Welcome to the website of the Szymanski Lab
This website is dedicated to the activities of a group of researchers who work in the Dutch city of Groningen on the development of photopharmacology and medical imaging, under the daily supervision of Prof. Wiktor Szymanski.
News
Introducing photopharmacology to Dutch doctors
March 2023
In our new paper, published in the Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde, Ilse outlines the different ways in which light is used in the clinic, and introduces the concept of light-controlled drugs to the community of Dutch medicine specialists. Interested and able to read Dutch? Check it out!
Jana wins the 2022 Backer Prize for the best PhD thesis
March 2023
This just in: Jana is the proud recipient of the 2022 KNCV-Backer Prize, awarded annually to the best PhD thesis in the field of organic chemistry that was defended in the Netherlands. May this picture taken just after the promotion serve as a proof of how proud of her we are. Congratulations dr. Volaric!
When reaction time matters
February 2023
In our new paper, Youxin shows how the PQ-ERA photoclick reaction, which already is breaking all the usual speed limits, can be made even faster (>5000 times!) through molecular engineering, reaching quantum yields exceeding 60%. And with this new reactivity, we can use two different sets of substrates for orthogonal reactivity under irradiation!
Promotion of Niels / lecture of Wiktor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
8 December 2022
Congratulations for the successful PhD defense to dr. Niels Hauwert from Amsterdam! And many thanks to the supervisors, Prof. Rob Leurs, Prof. Iwan de Esch and dr. Maikel Wijtmans for their kind invitation for Wiktor to give a lecture and take part in the opposition. It is great to se Amsterdam taking its place on the map of Photopharmacology and the work of Niels has been instrumental in this. Ans hey, leaving the aula as a new doctor to the sounds of Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper” – how cool is this!
Farewell to George
November 2022
George is leaving our lab to find new scientific challenges in the sunny California. While we cannot really blame him, it must be noted that this leaves a larger-than-life hole in our group. George has been involved in countless project as a synthetic chemist extraordinaire and DFT-wizard. His choice of Dutch cuisine treats as tissue phantoms is a stuff of legend. His ability to walk by moving both left hand and left leg forward, follow by right side, is almost impossible to copy. Luckily some people managed, and we said farewell to George with a nice movie about his conflict with Zeus and adventures in Amsterdam!
Farewell to Paula, Lianne and Simon
November 2022
Last year, we were lucky to get three fantastic students coming to our laboratory for their master project. Paula tackled the challenges of designing MRI contrast agents, Lianne managed to bathochromically shift a few efficient PPGs and Simon opened the synthetic access to valuable Zincke salts for our lab. Many thanks for their hard work and shoutout to their amazing supervisors: Ilse, Albert and George!
Wiktor gives a talk at the University of Geneva, Switzerland
24 November 2022
Wiktor presented ideas behind photopharmacology during a seminar at the University of Geneva. Many thanks to Prof. Winssinger and his group for being excellent hosts and to all the faculty for a very warm welcome.
INSERM workshop on photopharmacology, Bordeaux, France
21-23 November 2022
Wiktor delivered an opening talk at the fantastic INSERM workshop on photopharmacology, organized by Alexandre Mourot and Cyril Gaudet. It was great to see so many good friends form the field coming together! Let’s keep the spirit alive until the next International Symposium on Photopharmacology in November next year.
New visible-light-responsive azobenzenes for chemical biology
October 2022
In our new paper, Jana presents a new family of water-soluble, visible-light-controlled tetra-ortho-fluoro-azobenzenes. You can click them to azides, you can attach them to amines, you can dissolve them in water at worrying concentrations. And some dangerous bacteria find them yummy!
Farewell to Michał
October 2022
Michał “Wujek” Falkowski is leaving us after a year filled with scientific discoveries, fruitful collaborations, endless salsa parties and general establishment of the Wujek idea, which we never knew we needed but will find it very difficult to live without. Michał, we wish you all the best for the future and we hope to see you in Groningen again one day!
Chains 2022 conference
21-22 September 2022
As ever year, we were very well represented at the annual Dutch chemistry conference CHAINS. George gave a highly entertaining talk, and Melody, Ilse, Annemarie, Raffaella, Michal and Albert showed posters. A big shout out to our alumnus dr. Mark Hoorens who organized the huge poster session in his new role of a NWO coordinator!
Pier Interviewed by UKRANT
September 2022
Even after leaving the group and starting his new position in industry, Pier keeps making us famous and immensely proud! An interesting interview with him was just published in our university newspaper. Read about the challenges and successes behind his work here!
Welcome dinner with new group members
14 September 2022
It is always a happy occasion when new people join our lab, and we celebrate it with good food and drinks. A warm welcome to Annemarie, Rosa and Ilayda, who will spend the next four years in our group working on medical imaging and photopharmacology.
Michal joins EFMC-ISMC 2022
4-8 September 2022
Michal joined the XXVll EFMC International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry organized by the Société de Chimie Thérapeutique (SCT), on behalf of the European Federation for Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology (EFMC). Michal presented a poster about Bodipy conjugates and their antimicrobial properties. Nice treated Michal very well with the weather and delicious food!
New cross linkers for biological applications
September 2022
Photoswitchable cross-linkers are light-responsive molecules that changes the distance between the residues it spans, affecting the structure and function of the labeled biomacromolecular target. In our new paper, published in the sepcial issue celebrating 5 years of the ChemPhotoChem journal, Jana shows how to enhance the photochemical properties of these useful molecules. And yes, they contain sulfonate groups, which is great for end users and... not so great for the people who must synthesize them.
2022 EuChemS Congress, Lisbon, Portugal
28 August - 01 September 2022
Our lab has joined the 2022 EuChemS Congress in Lisbon. George and Wiktor gave talks on photopharmacology. Ilse, Melody and Albert presented posters, showing our work to a very broad chemistry audience, and Albert received the poster prize making us all immensly proud. Lisbon treated us very well with the weather, the food and the ocean! If only our flights did not get cancelled...
Best course in the bachelor program of Biomedical Engineering
July 2022
The 1st year course “Molecules of life” has been chosen by the students of Biomedical Engineering, University of Groningen, as the best course of their bachelor program, giving us the unique opportunity to shoot this ridiculously smug picture. The course was designed by Clemens (left), is coordinated by Michael (middle), and Wiktor does a bit of teaching in it.
Old dogs, new tricks, fast PPGs
July 2022
In recent years, the development of photocleavable protecting groups has observed fantastic advances in shifting the activation wavelengths to the red/NIR range of the spectrum. Unfortunately, this often happened at the cost of the uncaging quantum yield. In our new paper, Albert and George tackle this problem by taking some first-year-chemistry ideas (carbocation stabilisation) and applying them to the key reaction step in the uncaging process. This simple idea works for coumarin and BODIPy photocages, allowing us to increase their uncaging efficiencies by an order of magnitude.
Hella Mega Tour, Groningen
22 June 2022
Chemistry is all nice, but sometimes one needs also to have fun outside of the lab. A nice representation of our group (Jana, Paula, Lianne, Albert, Quentin and Wiktor) went to our local park to see the Weezer (nice!), Fall Out Boy (time to get some fries) and Green Day (shameless fun with a big smile). It was great to be out of lockdown and partying again!
2022 PANIC Summer School (Wroclaw, Poland)
30 May - 3 June 2022
Wiktor was honoured to accept the invitation to lecture at the 2022 PANIC summer school for PhD students in nanophotonics. Congratulations to Patryk Falat and the whole organisation team, and many thanks to Prof. Kasia Matczyszyn for being a wonderful host! Educational initiatives like this are a fantastic opportunity to learn, both for participants and lecturers.
Prix Galien 2022 Gala
16 May 2022
Ilse, Melody, Michal and Wiktor have attended the 2022 Prix Galien Awards. It was a great honor to be nominated for this prestigious prize and we enjoyed ourselves immensely in the beautiful location of the Stadsgehoorzaal in Leiden. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees of the 2022 awards, and especially to Dr. Frances de Man (winner) and Dr. Myriam Chalabi (nominee) of the Research prize!
Wiktor explains Photopharmacology in 90 seconds
May 2022
PubQuiz at De Toeter
11 May 2022
After a three-year break caused by Covid, we are back to pubquizing, and in good numbers! Many thanks to the whole team for celebrating Wiktor's birthday this way, and a special congratulations to the "Lekker Man" team (George, Berjan, Simon and Pier) for almost making it to the podium!
Arylazopyrazoles work wonders in kinase photopharmacology
May 2022
In our new paper, Dusan and Albert show how the arylazopyrazole switches can be used in photopharmacology to design photoswitchable kinase inhibitors. The unique properties of those heteroaromatic azo switches translate fantastically to the nice difference in the potency between the two isomers, allowing us to control the activity of the casein kinase 1delta, an enzyme important for the control of cell differentiation, circadian rhythm, DNA repair, apoptosis, and numerous other signalling processes.
