Physical Organic Chemistry

Department

The Physical Organic Chemistry research group (part of Institute for Molecules and Materials) is broadly interest in understanding the physical and (bio)chemical properties of complex molecular systems. 

Highlights

Subsidie en prijzen / award

ENW-M and ENW-XS grants for research into molecules, malaria and more

Six research projects at Radboud University have been awarded funding in the latest round of the ENW-M and ENW-XS Open Competition.

Willem Velema & Daniela Wilson

ERC Proof of Concept Grants for Willem Velema and Daniela Wilson

The Proof of Concept grants are specifically intended for researchers who see an opportunity for commercial or societal innovation arising from their research.

dr. Evan Spruijt

KNCV Gold Medal 2026 awarded to Evan Spruijt

Evan Spruijt has been awarded the KNCV Gold Medal 2026 for his influential and highly original contributions to research on so-called coacervates: self-forming “droplets” that provide insight into how the first life on Earth may have emerged.

Research

The research conducted in the Physical Organic Chemistry group is divided into six different groups. 

Huck group

“Life. What is it? How does it work? Where could it possibly come from?” These are the key questions we aim to address, with the ultimate goal of constructing life from the bottom up. While we can usually recognise life, defining it precisely is challenging. Understanding how living systems work and how life can emerge from non-life are among the greatest scientific challenges of our time.

Read more about the Huck group

 

Spruijt group

We aim to create artificial organelles that can be used as functional compartments in synthetic cells or as model systems to elucidate the role of coacervates in cells and in the origin of life. We are currently investigating various (bio)chemical reactions to create, shape and grow these organelles in a dynamic way. In parallel, we use the compartments to direct reactions and regulate biological assembly processes.

Read more about the Spruijt lab

 

Robinson group

The Robinson Group works at the interface of chemistry and machine learning. We aim to understand the chemical world around us by collecting, mining and modelling complex data.

Read more about the Robinson group 

Korevaar group

Synthetic materials today are typically inactive and serve only one function. In contrast, living materials sense their environment, adapt to changes, and reorganise to perform multiple tasks. This behaviour is programmed at the molecular level. In our lab, we aim to integrate this life-like behaviour into synthetic materials so they can perform complex operations like motion, growth, or shape transformation in response to their environment, paving the way for a new generation of intelligent matter.

Read more about the Korevaar Life-Like Materials lab

 

Velema group

The goal of our laboratory is to harness chemistry to offer solutions for contemporary biomedical problems. We are particularly interested in nucleic acids and their role in antibacterial drug resistance. Our team consists of chemists, biologists and bioinformaticians that work together towards deciphering the molecular mechanisms involved in disease progression to ultimately help develop the next generation of antibacterials.

Read more about the Velema group

Mabesoone group

Nature evolved highly complex materials over billions of years of evolution. Designing biobased materials with similar properties is a challenging task. We combine high-throughput experimentation and machine learning for data-driven design and engineering soft materials.

Read more about the Mabesoone lab

 

Contact information

Visiting address
Heyendaalseweg 135
6525AJ Nijmegen
024-365 2676
Postal address
Postbus 9010
6500GL NIJMEGEN