September 16 sees the official opening of the TU Delft Department of Bionanoscience, which will focus on the interface between biology and nanoscience. The research is expected to lead to new insights into the functioning of the living cell and DNA.
The opening also marks the arrival of Cees Dekker as the new director of the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft. Dekker says nanotechnology is transforming biology into an engineering science. “With the toolbox of nanotechnology, we can come up with accurate depictions and study and monitor biological molecules like DNA and proteins. This is leading to new insights into the fundamental workings of living cells.” Such basic knowledge is essential for many promising medical applications.
Dekker said TU Delft is aiming to be the European leader in the field of Bionanoscience. “I am very pleased that TU Delft and the Kavli Foundation supports us in this ambition.”
Bionanoscience research at Delft ranges from the development of extremely sensitive single-ion instruments for studying individual molecules, to identifying the precise action of cancer drugs within cells.
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