Dr. Kobauri got an offer he could not refuse
3 May 2022
Our dear friend and talented PhD student Piermichele Kobauri, after a fantastic PhD defence, was offered a doctorate that he could not refuse :) Amazing specialist in molecular docking (known henceforth as the Dockfather), Italian cuisine (just don’t ask him what marinara sauce is) and Lindy Hop dancing, he made our lives so much more colourful in the last years. We will miss you Piero, your computational approach to photopharmacology was special and we learned a lot working with you!
Wiktor lectures at IBEC, Barcelona
27 April 2022
Wiktor gave an invited talk to the master students at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, highlighting different ways in which light is used in medicine. Also, three amazing students from Barcelona, Patricia, Pilar, and Mar, have introduced our work to their colleagues, with Wiktor listening in awe and amazement at the detailed insights they provided. And hey, how cool is it that the Barcelona Science Park is just two minutes’ walk from Camp Nou?
Wiktor nominated for the 2022 Prix Galien Research Award
April 2022
Wiktor in one of the three chosen nominees for the annual Dutch Prix Galien Research Award, sharing this honor with two fantastic researchers from The Netherlands. Keep fingers crossed during the awarding ceremony on May 16th! More information (in Dutch) can be found in the Prix Galien magazine.
Jana is a doctor! And we are not sorry.
19 April 2022
Oh, what a day it was! Jana “I’m sorry” Volaric wonderfully defended her thesis making us all immensely proud. Dr. Volaric, you were the amazing spirit in the group, and we owe a lot to your organizing skills! We will miss you dearly, but we will for sure see each other at Ghost concerts, and other occasions, in the future.
Wageningen International Symposium on Organic Chemistry
7-8 April 2022
George gave a lecture at the International Symposium on Organic Chemistry in Wageningen, organized by the Organic Chemistry division of the Royal Dutch Chemical Society. While speaking directly after the lecture of Prof. Phil Baran might have been a bit intimidating, he bravely gave a nice overview of our first NIR-active PPG design!
SzymanskiLab is hiring!
March 2022
We have an open call for a PhD position. We are looking for someone with a strong background in synthetic chemistry and photochemistry to work on the next generation optoacoustic imaging tracers, within an international consortium funded by the European Innovation Council. More information, and the link for application, can be found here.
17th European Molecular Imaging Meeting, Thessaloniki (Greece)
15-18 March 2022
Ilse and Wiktor visited the beautiful city of Thessaloniki for the 2022 EMIM conference. We both presented posters, and Wiktor acted as a category chair for the Imaging of Infection and Inflammation. It was fantastic to travel to a live conference after two-year break, and what better place to go than the sunny (yet still quite cold) Greece!
Structure-based design in photopharmacology
February 2022
When designing photopharmacological agents, we often just guess where to introduce a photoswitch into a known bioactive compound. This should be possible to be done in a more informed way, right? In our recent paper Piermichele used and critically evaluated multiple approaches in the structure-based design of photoswitchable DHFR inhibitors, including docking and molecular dynamics. Read more here!
PET pretargeting with bispecific antibodies
February 2022
Antibodies are the most selective and sensitive targeting agents for imaging tracers. However, their less-than-perfect pharmacokinetics renders them not fit to be used with the high-signal, high-resolution radionuclides for PET imaging, such as 18F. In our recent paper, Hugo shows how this problem can be circumvented by using pretargeting approaches, in which the bispecific antibody is first injected and allowed to accumulate at the lesion (24-48 h) after which the small fluorescein-based PET tracer is injected that specifically binds to the antibody.
Near Infrared uncaging of bioactive compounds with a Dutch Touch
February 2022
Have you always wanted to release a bioactive compound with light inside a specialty of a Dutch cuisine? Wait no further! With the new PPGs introduced by George, you can use the NIR light of 746 nm to reach deep into our typical raw herring (Hollandse nieuwe) and raw pork belly (speklap). A real Dutch Touch, as one of our great Reviewers put it…
Mafalda’s PhD Promotion
15 December 2021
Our great friend and collaborator Mafalda Bispo defended her PhD thesis today! Working in the Medical Microbiology department, she joined our lab for some time to synthesize PDT agents and then teamed up with Friederike to kick-start the optical imaging research line in SzymanskiLab. Mafalda, thank you for your amazing contribution to our lab! The only thing cooler than being featured in your work was being featured in your movie poster as Tokyo from „Money Heist”!
CHAINS 2021
7-8 December 2021
Our lab joined the yearly CHAINS conference, the main yearly chemistry meeting of The Netherlands. Ilse gave a great a talk about her work and bravely survived zoom meeting problems, and Jana, Albert and George presented posters. It is a pity we could not meet in person again, hope full the 2022 edition will bring us all together again!
KNAW Seminar on the effect of Covid on research
December 2021
The Dutch Royal Academy of sciences has organized a seminar on the impact of Covid on academics, based on the very informative report created from questionnaires filled in by around 6000 researchers. Wiktor took part in the seminar as a panellist and speaker. You can find the seminar here (with Wiktor’s part around 59 min). Initiatives like this are very important as they allow us to share our experiences and shape the decision-making in the future. Many thanks to KNAW, De Jonge Akademie, and the authors of the report, which can also be found here.
3rd International Symposium on Photopharmacology
29-30 November 2021
Our lab took part in the long-awaited 3rd International Symposium on Photopharmacology. Many thanks to Profs. Dirk Trauner and Drew Woolley for continuing the tradition we started in Groningen and organising an amazing meeting, with >400 subscriptions. Nadja and Pier have shown posters that were chosen for poster pitches, and Wiktor gave a lecture and hosted one of the sessions. It was amazing to see how the field has developed, with many groups around the world joining the club, and we are looking forward to the next instalments (hopefully in person…).
2021 Chemische Binding Symposium
19 November 2021
Wiktor gave a lecture on the annual symposium of the Groningen study association Chemische Binding. The topic of the symposium was “Chemistry of success – in and out of control” and it was amazing to hear everyone share their stories on the meaning of success and failure in the work of a scientist. For Wiktor it was also a great chance to share his love for the writings of the late Kurt Vonnegut (and their relevance to the shape of the success/failure stories).
Pier receives a special mention for his talk at AMYC Biomed
November 2021
Pier gave a very well received talk at the 2nd Autumn Meeting for Young Chemists in Biomedical Sciences, introducing the audience to the rational drug design in photopharmacology. His talk got recognized with a special mention from the Jury. Congratulations Pier for bringing an award from every conference you go to recently!
Wiktor gives a talk on the 33rd SEOHS symposium
29 October 2021
Wiktor delivered the opening lecture for the 33rd Symposium Experimental Research Surgical Specialties, introducing the ideas behind photopharmacology to the experimental surgeons of the future. Many thanks to the organising committee, it was an honour to speak in the magnificent 3D planetarium that doubles as the World’s largest Christmas ball in winter!
Wiktor joins HTRIC as a co-leader of the Precision Medicine theme
October 2021
Wiktor joins the newly formed HTRIC (Health Technology Research and Innovation Cluster) operating in the north of The Netherlands. This important (and long overdue) initiative aims at combining healthcare, research, education, and entrepreneurship, focussing on the entire innovation chain in heath technology. This runs from articulation of a question or issue from society and clinical practice, through ground-breaking scientific innovations, to first-in-human application. A very fitting place for applied photopharmacology! You can also red the interview with Wiktor on HTRIC here.
World Molecular Imaging Congress 2021
5-8 October 2021
Ilse and Wiktor presented their posters at the 2021 WMIC, which was held in a fully virtual fashion. Pity for not being able to travel to Miami for this very nice conference, but the 2022 live edition is promising to be a great success!
A new T-type photoswitch featuring green light responsiveness and negative photochromism
October 2021
What happens when you take an ITI photoswitch that is really uncomfortable in one of its isomers, and you make it REALLY uncomfortable in the other isomer as well? It turns out you get a very fast switch which responds to green light and shows a negative photochromism! Meet PIO (Phenylimino Indolinone) – a result of a computational design that became a real molecule in the lab and fulfilled all the hopes and predictions we put into it. Great shout out to Stefano and Nadja who were running this impressive effort! And yes, its a PIOnguin in case you were wondering.
Farewell to Nadja
September 2021
After three years of working in our group, Nadja leaves to set up her own group in Göttingen. She started as a post-doc on a few projects and grew to be the key playmaker involved in anything that we threw at her, which was a lot. Nadja, your input to the group cannot be overstated. We thank you for your amazing skills, brilliant ideas and help you provided to so many people. We became great friends in the process and luckily the world of chemistry is small – so see you soon! And all the best in Göttingen!
