Leiden Science - Universiteit Leiden

❓Can AI predict the future of quantum science❓ 💡Researchers from Leiden University show how artificial intelligence can uncover hidden connections in thousands of quantum physics papers. Using ‘dynamic word-embeddings’, the method of Evert van Nieuwenburg, Felix Frohnert, Xuemei Gu, and Mario Krenn predicts which ideas and collaborations are likely to emerge—before the scientific community recognizes them. 🎧 Listen to the podcast on Physics World: Artificial intelligence predicts future directions in quantum science 👇 📖 Read the original research: Dynamic word embeddings for uncovering emerging scientific concepts in quantum physics 👇 LIACS Leiden Institute of Physics - LION

🚀 Prof. Dr. Matthias Barz and his team at LACDR have achieved a major milestone: their new class of polymers are now entering clinical trials! 🏥✨ 💊 These polymers are so-called excipients: ‘helper substances’ that improve how a medicine works, for example by enhancing solubility or stability. While they don’t directly cause a therapeutic effect themselves, excipients can influence how well a patient tolerates a drug. 👏 It's a rare achievement that clinical trials have now started, as no new excipients have been introduced in decades. But the potential benefits of Barz’ polymers outweigh the risks. They are biodegradable and highly stable in water, which makes them ideal for liquid drug formulations or vaccines. 💬 Barz already introduced the compound back in 2014: ‘When I started, people told me this would never work. Luckily, the company The Lubrizol Corporation believes in these materials. And now, here we are. A phase 1 clinical trial has started.’ 

🎉 The House of Quantum in Leiden has officially opened! 🎉 🚀 We are proud to host this first location of the House of Quantum network outside of Delft! This new hub brings quantum to the health, bio- and med-tech sector at the Leiden Bio Science Park. 💡 The building offers plug-and-play labs, workspaces, and collaborative environments tailored to the needs of quantum researchers, startups, and scale-ups. There even are low-vibration lab floors that are required for this nano precision work. You might remember QuantaMap, a startup that spun out of the Leiden Institute of Physics - LION. They are the first tenants! ❌⭕ The opening featured a TiqTaqToe tournament, an amazing and educative Quantum Safari by Michiel Thijssen, and exciting talks by experts. A special thanks to Quantum Delta Leiden, Quantum Delta NL & BioPartner Leiden for making it happen. 

🌱 From stressed crops to groundbreaking mathematics: two outstanding PhD journeys 📐 🔢 Mirmuhsin Maxmudov from the Mathematical Institute - Leiden University discovered his passion for mathematics early on, winning competition after competition. During his master’s, he balanced academic work with a role at Uzbekistan’s central bank. And in his PhD research, he managed to refine the famous theory of Gibbs measures, which predicts the collective behaviour of systems, like a large group of people electing one of the parties. 🌿 In a very different field, Laura Zantis focused her PhD research on how microplastics and nanoplastics affect the growth of barley, wheat, carrots, and lettuce. Her findings? Plastics - even biodegradable ones - stress plants. While much attention has gone to plastics in rivers and oceans, studying their effects in soil is just as crucial, especially since that’s where we grow our food. Congratulations to both researchers on successfully defending your dissertations! 👏 

🔬 A future with personalised treatment for patients with atherosclerosis — could it really be within reach? 👀💥 The researchers behind the new consortium AtheroNeth believe so! Backed by a €6 million grant from the Hartstichting, the project aims to better understand the differences in the course of the disease in patients. At Universiteit Leiden, scientists in the BioTherapeutics department are investigating whether certain inflammatory cells or proteins are present in the blood that can predict the stability of an atherosclerotic plaque. 💬 ‘If such biomarkers can be used to predict the course of a patient's disease, this could ultimately lead to earlier detection, improved therapy and, therefore, a lower disease burden for patients,’ says Professor Ilze Bot.    🎉 Congratulations to Ilze, Bram Slütter, Amanda Foks, Marloes van Oosterhout and everyone else involved in this project! 

