Delegation of Holland Rijnland visits the Institute of Biology
On Thursday the 24th of November, Tseard Hoekstra and Jeroen Ververs (members of the delegation Holland Rijnland), Geert de Snoo (Dean Faculty of Science), Martina Vijver (CML), Herman Spaink (Scientific Director IBL) and Klaas Vrieling (IBL) explored possibilities for collaborations between companies in the region and Leiden University in the field of a “Bio-based Economy”.
A Bio-based Economy is an alternative for the current economy predominantly based on crude oil. In a Bio-based Economy, crops and biomass are used as effectively and efficiently as possible to provide society food, cattle feed, materials, chemicals, energy and fuel.
A presentation given by researchers from the Institute of Biology Leiden demonstrated the potential for collaborations that would fit into a Bio-based Economy. They highlighted existing activities, such as high-throughput screening for bioactive compounds, genomic analyses, “Levend Lab” and several on-going research projects by consortia with Leiden University as prominent partner and various companies in the region.
The meeting ended with a visit to the Zebrafish Facility and the Natural Products lab. Hoekstra and Ververs will share the information and experience with relevant parties in the region.