PhD promotion of Dr. Yongjin Xu, University of Gothenburg
17 September 2021
Wiktor acted as an opponent at the PhD promotion of Dr. Yongjin Xu, whose work was supervised by our great friends, Profs. Morten Grøtli and Joakim Andréasson. It was a great honour to be there and travel the world again. Thank you for the invitation and congratulations to the new doctor!
Pier wins a poster prize at EFMC Young Medicinal Chemists's Symposium
9-10 September 2021
He is unstoppable! Second award within a week for Pier at the at the EFMC-YMCS for the poster flash presentation.
Photopharmacology III is happening!
Upcoming
Fantastic news today from Dirk Trauner and Drew Woolley! The 3rd edition of the photopharmacology conference, which originated in Groningen and was followed by a meeting in Barcelona, will be held online on 29-30 November. Please see the speakers and register here.
Pier wins a poster prize from EFMC International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry!
September 2021
Pier won the poster prize at the EFMC, sponsored by ChemMedChem, ChemBioChem and ChemEurope. Congratulations!!
EFMC International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry
August 2021
Piermichele and Wiktor visited (virtually…) the European Federation for Medicinal Chemistry International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry. Pier presented a poster and Wiktor gave a talk. While we were sad to not be able to meet everyone in Basel, it was still a great opportunity to talk about photopharmacology and its design aspects.
Conference of the Italian Society of Photobiology
June 2021
Dusan and Wiktor gave presentations about our work on photopharmacology during the XXXII Annual Conference of the Italian Society of Photobiology. Many thanks to the organizers for the invitation!
Photo-click reaction delivers 18F-PET tracers in <60 s reaction time
June 2021
A fantastic collaboration within the TracerLab, involving Youxin, Hugo and Nadja, established a photoclick-reaction based photo-flow reactor-based protocol for the labelling of targeting groups with PET-tracer-bearing prosthetic groups. We show that it works for PSMA-targeting ligands and for vancomycin for infection imaging. The power of light, synthetic chemistry and molecular medical imaging all in one, also marking the 100th paper for Wiktor. Happy times!
Our paper on circadian rhythm highlighted in C&EN
June 2021
Dusan’s work has been highlighted in the last edition of Chemical & Engineering News. Congratulations!
Photopharmacology write-up in C2W
June 2021
In the June issue of C2W, a journal of the Royal Dutch Chemical Society, there is a great story on photopharmacology in The Netherlands and Belgium, with a nice interview with Wiktor. Many thanks to Marysa van den Berg for this amazing work!
Reversible Modulation of Circadian Time with Chronophotopharmacology
May 2021
Dusan's latest paper is the culmination of four years of hard work, together with our collaborators in Nagoya, Japan. After many almost-successful designs, we finally hit on a reversibly controlled, visible light-responsive inhibitor of casein kinase I, an enzyme of key importance in the circadian rhythm in our cells. With this molecule, we can use chronophotopharmacology to change the clock (period) used by our cells, and even give them a jetlag by shifting their phase! For a popular science write-up, see here. Picture credit: Issey Takahashi.
Nadja gives a talk at Dutch Photochemistry Days
May 2021
Nadja discussed our work on optimizing the existing and developing new photoswitches during the 2021 Dutch Photochemistry Days, a two-day online symposium organized by the Universities of Amsterdam and Leiden.
Sulfonamides are great cisoid isosteres for photopharmacology
March 2021
In our latest paper, Pier describes the discovery of biarylsulfonamide scaffold as a promising scaffold for photopharmacology. This moiety, found in many bioactive compounds, often adopts a cisoid conformation, reminiscent of the cis-azobenzene. We hypothesized substitution of sulfonamide with azobenzene will thus lead to cis-on / trans-off compounds, which is preferred in photopharma designs. See the paper for our evaluation of this idea (spoiler: it works).
Farewell to Dusan
February 2021
After 5 years of work in our lab, Dr. Thesis Dusan Kolaski Kolarski (seriously, everyone got it wrong all the time) is leaving Groningen, making the unthinkable a sad reality. Who will scare us by jumping out of boxes now? Who will be the Viking who encourages us to run faster, jump higher, make more push-ups? Who will be the fifth Beatles (“Yesterday…”)? Dusan, we wish you all the best in your post-doc and hope that a bit less stressful times lie ahead...
Low reductive stability of certain heteroazoarenes limits their application in photopharmacology
February 2021
In our new paper, Dusan explores the application of 6-azopurines for light-controlled inhibition of kinases in the context of circadian rhythm regulation. The bad news is that these otherwise promising molecules are very quickly reduced to hydrazines. The good news is that some of those hydrazines are very potent in modulating circadian period! Many thanks to our collaborators in Japan (Tsuyoshi Hirota and Ken Itami) and Germany (Christian Peifer and Theo Rodat) for this highly informative work.
Red/green light switching of a protonated ITI
February 2021
In another exciting study within our collaborative synthesis/spectroscopy/calculations network, we have discovered that the protonation of the ITI molecular photoswitch shifts its absorption to the orange/red part of the spectrum and allows for manipulation of the thermal half-life of the photogenerated E-isomer over three orders of magnitude. Read more here!
Ilse’s paper chosen as UMCG open access of the week
February 2021
Ilse’s perspective on light-responsive molecular tools has been chosen to be the UMCG open access paper of the week. Congratulations!
Wiktor joins the editorial board of the EJNMMI Radiopharmacy and Chemistry
January 2021
Starting in March 2021, Wiktor will serve as an editorial board member for the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging – Radiopharmacy and Chemistry Journal from the Springer publishing house.
Structural Basis for Photopharmacology
January 2021
Together with our collaborators in Structural Biology and Biocatalysis groups at the University of Groningen, we are excited to present what we believe to be the first case of X-ray crystallography structures of both isomers of a photopharmacological agent in its target. Congratulations to Valentina and many thanks to all involved, it was a truly collaborative effort! You can read all about it here
Wiktor joins the early-stage advisory board of ChemPhotoChem
December 2020
Starting in 2021, Wiktor will serve as an early-stage board member for the Wiley journal ChemPhotoChem. Looking forward to the interesting collaboration and hoping to be able to contribute to the development of a great journal for all (photo)chemists!
Farewell to Carlijn
December 2020
Today we bid farewell to Carlijn, who did her 4-month internship with us. In such a short time, she launched two key project and in one of them went all the way from synthesizing molecules to testing them on human specimens! Carlijn, your input into our research was tremendous and your friendly personality will be missed. Good luck for the future, the world of science eagerly awaits people like you.
Nadja wins 2nd FSE post-doc prize
December 2020
Nadja is a runner-up for the annual FSE Postdoc Prize at the University of Groningen, which recognizes outstanding young researchers who are showing an exceptional promise for the future. Congratulations for the well-deserved recognition!
CHAINS 2020
8-9 December 2020
The annual Dutch chemistry conference CHAINS was held in a virtual way this year. From our lab, posters were presented by Ilse, Pier, Jana, Elmar, Keimpe and Nadja.
Celebrating collaborations in science
October 2020
Especially in those social distancing times, friends in science play a very important role. With our new blog entry for Nature Research Community, we celebrate the amazing network of researchers involved in DASA and ITI story, from the synthesis, through spectroscopy, all the way to theoretical calculations. Enjoy reading!
Perspective on light-controlled tools for medicine
October 2020
In our new perspective Ilse is asking the key questions about photocages and photoswitches: what properties do we need for clinical applications? Is there a privileged set of those properties, or shall we consider different scenarios? Do we need long or short half-lives? Do we always need red light-responsive systems? And how to tune those properties to each scenario, while attaining solubility, stability and safety?
Light-responsive MRI
October 2020
Our new paper on using small molecules to detect light and turn it into a change in MRI signal marks the end of a fascinating project. It took Friederike from small molecule design and synthesis, through photochemistry, relaxometry, and all the way to measurements on clinical MRI scanners. We were excited to see that our complexes showed great light response also on 1.5T and 3T patient systems. Many thanks to Sèvrin and Ronald, our clinical physicists, for their collaboration on this one!
Verena defends her PhD
30th September 2020
With the research plan spanning everything from reaction design, organic synthesis, radiochemistry, microfluidics, enzyme assays, cell assays and mouse studies, Verena was definitely not presented with an easy task. But after four years of struggles and victories, we have a new doctor! Congratulations on this achievement that shows the power of TracerLab synergy. And best wishes for the future!