🌿 Get to know Barbara Gravendeel, Scientific Director of the Hortus botanicus Leiden 🌿 Barbara Gravendeel shares how her lifelong fascination with plants – sparked in a childhood orchard – led her to the heart of the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands. Now Scientific Director of the Hortus botanicus Leiden, she talks about her vision for the future: turning the garden into a biodiversity hotspot, strengthening ties with the scientific community, and exploring how modern research and natural heritage can go hand in hand. Together with co-director Tom Schreuder, she is working on a renewed mission, with room for education, co-creation, and sustainable innovation. One of her first visible changes? The return of the traditional hedge – as both cultural heritage and ecosystem. 📖 Read the full interview to learn more about her background, ambitions, and plans for the garden: https://lnkd.in/eAvw_qmC

Congratulations to Marieke Vinkenoog en Simon Christian Hansmann🎉 During the faculty opening of the academic year, the Krijn Rietveld Memorial Innovation Awards were presented to two talented researchers whose work bridges science and societal impact. 🏆 Marieke Vinkenoog (LUMC & LIACS) received the Doctoral Societal Impact Award for her data-driven models that improve the efficiency of blood donation using machine learning. 💬 Vinkenoog: ‘Just as Krijn Rietveld, I seek collaborations that bridge different fields of expertise to benefit society.’   🏆 Simon Christian Hansmann (ETH Zurich, formerly Leiden University) received the Graduate Societal Impact Award for his pioneering use of 3D organoid models to uncover how different colorectal cancer cell types drive relapse. 💬 Hansmann: ‘I was actually still in the lab when I received the news and was very happy to be surrounded by the people that made this possible in the first place.’   Both projects highlight how innovative approaches can translate into better healthcare solutions for society.   About the Award: in memory of Krijn Rietveld (1956 - 2018), the Leiden University Fund and DSM-Firmenich established the annual Krijn Rietveld Memorial Innovation Award in 2020 to recognise innovative research for a more sustainable world. #dsmfirmenich #LUF

Uniting Europe’s cancer research networks 🤝 Researchers from our faculty are joining colleagues from 53 partners in 19 countries in a major new EU-funded initiative to strengthen cancer research. Over the next five years, the consortium will develop innovative ways to securely share data, accelerating discoveries, and bringing better diagnostics and treatments closer to patients. From LIACS, Marco Spruit, Armel Lefebvre, and Kiana Shahrasbi are involved in the project. We are proud of our researchers who contribute their expertise to this €30 million effort, helping build a stronger, more connected future for cancer care in Europe.

🌱 Gorlaeus Rooftop Garden: A green space for sustainability and relaxing Above the Gorlaeus Building’s bike parking lies an unexpected green oasis: Leiden’s largest rooftop garden. What began as a student initiative has grown into a vibrant biodiversity project – now open to all students and staff. The garden was designed with sustainability in mind. Native plants, a vegetable garden, medicinal herbs and even a small peatland recreate valuable ecosystems in the middle of the city. At the same time, the garden offers a place to pause, meet colleagues, or contribute to ongoing student projects. By turning unused roof space into a living lab, the project supports the university’s wider ambitions for sustainability and a healthy campus environment. Make sure to have a look at the newest lunch spot of Leiden University! Read more about the project on our website, link in comments ⛓️

🎉 Congratulations to Marc Koper🎉 Professor of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry at Leiden University, Marc Koper has been awarded the EuChemS (European Chemical Society) Gold Medal 2026 – a prestigious recognition of outstanding achievements in chemistry across Europe. 🧪 His internationally recognised work in electrocatalysis and renewable energy applications continues to shape the future of sustainable chemistry. ‘It’s a great honour to be among such prominent names,’ says Koper. The award will be presented in July 2026 at the EuChemS Congress in Antwerp.