between reservoirs such as the influence of life on global volatile cycles. My goal is to understand how inhabited planets differ from lifeless planets and to use this knowledge to search for life beyond Earth.

I have worked on collective cooperative and movement behaviour in self-organized mussel beds. I would like to further research the origins of group-level cooperative behaviours, especially in the context of the currently rapidly changing world.

I would like to work more on the evolution from a soft condensed matter perspective. I am also planning to work on planet formation, also from a soft-matter perspective.

I like to understand how planets form from the disks of gas and dust around young stars. My focus within the ORIGINS centre is on connecting the chemical composition of the disk to that of the building blocks of planets and eventually the planets themselves. I do this by observing the gas, ice and dust component  in planet forming disks and combining this with radiation thermo-chemical disk models to interpret observational data. From there, I extrapolate to the ongoing planet forming processes in the mid plane of these disks that are often "hidden to direct astronomical observations".

I am very much interested in the relation between planet and life. On one hand I am interested in the role of the planet in the origin of life: What are the minimal conditions needed for life to start, what is the role of delivered material, especially organics and water, which geochemical processes transitioned into biochemical processes? In my group we use two experimental facilities to study several of these processes: a planetary surface simulation chamber and a hydrothermal vent-on-a-chip. On the other hand I am interested in the role of life in planetary evolution: would the Earth have developed the same without life, could certain geological, Earth specific processes serve as signatures of life?
(photo: PAAR Photography 2019)

Swimming cells follow helical trajectories - including bacteria, zooplankton, sperm cells, ciliates and protozoa. We use minimal models of swimming cells to research the rules that govern their motile behavior in water. One of our conclusions is that the operation of artificial molecular machines can steer this helical motion in specific directions.

Morphology that emerges from flowing water and other matter, and feedbacks between life forms and planetary surface processes that modify landforms.

Our aim is to understand how the cytoskeletal framework of cells and the extracellular matrix framework of tissues determine the unique mechanical behavior of human cells and tissues. We contribute to the nationwide effort to build a minimal synthetic cell (Basyc) capable of autonomous division, and also translate our research in biomedical applications such as tissue (re)generation. Finally, we pursue the design of new materials with life-like properties.

I am interested in mathematical modelling of chemical evolution and complex reaction networks that may emerge from several basic compounds. To this end I use graph theory, dynamical systems, and automatically generated reaction networks.

As pioneers of the emerging field of evolutionary cell biophysics, we aim to understand how the building blocks of a cell constrain and facilitate evolution of cellular functions. The function we focus on is symmetry breaking in budding yeast. We do experimental evolution, quantitative cell biology and modeling in live cells in combination with minimal in vitro systems to understand the molecular mechanisms of adaptive mutations and to predict fitness, both with bottom-up (biophysics) and top-down (statistical) approaches.

We study the molecular mechanism of DNA mismatch repair by reconstitution of the reaction from individually purified proteins and DNA components in the test tube. In this way we can study order, timing and control of different reaction steps and correlate with predictions from stochastic modelling approaches. This integrated approach allows us to unravel how this important cellular pathway has evolved in different organisms.

I am a physical chemist and work on phase separation in complex systems. I would like to work on is establishing a primordial plausible route via which macromolecules i.e., peptides and polynucleotides could have formed by compartmentalisation of the simplest molecules present in the primordial broth. I hypothesise that by dry/wet cycling of these condensates amino acids could form peptides and polynucleotides can form via primitive primordial chain reactions.

In my research work I use laboratory experiments to address the chemical processes that result in molecule formation under inter- and circumstellar conditions. A special focus is on the formation of molecules relevant to life, water and COMs, complex organic molecules that are considered building blocks of (pre)biotic species.

De-novo synthesis of life, chemical self-replication, from chemical evolution to Darwin evolution, origin of compartment

My work is focussed on the high-energy view of exoplanets, studying the impact of high energy EUV environments and extreme mass loss. For the habitability of planets this will be relevant as most known stars are identified as active M-dwarfs and thus might affect their planet companions' atmospheres.

Animal behaviour, evolution of animal signals, sexual selection and mate choice, sensory ecology, phenotypic plasticity, speciation, biodiversity, urban ecology & evolution

Photosynthesis is the key of all life on earth. Before that, electrons were extracted from sulfur or from Iron. How did those first extremely simple redox reactions go creating the first building blocks of life is a highly intriguing question for me!

Studying the origins of life by extending principles from evolutionary biology to chemical replicators

I am interested in different possible approaches to define "life" and their implications for the concepts of origin of life and non-terran life. I am also interested in philosophical accounts of consciousness and the possibility of machine consciousness. I am keen to develop collaboration with other Origins Center researchers on these topics.

I study observationally how much bulk solid C, N, O, and S are incorporated into forming planetesimals. I have developed a technique to measure (roughly) which solids are being retained in protoplanetary disks, which is the first step in planet formation. In the future I will study how chemically complex these solids can be, using the James Webb Space Telescope.

I am interested in the origins of multicellular life. How did single cells decide to collaborate in multicellular structures? How did task division originate, such as the cell differentiation into neurons, muscle cells, blood vessel cells, and so forth? How is it possible that somitic cells give up their own chance to contribute to the next generation in favour of a small number of germ cells? And why do somitic cells not attempt to escape their supporting role more often, such as in cancer? We address these questions using mathematical and computational modeling.

Exoplanets are the last frontier to search for life in the Universe. I am working in the charaterisation of exoplanet atmospheres and therefore very interesting in the origin of life and on how to detect lifeforms remotely.

I have published a dozen papers pertinent to the origin of life. My work focuses on the possible role of thermal processes in the origin and evolution of life.