Nadja on a virtual summer tour
August-September 2020
Nadja has presented her research in a virtual way on two conferences, giving a presentation on ACS Fall 2020 Virtual Meeting & Expo (August 17-20) and a presentation + poster at the 27th Lecture Conference on Photochemistry (September 14-15). Great way to reach the broad audience and show our work in those special times!
Welcoming new people / Shout out to Albert!
14th September 2020
The lab met for some nice Italian food in the Dutch “Indian summer” to welcome new members of our team: Carlijn (internship at UMCG), Elmar and Keimpe (master students) and George (new post-doc starting soon). We also took this occasion to thank Albert, zaalassistant extraordinaire, for making our corona shift work possible with his amazing and flexible scheduling abilities! In those pressing times, such organisation keeps us going and is most appreciated.
EMIM 2020
August 2020, virtual
Ilse and Wiktor „visited” the EMIM 2020, which has taken a virtual form. However, we still remember that it should have happened in Thessaloniki, Greece (see picture), and we are excited to go to the real place in 2022. Ilse showed a poster on her first PhD project and Wiktor gave a presentation and chaired a poster session.
Bioconjugates for optical imaging and PDT of microbial infections
August 2020
As an important step in our efforts to bridge imaging and therapy with light, Friederike studied new synthetic methods towards targeted bioconjugates of antibiotics with optical imaging and PDT agents. Together with our collaborators at Medical Microbiology, UMCG (big shout-out to Mafalda Bispo and Marina López-Álvarez!), we created (and purified!) some very complex molecules, elucidated their structure and evaluated their potential for imaging and therapy of bacterial/fungal infections. Read more here.
Rule-book for designing visible light switches
August 2020
We have been using the tetra-ortho-substituted azobenzenes for a while now in photopharmacology, but it was always a trial-and-error endeavor. Now thanks to the work of Lucien and colleagues, together with our collaborators in theoretical chemistry from France and Slovakia, we share with you the rule-book for the informed design of tetra-ortho-chloroazobenzenes. Hope it will be an inspiration in designing photopharmacological agents that can be addressed deep in the human body! Read more here.
Goodbye to Ferdi
August 2020
Just before a large thunderstorm rolled over Groningen, we enjoyed a warm evening with a cold beer and some pizza and said (this time properly) goodbye to Ferdi! He joined us in the beginning of this year to explore new visible-light active photoswitches using the full toolbox of physical-organic chemistry. The last months were packed with colorful chemistry, large data calculations, a university lockdown and tons of adventures in and around the lab. Ferdi will return to Munich and finish his Thesis there in the upcoming weeks. We wish you good luck in writing your Master Thesis and all the best for your future!
Friederike obtains her PhD!
8th July 2020
After four years of hard work in our lab, having pioneered numerous research lines that bridge chemistry and medical imaging, Friederike defended her thesis in style! It was a great celebration of basic science applied to real clinical problems. Thanks to all our supporters, enablers and collaborators! And congratulations Doctor Friederike!
Jana interviewed by Nature
June 2020
The recent news report from Nature on the extent to which academic laboratories around the world return to their operation after COVID pandemic includes a short interview with our own Jana! Read more on this timely topic here.
Kaja's paper on ChemComm back cover
May 2020
This beautiful picture, prepared by Kaja, is featured on the back cover of ChemComm to promote Kaja’s last paper on controlling the heart rate with red light through photocaged dopamine. Congratulations Kaja!
Dusan’s PhD promotion
8th May 2020
Dusan made us all proud, defending his thesis in a great way! It is a great achievement to introduce a whole new field: chronophotopharmacology (Judoon language, anyone?). With his typical calmness, Dusan tackled the challenges of four years of research and 45 minutes of the promotion. A big shout-out to our collaborators from Nagoya: dr. Hirota and Prof. Itami! It was also great to see Prof. Phoebe Glazer again :) We are happy that Dusan stays with us for a few more months… watch this space for more scientific successes.
Mark defends his PhD thesis!
22nd April 2020
In a great style, Mark defended his thesis! It was a result of four fantastic years, filled with scientific discoveries, inspiring discussions and music inspirations. And the thesis had a Metallica-inspired title! This wonderful day also marks the first promotion with Wiktor as a first promotor – a source of great pride. After the promotion, we celebrated the event with a glass of apple juice in front of our Academy Building. All the best for the future Dr. Hoorens!
Controlling heart beat rate with red light
April 2020
Together with our collaborators from the Department of Cardiology, UMCG, Kaja has established a method to control the heartbeat with red light, using BODIPY-based photocleavable protecting groups. Read more in our new paper here!
Nadja selected for the CAS 2020 future leaders program
March 2020
Great news! Nadja was selected for the 2020 CAS Future Leaders, as one of elite (post)doctoral scholars from around the world. The Future Leaders program awards early-career scientists with leadership training and a trip to the ACS National Meeting & Exposition. Congratulations Dr. Simeth!
Traditions are very important
March 2020
In SzymanskiLab, we have coffee every day at 10 am. And this tradition will be continued, even if we all need to stay at home due to the COVID-19 outbreak! Stay healthy everyone :)
Jana gets the 2nd prize at the 3 Minute Thesis Competition
11th March 2020, Groningen, The Netherlands
Jana made the whole lab very proud by winning the second prize at the internationally renowned 3 Minute Thesis competition in Groningen! You can see her profile, alongside all other PhD students who took part, here.
Imaging-Guided Therapy Symposium
10-12 February 2020, Groningen, The Netherlands
Ilse, Friederike and Wiktor visited the Conference on "Imaging-Guided Therapy" in Groningen. Ilse and Friederike showed posters and we all enjoyed the new insights on how MRI, PET, CT and optical imaging can be used towards personalized medical treatments. And Friederike kept the tradition of winning prizes, with yet another 1st poster prize awarded for her contribution!
Farewell to Chantal / Hello to Ferdi!
February 2020
Braving the Ciara storm that raged on the streets of Groningen, the team went out to say goodbye to Chantal who is leaving our group after a year of research within her MsC project. Chantal, it was an absolute pleasure to host you and we are very grateful for your colourful contributions to our chemistry! We wish you all the best for the future.
We also took the opportunity to welcome Ferdinand from Munich, who is running an exchange project in our lab, working on theory and preparation of new molecular photoswitches!
Mark talks about photopharmacology during the UMCG Research Safari
February 2020
Mark represented our lab at the KOLFF institute during the UMCG Research Safari, presenting to medical doctors the ideas behind photopharmacology. Highly appreciated!
Merry Christmas and a happy New Year from SzymanskiLab!
December 2019
Not every fraction you get from your chromatography is useful. But if you work on photoactive molecules, every fraction is beautiful. Chantal, thank you for those lovely pictures :) Have a very colorful 2020 everyone!
Christmas dinner
16 December 2019
Our Lab met for a wonderful Christmas dinner. While this occasion was funny on its own, we made it even more amazing with great food, gluhwein and a game of Cards against Humanity. Jana, thank you for letting us meet at your place! Jeffrey, wearing your battle vest was an honour. Everyone, thank you for being such an amazing team. Merry Christmas!
Photopharmacology 3 is on-line!
Upcoming: 28-29 May 2020
The website for the third installment of the Photopharmacology conference is out! We are very excited to be joining. Please register, it will be great to see you all there!
CHAINS 2019
10-11 December 2019
Szymanski Lab visited the annual CHAINS conference, where all the academic groups working on chemistry in The Netherlands meet to discuss the newest developments. Jana and Mark gave presentations; Nadja, Chantal, Ilse, Pier and Albert showed posters. And Wiktor organized a focused session on the discovery, understanding and application of molecular photoswitches, during which Michael received the Backer prize for the best PhD thesis awarded in chemistry in 2018!
A party to remember!
November 2019
To celebrate Wiktor’s recent promotion, the lab and friends had an amazing party! Thank you all for coming, for the wonderful movie, the Spicy surprise, the T-shirts, the perfect gift… It is next day now and I still cannot even start to comprehend all the work that you all put into it. And I am lost for words to describe how much I appreciate it… and a special thanks to Prof. Stefan Hecht and Svante Ihrig for their contribution!
Jana’s paper with a write-up in Synfacts
November 2019
Our recent paper on photocontrol of FRAC nanopore has received a highlight from the group of Prof. Dirk Trauner. Congratulations to Jana and thanks to Dirk!
Farewell to Aldo
November 2019
Aldo, our exchange student from Amsterdam, is leaving the group after many months of working on the ITI photoswitch under the guidance of Mark. Thank you for all the great work, it was amazing to see you grow as a researcher in our lab!
