Molecules Centre | MESA+ Institute | University of Twente

Molecules are the building blocks of Nature and are at the core of materials for daily use, energy consumption and production, and numerous everyday systems.

The Molecules Centre is a centre of expertise supported by the MESA+ Institute of the University of Twente. It was established in 2021 and combines science and technology from a molecular perspective. This perspective helps to create dynamic systems and materials to address both important fundamental science questions in complex and dynamic/living systems and in applied science to find solutions for energy, healthcare and sustainable chemistry. Many principal investigators from various backgrounds within the UT collaborate in the Centre to contribute to its vision and mission.

Living molecules

A key property of molecules is their dynamic 'living' character; leading to complex systems that are capable to respond and adapt to changes in their environment. A molecular vision is therefore essential to tackle many worldwide challenges and to meet our needs in the active work we live in. Our mission is to connect and educate scientists with this vision to address scientific and technological challenges.

Expertise

Green Molecules & Sustainability

Nature shows us perfect circularity – every biomolecule is designed to function and break down after its lifetime. We aim to design molecules inspired by natural processes to develop new strategies for circularity in materials science.

Lead PI: Frederik Wurm

Sensing Molecules & Healthy Living

Molecules can signal events, states and processes, both in living systems, the environment and in daily life. Sensing aims to pick up these molecular signals and translate them into useful information.

Lead PI: Jurriaan Huskens

Functional Molecules & Smart Materials

Functional can be 1) being useful and 2) having a special purpose or task, both will be exploited for the design, development and manufacturing of smart materials.

Lead PI: Saskia Lindhoud

Biological Molecules & Networks

Native tissues are complex systems with dynamic and adaptable character, vital to their function. Inspired by nature, we develop soft hydrogel biomaterials that can be integrated with living cells and tissues.

Lead PI: Julieta Paez

Computing Molecules & (Opto)electronics

We aim to explore and exploit the dynamical nature of molecules to develop multi-functional devices that are adaptable at atomistic-length scales.

Lead PI: Christian Nijhuis