Prof. M.A. Huijnen (Martijn)

Prof. Martijn Huijnen tries to predict how proteins will behave, how they will cooperate, and which pathway they will follow in body processes. He does not conduct experiments himself, but merely analyses genomics data using computational models and techniques.

His research group is engaged in both the development of new analytical methods and the concrete prediction of functions of particular proteins. For example, Huijnen's group predicted that the protein responsible for Friedreich's ataxia is involved in the formation of iron-sulphur compounds in a particular cell organelle. This prediction was later on confirmed through focused experimental research. Broader knowledge of the function of proteins will lay the foundation for the development of new therapies.