Wiktor talks at KLIFOP 2019
1st November 2019
Wiktor introduced the ideas behind using light in medicine to clinical physicists (in training), during the yearly KLIFOP symposium in Zwolle. Many thanks for the invitation to the beautiful venue of Dominican monastery and to this audience whose expertise will be very important for us in the future!
Mark visits LENS in Florence
October 2019
Mark, supported by a grant from LASERLAB-EUROPE, spent three weeks in Florence, working at the European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy with our great friend and collaborator Mariangela Di Donato. Expect some fascinating results on ultrafast dynamics of ITI photoswitch soon!
Farewell to Eduardo
October 2019
After 3 months of victorious battles with highly polar azobenzenes and their unpredictable reactivities, Eduardo, our exchange student from Rioja (Spain) is leaving us to finish his PhD in his home country. Thank you Eduardo for your amazing contribution to our chemistry, we will miss your quiet professionalism and work ethics! And thanks for all the wine…
Molecular Nanotour Symposium 2019
9 October 2019, Berlin, Germany
SzymanskiLab joined the 2019 Molecular Nanotour Symposium organized in Groningen with the groups of Ben Feringa, Johannes Teichert, Oliver Dumele and Martin Oestreich. Jana and Wiktor gave presentations, and Ilse, Chantal, Nadja, Friederike, Aldo, Albert, Pier and Eduardo showed posters. And Ilse got the poster prize sponsored by TCI chemicals. Congratulations!
Mark wins the presentation prize at ISOP 2019!
27th September 2019, Paris, France
Mark won the prize for his presentation about ITI, our new molecular photoswitch, at the 2019 International Symposium on Photochromism. Congratulations!
9th International Symposium On Photochromism
23-27 September 2019, Paris, France
Mark and Wiktor gave presentations at 2019 International Symposium on Photochromism in Paris, introducing our recent results to the photoswitch community, including our new switch ITI. And Mark personally witnessed the second PSG loss this season!
World Molecular Imaging Congress 2019
4-7 September 2019, Montreal, Canada
Friederike (supported by a travel stipend from the conference) and Wiktor presented posters during our first ever visit to the WMIC. Also, together with UMCG friends from NGMB, medical microbiology and image-guided surgery, we promoted the UMCG, YMCA-style. Travel tip: go to Canada if you love hiking and maple-glazed salmon is your thing.
Photopharmacology with proteins
August 2019
We usually make photoswitchable drugs by modifying small bioactive molecules with a photoswitch. But how about (really, really) big bioactive molecules, like pore-forming proteins? Jana successfully explores this new world of challenges and opportunities in her new paper, in collaboration with the group of Giovanni Maglia.
3rd International Symposium on Photopharmacology
Upcoming: May 2020, New York
Yes, it is happening! Prof Dirk Trauner and Prof Drew Woolley joined forces to create the third instalment of the photopharmacology conference, started by us in Groningen in 2017 and continued by our Friends in Barcelona in 2018. We are very, very proud and excited for the great line-up!
Dangling Modifier (partially) reunited
August 2019, Barcelona
During the Photobiology conference in Barcelona, the progressive sludge metal band “The dangling modifier” got partially reunited, after the long hiatus caused by artistic disagreements over putting both pineapple and jalapeno on a pizza. Left-to-right: Phoebe Glazer (air violin), Wiktor (air bass guitar), Sherri McFarland (air guitar).
ESP-IUPB Photobiology 2019
25-28 August, Barcelona, Spain
Together with Mafalda Bispo, our friend and collaborator from the Department of Clinical Microbiology, UMCG, Wiktor has visited the Photobiology conference, in Barcelona to talk about our recent results in photopharmacology and medical imaging. On the side: a shout-out to Theo Rodat from Kiel for a highlight of our collaboration in his great talk!
Using MR Imaging to track the distribution and delivery of cargo from liposomes
August 2019
Light-responsive drug delivery systems have been around for years now. But how do we know if they reach their destination in human body? And if they do, how do we know if we deliver enough light to release the drug? In our first experimental paper on MR imaging, Friederike presents a new type of MR-active liposomes that respond to light, changing their MR contrast and releasing their cargo at the same time, providing on-line, whole body imaging support to smart drug delivery.
Article in Het Parool
August 2019
Our research has been highlighted in the science section of the Dutch newspaper Het Parool. Congratulations to Mark for this great highlight and thanks to Prof. Nathalie Katsonis (UTwente) for her nice words in the interview!
Farewell to Carla
August 2019
After an amazing year of synthesis, photochemistry, biological assays, initial frustrations and final victories, Carla is finishing her Master research in our lab. We wish you all the best in Switzerland! We will miss you here…
Farewell to Lucien
August 2019
After a very productive year, our inorganic-turned-organic chemist and spectroscopist extraordinaire Lucien is leaving us to pursue a career across the Atlantic. We will remember him for his hard work and many fantastic technical solutions that he introduced into our daily photochemical practice. Good luck in your future endeavours Lucien! (and yes, those are little spectrophotometers on the cakes)
21st European Symposium on Organic Chemistry
14-18 July 2019, Vienna, Austria
Dusan talked about light-effected time dosimetry - a great talk to a large audience at the European Symposium on Organic Chemistry.
Special celebration cake
June 2019
To understand the biological activity of compounds that Mark has published recently, he had to perform Western blot analyses. Being a big fan of this method, he treated us today to a special paper celebration treat. Yes, those were edible!
Wiktor interviewed for optics.org
June 2019
Wiktor discussed the applications of photopharmacology and the importance of optics devices in a recent interview with Tim Hayes from optics.org. You can find the write-up in here.
Stratingh day 2019
18th June 2019
The members of our lab swept away the competition at the annual event of the Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, which involves a scientific symposium and the traditional relay run in costumes. Friederike got the poster prize, Nadja was the fastest woman runner and the whole team won the costume contest for the second year in a row! The winning team was called ElimiNations (Fate Determining Steps) and you can see them here: (left to right) Donald Trump, Theresa May, Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel and Kim Jong-Un. And yes, they did use the Paris Climate Agreement as a baton.
Switching a kinase inhibitor with light
June 2019
Photocontrol of kinase activity is a long-standing challenge for photopharmacology. In this difficult endeavour we struggle with optimising the photochemistry and activity differences at the same time. In our new paper, Mark shows the result of this optimisation that has led to a molecule showing a significant, light-dependent difference of BRAF kinase inhibitory potency.
Michael's research on the cover of JACS
June 2019
Michael’s paper features on the cover of JACS with a fantastic picture prepared by Kaja!
GRC conference on artificial molecular switches and motors
9-14 June 2019, Holderness, US
Nadja and Wiktor, together with friends from Feringa group, have visited the 2019 Gordon Research Conference on artificial molecular switches and motors in New Hampshire. Nadja presented a poster and Wiktor gave a talk. Many thanks to the Steve Goldup, Ivan Aprahamian, Dirk Trauner and Stefan Hecht for the invitation to this amazing and inspiring meeting!
Friederike gives a talk at 2019 MISP symposium
7th June 2019
Friederike talked about MRI-guided drug delivery at the 14th edition of the Medical Imaging Symposium for PhD students held in Groningen.
Michael's thesis chosen the best PhD thesis of the University of Groningen in 2018!
June 2019
Michael will receive the Wierenga-Rengerink Prize for the best University of Groningen dissertation 2018 on July 5th as part of the Summer Ceremony of RUG. The prize was endowed by the Wierenga-Rengerink family to the Ubbo Emmius Fund and is inteded for futher academic development.
Mark talks about ITI switch on Dutch radio
June 2019
Mark was interviewed by BNR radio for their „Wetenschap Vandaag” (Science Today) section. He talked about our new switch ITI and its possible applications in photopharmacology. You can listen to the podcast here (in Dutch).
ITI: A new switch on the block
June 2019
With great pride we present Iminothioindoxyl (ITI), a new molecular photoswitch synthesized by Mark and characterised on spectroscopical and theoretical level with our friends and collaborators from Amsterdam, Florence, Olomouc and Nantes. ITI can be operated with visible light and shows a large separation between the bands of photoisomers. And it also works in water!
For the story behind the discovery of ITI, see here.
For the popular write-ups, see here, here and here.
Building BRIDGEs
May 2019
Wiktor has joined forces with dr. Romana Schirhagl and dr. Andor Glaudemans at UMCG to build BRIDGE, a new research program under the auspices of the KOLFF institute. BRIDGE is aimed to bring together people at UMCG (and beyond) who are interested in development and application of (medical) imaging methods. And we are already making the news!
Michael Wins the 2018 Backer-KNCV Prize for best PhD Thesis
April 2019
We are very proud of Michael who won the Backer-KNCV prize (Backer Prize|RUG writeup with more explanation), awarded annually for the best PhD thesis in the field of organic chemistry in The Netherlands! Congratulations Michael and we are excited to hear you deliver the plenary lecture, traditionally associated with the prize, at the 2019 CHAINS conferece.