We are working on the multiscale molecular modelling of a range of biological processes, including liquid-liquid phase separation, molecular self-replication, disorder-order transitions in proteins and nuclear transport. We use coarse-grained molecular dynamics to capture the relevant length and scale scales aimed at an enhanced molecular understanding of life's essential biophysical mechanisms.

Combining expertise from mathematics, chemistry and biology, I work on a computational approach to explore metabolic networks, and look for network features that could potentially indicate the emergence of life. Not limiting our research to the origin of life on Earth, I aim to explore minimal properties of life and look for alternative compounds and networks that could fulfill those properties with the use of network theory and computer modeling.

The introduction of emergent proto-metabolic functions in self-replicating systems. Obtaining insight in the mechanism of self-replication using kinetic studies and various microscopic techniques.

Our long-term aim is to make life de-novo. We are working on the integration of self-replication with metabolism and compartmentalization while operating the system far from equilibrium (in a replication-destruction regime) allowing it to undergo Darwinian evolution. Through these efforts a plausible path to a completely synthetic form of life is starting to be unveiled.

Currently, I'm interested in the habitability of white dwarf exoplanets. In this context, I would like to investigate the implications of planetary nebulae on abiogenesis or on life surviving post-main-sequence stellar evolution.

My research focusses on the organic (physical) chemistry in space to the origins of life on planets. I am interested in the fingerprints of extra-terrestrial hydrocarbon molecules, their evolution, and role as possible partakers in prebiotic chemistry.

I try to understand how single celled organisms deal with changes in their environment, using mathematical modeling. How does their cellular organisation allow them to control their fate, control stochastic disturbances caused by others or indeed by themselves, and remain competitive in an ever-changing world?

Identification of the drivers for early life's origin and development in hydrothermal systems and other geological environments.

As an oLife post-doctoral fellow, I am interested in understanding the role of cellular communication in the origin and evolution of life. Communication through vesicles is a conserved phenomenon across the three domains of life. In my project, I will try to understand the adaptation of the communication system (through vesicles) in syntrophic partners at different environmental conditions. Also, I am interested in investigating the mechanical properties of the vesicles across the three domains of life, and in the long term, I will be designing artificial vesicles to understand the range of interactions among the syntrophic partners.

Evolutionary change within and between species arises gradually via the slow accumulation of mutations. However, large changes via so-called major transitions can give rise to fundamentally new forms of organismal complexity. Using a combination of experimental evolution, synthetic biology and predictive mathematical modelling, I aim to tackle these unknowns, more specifically the initial steps from simple (single genome) to complex cells (multiple chromosomes).

My main scientific interest is in utilizing "omics" data and especially genomes to understand function and evolution of complex biological systems. We first do that by in depth phylogenomics of specific eukaryotic cellular processes, most prominently the kinetochore and the core transcriptional machinery. Inspired by findings from these in depth studies, we seek to contextualize the evolutionary phenomena we observe. Hence we also study general genome evolution of core eukaryotic cellular processes including their origin during eukaryogenesis.

Extrasolar planets, atmospheres, search for extraterrestrial life

Compartmentalization is a cornerstone of all living systems. We aim to understand how life-like functions such as self-replication, growth and division, could have emerged in simple compartments formed by phase separation under prebiotic conditions. We have developed several minimal model systems that show active growth, dissipative adaptation and self-division. Our ultimate goal is to be able to create a self-proliferating protocell from a mixture of non-living building blocks.

My group studies the chemistry of star- and planet-forming regions, and the origin of habitability on planets. We observe clouds, stars, and (exo)planets with ground- and space-based telescopes at infrared and radio wavelengths. We compare the measured composition of planetary atmospheres and planetary systems in formation to predictions of astro- and geochemical models.

1. Near-Earth Objects
2. Astrophysics of habitability. In particular the astrophysics of the long-term past and future of Earth's life.

Search for habitability of icy moons in our Solar System and around exoplanets

Predicting evolution

Can ecological interactions inform on community formation and future evolution?

I work on the evolution of multicellularity. I am interested in the evolution of early developmental programs. Once cells find themselves in a multicellular cluster, how do they start dividing tasks and making sure that the right cells are in the right place? This is connected to the evolution of body axes: the head-tail axes in animals for instance.

I am fascinated by the genomic basis of evolution: how the genome shapes and affects the ability of organisms to adapt. It is only since a decade that technology allowed us to start quantifying genomic variation within and among species. In my research, I have been employing state-of-the-art technologies and analyses to investigate the true complexity of evolutionary processes and answer long-standing questions in evolution, mapping how genomes change during evolution and how these changes are manifested in gene networks.

I am interested in rocky planet formation and early evolution. In the context of the Origins Centre I would like to learn more about the geological context for origin of life by studying the interplay between the chemistry and dynamics of proto-planetary disks and the interior structure, surface and atmospheric properties of rocky exoplanets.

How do species evolve and how is this affected by interactions with other species? I focus on micro-organisms and host-microbe interactions, and their interaction through metabolism.

My group is part of the Physics of Living Systems Section in the faculty of Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The research in the group focuses on exploring DNA-proteins interactions and biophysical/biomechanical properties of viral capsids & cells. The aim is to work with increasingly more complex assemblies of proteins to investigate the emergent properties from these systems. This approach bridges experimental systems biology and single-molecule manipulation techniques. We use a variety of techniques such as optical tweezers, AFM, and single-molecule fluorescence as well as combinations of these techniques. The data obtained are related to biochemical studies and used for theoretical modeling.

Delivery of volatile material to young, rocky, (exo)planets by combined numerical and experimental approach.