News
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 Streve 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.