Chem. Eur. J. cover
April 2019
The paper from Gosia, Claudia and Nadja on the use of light to control peptide-DNA interactions made it to the cover of Chemistry - A European Journal. Congratulations!
14th European Molecular Imaging Meeting, Glasgow, UK
19-22 March 2019
Friederike and Wiktor visited the 14th EMIM conference in Glasgow. Friederike gave a presentation and showed a poster and Wiktor showed a poster and received his first poster prize ever. Many thanks to the organizers for another great EMIM, looking forwards to 2020 in Thessaloniki!
Visit Prof. Chikara Dohno (Osaka University)
20th February 2019, Groningen
Our group was visited by Prof. Chikara Dohno from Osaka, Japan, who collaborates with Nadja on the development of photoswitchable compounds for DNA interactions. Many thanks for the visit, interesting discussion and a clear, engaging lecture!
137th Dies Natalis of G.F.S.V."PHARMACIAE SACRUM"
6th February 2019, Groningen
Wiktor was invited to talk to pharmacy students and alumni at the scientific symposium of G.F.S.V. "Pharmaciae Sacrum" in Groningen cinema. It was amazing to speak at the 137th yearly event of the oldest student association in The Netherlands!
Vote for Friederike and Pier in Science magazine "Dance your PhD" competition!
February 2019
Friederike and Pier were selected as the finalists of the „Dance your PhD” competition! You can help them win by voting for their video on the Science journal website.
Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry special issue
January 2019
Wiktor Szymanski and Prof. Stefan Hecht (Berlin) are guest editors of a Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry thematic issue on Molecular Photoswitches. For more information and to submit your article, please visit the issue website.
Friederike dances her PhD project!
January 2019
Taking part in the „Dance your PhD competition”, Friederike and Pier prepared a dance video that presents one of Friederike’s projects. The choreography illustrates the development of a smart, activatable MRI contrast agent. We are very proud of the result and we invite you to vote on it! Watch this space for more information soon.
Michael receives three post-doc grants
January 2019
Michael has been awarded with the Niels Stensen Fellowship, the SNSF Early Postdoc.Mobility Fellowship and the NWO Rubicon Fellowship. Congratulations!
One of these stipends will allow him to conduct research for 1-2 years with Prof. Dr. Joanna Aizenberg at Harvard University in the field of bio-inspired materials. Michael will focus on the development of multi-responsive functional materials and surfaces and will study how to control and change their properties in real time.
NVBMB Dr. Bert L. Schram Award for Valentina
December 2018
Valentina, who works with us on structural aspects of photopharmacology, has received the prestigious Dr. Bert L. Schram Award for the best lecture by a young scientist in the field of biochemistry and/or molecular biology at CHAINS conference. Congratulations!
CHAINS 2018
3th - 5th December 2018, The Netherlands
Our team bravely represented the lab at the yearly CHAINS conference, where all the Dutch chemists meet to discuss recent developments. Mark and Dusan gave well-received presentations, and Jana, Friederike and Pier presented posters.
PhD position open
November 2018
SzymanskiLab is looking for a skilled organic chemist with a MSc diploma (held currently or to be awarded by the end of February 2019) for a PhD position in developing next generation MRI and optical imaging agents. If interested, please contact Wiktor at w.szymanski[at]umcg.nl.
Ubbo Emmius College charter
November 2018
In recognition of our role in promoting the city of Groningen through the organization of our 2017 ISPP conference, our group received the prestigious Ubbo Emmius College charter. Many thanks once again to Friederike, Stephanie and Mark for the organization of the symposium, and to Margot Spee / Ubbo Emmius for this honor.
Empowering nanomedicine with MRI: why, how, and what’s next?
November 2018
Friederike answers those questions in our new review on liposomal drug delivery where smart MRI contrast agents are used to follow both the distribution and activation of responsive carriers.
ISPP2018, Vic, Spain
1-2 November 2018
With a big group we visited the second International Symposium on Photopharmacology, celebrating a new meeting tradition that our group has started in 2017. Dusan and Wiktor delivered talks, Jana, Friederike, Laura, Valentina, Dusan, Pier and Mark showed posters, and Mark even won the poster prize! Many thanks to the organizers for carrying the torch of photopharmacology forward, we are very much excited for the next installments!
Dusan's picture featured in C&EN
October 2018
Dusan’s picture has been chosen for the C&EN column “Chemistry in Pictures” – see it here. Congratulations!
Nadja with Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship
October 2018
Just arrived and already making us proud: Nadja secured the Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship from the Humboldt Foundation to work with us on the photocontrol of biological processes. Congratulations!
IASOC 2018, Naples, Italy
22-25 September 2018
Wiktor gave an invited talk at the 2018 Ischia Advanced School of Organic Chemistry. Many thanks to the organizers for the invitation and compliments for preparing such an amazing conference!
7th EuCheMS Congress, Liverpool, UK
26-30 August 2018
Mark presented his work on photopharmacology during the 2018 EuCheMS conference in Liverpool. As a true FC Liverpool fan, he also visited the famous stadium at Anfield Road!
Do molecular motors operate in water?
August 2018
The short answer is: yes, they do. For a more detailed answer provided by Anouk (congratulations!), please see our recent paper.
TIBS cover
August 2018
Mark’s review on the use of photopharmacology as a research tool made it to the front cover of Trends in Biochemical Sciences. Congratulations!
Tapas celebration
26 July 2018
The Gang went out for tapas to celebrate the visit of Ewa (internship from London) and the joining of Lucien for post-doc. Also, Dusan might could has have had a birthday. Or not.
The Smurfactants
02 July 2018
Our team The Smurfactants took part in the traditional relay organized every year at Stratingh institute. The team consisted of (left-to-right): Lucas (Hefty Smurf), Pier (Brainy Smurf), Wiktor (Gargamel), Friederike (Smurfette) and Dusan (Papa Smurf). Needless to say, we won the Costume Competition, the only competition that matters. Thanks to Mark for lending us the cat!
19th Tetrahedron Symposium, Lake Garda, Italy
26-29 June 2018
Mark proudly represented our lab with a poster at the Tetrahedron Symposium in Italy.
Photopharmacology as a research tool
June 2018
Besides the promise they hold in medicine, photoswitchable bioactive molecules can offer exciting possibilities as research tools to selective affect the activity of a protein in a chosen space and time. We look deeper into those applications in our recent review.
Dangling Modifier!
June 2018
During the ASP 2018 conference a new progressive sludge metal band came to be: we are The Dangling Modifier! Left-to-right: Sherri McFarland (g), Ricky Lincoln (dr), Wiktor (bg), Fergus Poynton (kb), Edith "Phoebe" Glazer (voc). Watch this space for more info.
Michael got a PhD cum laude!
1 June 2018
After four years of great research and an amazing defence, Michael obtained his PhD with honours. Congratulations Dr Lerch! And many thanks to everyone who made this day special and worked on the movie for Michael. Special shout-out to Prof. Stefan Hecht for starring in the movie and to His Photographic Excellency Dusan Kolarski for providing the pictures for free.
TracerLab website (first draft) is online
June 2018
TracerLab is a synergistic initiative between the SzymanskiLab (Radiology, UMCG), Feringa group (University of Groningen) and Elsinga group (NGMB, UMCG), aimed at developing an applying new chemistry of medical imaging. The first draft of our website is now on-line!.
Solvent effects on DASA photoswitching
May 2018
We have recently elucidated the key features of the actinic steps of DASA photoswitching. In our new paper, Michael and his amazing network of collaborators (cheers to all involved!) asks if this mechanism is conserved across different solvents and if it is general despite the differences in switching kinetics. Read more here.
Our research with a highlight in Advanced Science News
May 2018
Our recent paper on photocontrolled glutamate transport inhibition has been highlighted! Congratulations to Mark.
2018 SRBR Meeting, Amelia Island, Florida
12-16 May 2018
Dusan, supported by the SRBR Merit Award, joined 2018 Society for Research on Biological Rhythms meeting on Amelia Island, Florida to talk about our work on light-activated compounds.
ASP 2018 Biennial Meeting, Tampa, Florida
11-15 May 2018
Wiktor gave a presentation at the Biennial Meeting of the American Society for Photobiology. Many thanks to Phoebe Glazer and Sherri McFarland for my first opportunity to visit North America, the meeting was amazing!
Photocontrol over glutamate transport
May 2018
Transport of anionic amino acids plays a crucial role in many physiological processes, including synaptic transmission. Based on a known inhibitor of glutamate transport, Mark and co. have designed compounds that enable photocontrol of this process. Thanks to the groups of Dirk Slotboom and Gerrit Poelarends for this exciting collaboration! Read more here.
