Physical Organic Chemistry
The Physical Organic Chemistry group, part of IMM, aims to understand how cells work: how does a collection of chemical reactions produce something we consider living systems? Many of the key functions typically associated with living systems, such as reaction to changes in the environment, autonomous decision making, and extracting energy and building blocks from the environment for cell growth and division, are all governed by enzymatic reaction networks. Constructing synthetic systems that capture some of these capabilities—life-inspired systems—would represent a truly disruptive development, challenging our notion of what differentiates living systems from synthetic, man-made devices.
“With this programme, we can make a quantum leap by employing laboratory evolution, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to go beyond the limits of rational design. We aim to integrate the various cellular functions into one unified synthetic cell that can autonomously self-replicate, communicate, and evolve,” Huck says.
NWO Summit Grant
The Summit grant, funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO), supports top-tier research consortia that have demonstrated excellence through existing partnerships and are poised to achieve world-class status. These projects have already made significant scientific breakthroughs and will now have the opportunity to advance further, contributing valuable new knowledge to society. The grant also facilitates the training of a new generation of researchers, ensuring the sustainability and continuation of high-quality research.
We warmly congratulate Wilhelm with his grant!