ISPP2018: the II International Symposium on Photopharmacology
Upcoming: 1-2 November 2018, Vic, Spain
We are extremely happy and excited to see that our Symposium from 2017 will have an amazing follow-up in Vic, Barcelona this year! A big shout-out to the organizing committee, we will be joining you in considerable numbers. Read more and register here (Early Bird Registration closes 20th July).
The Sailing season 2018 is open!
May 2018
Members of the Szymanski Lab, with friends and colleagues, opened the sailing season for this year. Lets hope for many more days like this - wind and sun!
The King of The Netherlands visits Groningen
27 April 2018
Willem-Alexander, King of The Netherlands, has visited Groningen for His birthday. Together with Ben’s group we have celebrated this by presenting our Science to His Royal Majesty. Mickel was a great Master of Ceremony! You can see the complete footage (1:53:00 onwards) here.
Mickel on the University Podcast for the King's Day 2018
April 2018
For people who speak Dutch: Mickel took part in the first podcast from University of Groningen "In de Wetenschap". You can hear it here.
SFB/TRR186 - PhD-Student/Postdoc-Meeting 2018
18-20 April 2018, Berlin, Germany
Michael was an invited speaker at the meeting of the action "Molecular Switches in the Spatio-Temporal Control of Cellular Signal Transmission" in Berlin.
C&EN feature on photopharmacology
April 2018
Wiktor is among the researchers interviewed for a feature on Photopharmacology in the new issue of Chemistry & Engineering News. Thanks to Katharine Sanderson for a nice highlight of our work!
Farewell to Jacques and Albert
March 2018
The gang went out for some steaks (and portobello & falafel for the carnivorously impaired) to give a fitting farewell to our Master students. Thank you guys for an amazing year filled with hard work and good memories. All the best, Jacques! Bon voyage, Albert!
European Molecular Imaging Meeting 2018
20th - 23rd March 2018, San Sebastian, Spain
Friederike and Wiktor went to the beautiful Basque country for food/hiking/EMIM 2018. Friederike showed a poster and Wiktor gave a talk on red-light-activated antibiotics and chaired a poster session.
Michael's work on the cover of Chem. Soc. Rev.
March 2018
A beautiful graphic, designed and painted by Kaja on the basis of Dusan’s picture / Michael’s chemistry, has made it to the cover of Chemical Society Reviews.
Controlling DNA hybridisation with a molecular motor
March 2018
Standing up to the challenge of using molecular motors in biology, Anouk took those Nobel-Prize-winning molecules to the realm of oligoneculeotide structure photomodulation. Read more about it in our new paper.
PhD position open
March 2018
A new position is open for a PhD within the consortium of Dr Albert Guskov (crystallography) and the group of Dr Wiktor Szymanski (photopharmacology) with the additional co-supervision from Prof Dirk Slotboom (biophysics and biochemistry) and Prof Gerrit Poelarends (pharmaceutical biotechnology). Deadline March 31st. If intersted, see the description / applications here.
Review on the (photo)chemistry of DASA switch
February 2018
During his PhD studies, Michael acquired a lot of experience in the synthesis, photochemistry and applications of the exciting new photoswitch DASA (donor-acceptor Stenhouse adduct), introduced in 2014 by Read de Alaniz and co-workers. To tap into that knowledge, check out our new tutorial review.
Michael teaches the next generation of chemists
January 2018
As part of the bigger event series called "TecDays" by SATW, Michael visited his old highschool near Lucerne, Switzerland, where he talked about molecular machines and photoswitches. In three modules throughout the day, high-school students could learn about molecular machines and make and switch their own photoswitches in the lab. TecDays want to spread excitment about natural sciences and technology and support education in these disciplines at highschools throughout Switzerland.
Farewell to Kaja
January 2018
After great two years with us, Kaja went back to Poland for the last leg of her PhD. We gave her a proper and fitting farewell at the local steakhouse. Thank you for all the amazing work, good luck and see you soon!
Photouncaging of amines with green light
January 2018
Using non-toxic and deep-tissue-penetrating visible light to activate biological activity opens exciting possibilities. Since amine groups are very common in bioactive molecules, Kaja has established a synthetic method to introduce BODIPY-derived photoprotecting groups on them. Using green light (520-560 nm) we can now uncage amines in a quick process. Read more in our new paper.
Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry special issue on smart imaging probes
December 2017
A special issue of Bioorg. Med. Chem., with Wiktor as guest editor, is now open for paper submissions. In creating smart imaging probes, molecular design and synthetic chemistry play a central role. The valuable contributions to this Symposium-in-print will highlight the challenges and opportunities in this field and provide the overview of current directions.
NWO ECHO Grant for Wiktor and Prof. Dirk Slotboom (GBB)
December 2017
Together with our collaborator, Prof. Dirk J. Slotboom (Membrane Enzymology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute) we have received an ECHO grant from the Dutch Science Organisation (NWO) to study the photocotrnolled transport through biological membranes.
Chains 2017
5th - 7th December 2017, The Netherlands
Our Lab visited the 2017 Dutch Chemistry Conference CHAINS. Friederike and Mickel gave talks in a session dedicated to photocontrol of biological processes. Jana, Friederike, Michael and Mark presented posters.
Our research with a highlight in Nature
November 2017
Our recent paper on using red/violet light to control the activity of trimethoprim-based photoswitchable antibiotic has been highlighted by Nature! Congratulations to Michael Wegener and Mickel for this amazing recognition.
Dusan with 2nd prize in EYCN Photochimica 2017!
November 2017
This amazing picture taken by Dusan in our lab was awarded with the second place in the 2017 Photochimica competition by EYCN, the young division of EuCheMS. The picture is entitled “Our Universe” and its caption runs: “Our chemistry laboratory is very often full of surprises. During the evaporation of the solvent, newly developed bioactive compound crystallized into a fascinating shape. Almost as a representation of the cosmos, this image shows a fragment of our ‘universe’ in which we create, live and play with science.” Congratulations Dusan!
Molecular Machines Nobel Prize Conference
19-22 November 2017
The SzymanskiLab was strongly represented at the special conference in honour of the 2016 Chemistry Nobel Prize awardees. Mickel gave a great talk and Dusan, Friederike, Jana, Kaja, Mark, Michael and Pier showed posters.
Reversible activation of antibiotics with red light
November 2017
Inspired by the amazing photochemical properties of tetra-ortho-substituted azobenzenes from Woolley and Hecht labs, Michael Wegener and Mickel utilised our recent synthetic methodology to develop trimethoprim-based photopharmacological antibiotics that can be operated using either green or red light. This permits deeper tissue penetration and ensures negligible toxicity of light. Read more about it here
Invited lecture at the Warsaw University of Technology
17 October 2017
Wiktor visited his Alma Mater to introduce the concepts behind photopharmacology, discuss collaborations and meet old friends. Many thanks to Prof. Zbigniew Brzozka and Dr. Ilona Grabowska-Jadach for hosting me! And cheers to science club Herbion that I co-started many, many years ago. What you guys do now makes me proud :)
Invited lecture at NanoLund
11-12 October 2017
Wiktor went for an inspiring visit to the beautiful city of Lund, to learn about light delivery on the nano-scale and discuss the emerging applications of light-controlled bioactive molecules. Many thanks to Prof. Heiner Linke for the kind invitation!
Feringa Academic Alumni Symposium
14-15 September 2017
Almost 40 members of the Feringa Family, who are holding academic positions around the World, met in Groningen to present their current work. It was amazing to meet old friends and see the enormous scope of topics that we all work on, knowing that the common denominator for all of us is one group that we all worked in at some point.
Buluitreiking for Ilse and Jana
14 September 2017
Ilse and Jana received their MSc diplomas during the buluitreiking ceremony. Congratulations!
6-Azopurines at last...
September 2017
Purines substituted in 6 position form an important class of bioactive compounds. While these structures seem like perfect candidates for azologisation in photopharmacological approach, they were elusive due to the low reactivity of the 6-amino group in purines. Now Dusan shows in our new paper how a serendipitous discovery lead to a general synthetic method that conveniently yields the title compounds in good yields. And yes, they also switch with green light!
Sailing on Paterswoldsemeer, Groningen
10 September 2017
Members of the Szymanski Lab, with friends and colleagues, went for great day out sailing on our local lake. With 4-5 Bft wind, we had lots of fun!
Working visit, Munich, Germany
6-7 September 2017
Friederike and Wiktor visited Munich to discuss science with our friends and collaborators. We had an amazing time, learned a lot and got inspiration for future work. Many thanks to dr. Oliver Thorn-Seshold (LMU) and dr. Andre Stiel & Prof. Vasilis Ntziachristos (IBMI, Helmholtz Centrum) for hosting us!
2017 ISN-ESN Meeting, Paris, France
20-24 August 2017
Wiktor talked about photopharma at the joint meeting of European and International Neurochemistry Societies. Many thanks to Prof. Pau Gorostiza and Prof. Dirk Trauner for organizing this great session and inviting our group to join the amazing conference in an impressive venue.
46th World Chemistry Congress (IUPAC), Sao Paulo, Brasil
9-14 July 2017
Wiktor introduced the concept of photophrmacology to the audience of the IUPAC conference.
Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting 2017, Germany
25th-30th June 2017
Mickel and Michael were selected to join the famous 67th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. Michael presented a poster and received the 3rd price for his contribution. He also served as a panel member on the Ethics in Science closing discussion.
Who Needs Fundamental Science Anyway?
June 2017
Well... we all do. Michael makes an important point on the blog of Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings. Read all about it here.
Farewell to Ilse
May 2017
After busy eight months (and a bit), Ilse’s project came to an end. Thank you for all your hard work and good luck in the future! We will always remember you as the first MSc student of the Szymanski Group.
Münster Symposium on Cooperative Effects in Chemistry
12th May 2017
Dusan and Mickel attended the symposium in Münster. Dusan presented a poster about the new developments in azo-purine synthesis.
New Lab Members
Napoli Pizzeria, Groningen
With the recent addition of Laura (BSc student), Jacques and Albert (both MSc students), we can now fill a pretty long table at our local pizza place. Welcome to the group!
European Molecular Imaging Meeting, Cologne
5th-7th April 2017
Friederike proudly represented SzymanskiLab at the 12th European Molecular Imaging Meeting in Cologne with her poster.
International Symposium on Photopharmacology
UMCG, 16th February 2017
The SzymanskiLab has organised its first scientific symposium! With an amazing line-up of speakers and very high number of subscriptions (over 130) from all over the World, we hope to have provided the young field of photopharmacology a new tradition. Mark, Michael and Mickel presented their work in the plenary session and Dusan presented a poster. For more information and pictures, visit the conference site.
International Conference on Molecular Imaging Agents in Medicine
UMCG, 13th-15th February 2017
We helped to organize the International Conference on Molecular Imaging Agents in Medicine at the UMCG. With 200 participants, it was a big success. It featured talks from Professors Ben Feringa, Hidde Ploegh, Peter Caravan, Eva Toth and others. Friederike and Ilse presented their posters, and Friederike won the poster prize and got to present her research in the plenary session.
Feature on Photopharmacology
The Pharmaceutical Journal
A publication from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society on Photopharmacology is available here. It is an interesting perspective on the future of the field features interviews with people active in it, including Wiktor. Enjoy the read!
Chains 2016
6th - 8th December 2016, The Netherlands
SzymanskiLab was strongly represented at the 2016 Dutch Chemistry Conference CHAINS. Michael gave a talk about the photochemistry of DASAs. Mark pitched his poster. Kaja, Friederike, Mickel and Wiktor also showed posters.
International Symposium on Photochromism 2016
4th - 7th November 2016, Shanghai, China
Mickel and Michael proudly represented our lab at the ISOP 2016 in Shanghai. Mickel presented his work on photopharmacology and new methods to synthesize red-shifted azobenzenes. Michael received a poster prize for his presentation on the orthogonal photoswitching.
Our photopharmacology resource homepage is online now!
October 2016
Find information, background, tipps and tricks under www.photopharmacology.nl. If you are interested in the topic, don't hesistate to contact us for further information!
NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY 2016 FOR BEN FERINGA
October 2016
Just in the news: Ben received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry! We are honored to be able to work with such esteemed scientist. What a day for all the group! See us cheering here
Red-shifted azobenzenes made easy
September 2016
Tetra-ortho-substituted azobenzenes, with red-shifted spectra, can be operated using visible and NIR light. They were introduced in seminal papers by the groups of Prof. Woolley (Toronto) and Prof. Hecht (Berlin). We believe that these compounds are the future of photopharmacology, since low energy photons penetrate deeper into the tissues and are scattered less. However, until now their synthesis was very challenging. In our new paper, Mickel shows an easy way to synthesize tetra-ortho-substituted azobenzenes with high yields!
Photoactivated Chemotherapy
September 2016
What other approaches, besides the use of molecular photoswitches, can be applied for light-regulated therapy of cancer? To find out more about the use of metal complexes and photocaged agents (and of course the photopharmacological approach!) look at the recent review from Friederike and Wiktor.
5th HRSMC Photochemistry School, Maastricht
27th - 31st August 2016
Dusan and Michael visited the Photochemistry School in Maastricht. Michael talked about DASA mechanism and presented his work on orthogonal photoswitching.
Sailing on Paterswoldsemeer, Groningen
July-August 2016
A contingent of Szymanski Lab, with friends, went for great days out sailing on our local lake.
XXVII European Colloquium on Heterocyclic Chemistry, Amsterdam
July 2016
Mickel gave a talk in Amsterdam at ECHC 2016 to introduce the concept of photpharmacology to the heterocycle community.
Orthogonal Photoswitching
July 2016
Is it possible to operate two molecular photoswitches independently in one solution, using light of different colors? Michael answers this question in our recent paper. You can read more about it here.
Emerging Targets for Photopharmacology
July 2016
How feasible is the delivery of light to different parts of the human body? Which organs / diseases can be addressed using photopharmacological approach? In which directions should the field develop to reach the clinics? Our group teamed up with translational surgeon Gooitzen M. van Dam (UMCG) to discuss these questions. You can read more about it here.
17th Tetrahedron Symposium, Sitges
28 June - 1st July 2016
Friederike presented a poster on her work aimed at preparation of light-activated MRI contrast agents.
Friederike won the Poster Prize
Stratingh Institute 2016 Workweek
Friederike won the Best Poster prize at for her work aimed at preparation of light-activated MRI contrast agents. Congratulations!
International Symposium on Photopharmacology
16th February 2017, Groningen, The Netherlands
Book the date in your calendar! On 16th of February 2017 we will hold the first International Symposium on Photopharmacology. More information can be found here .
Multi-Responsive Photochromes Conference, Nantes
25-28th April 2016
Michael presented his work on the photoisomerisation of DASAs, a new class of visible-light-responsive photochromes, at MRP conference. Furthermore, he presented that they can be employed for the first time in orthogonally-addressable systems comprising of multiple photochromes.
Loretnz Workshop on Optogenetics, Leiden
14-18th March 2016
Mickel and Wiktor visited the Lorentz workshop. During topical session, chaired by Wiktor, and also through lectures and poster presentations we introduced the optogenetics community to the concept of photopharmacology. We also discussed the synergies and complementarity of optogenetics and photopharmacology, which are two embodiments of the same idea: controlling biological systems with light.
European Molecular Imaging Meeting, Utrecht
8-10th March 2016
Friederike and Wiktor visited the 11th European Molecular Imaging Meeting in Utrecht. We introduced the principles of photopharmacology to the medical imaging specialists, recognising the importance of image-guided drug activation.
Claudia defended her thesis
5th February 2016
Claudia defended her thesis entitled "Peptides in Motion". Congratulations Dr. Poloni! For photos, visit our gallery section soon
Michael talks about Photopharmacology at the University of Zurich
December 2015
Michael delivered an inspiring talk for the lecture series "Reatch Pitch". You can read more over here.
Our research highlighted in ChemBioChem
July 2015
Our work on photoswitchable bacterial Quorum Sensing inducers received a very extensive highlight, being described as "remarkable as for the first time QS, the complex communication system of bacteria, can be controlled simply by irradiation with light"
VIDI grant for Wiktor
June 2015
Wiktor received a VIDI grant from the Dutch Science Organisation (NWO). With the grant support he will investigate new targets for photopharmacology and the the use of medical imaging techniques to evaluate photopharmacology. Congratulation also to dr. Anna Hirsch and dr. Edwin Otten from the Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen! More information on the NWO website and in the UKrant.
Mickel won the Strating Prize from the Backer foundation
June 2015
Mickel Hansen received the prestigious Strating Prize from the Backer foundation for his colloqium entitled "Wavelenght-selective cleavage of protecting groups". This great piece of work formed a basis of our recent publicaiton in Chem. Soc. Rev.. Read more here!
Mickel won the a second prize of the KNCV Golden Master Award 2014
March 2015
Royal Dutch Chemical Society (KNCV) presented the awards for the best MsC thesis of 2014. Mickel Hansen received the second award. Congratulations to Mickel and all the winners! Read more here.