Hans Vliegenthart

Last updated

Hans Vliegenhart
Prof. dr. Hans Vliegenthart, Bijvoet Symposium, Utrecht University, 2019.jpg
Hans Vliegenhart (2019)
Born (1936-04-07) 7 April 1936 (age 88)
Zuilen, The Netherlands
NationalityDutch
Alma mater Utrecht University
Known for Bioorganic chemistry
Scientific career
Institutions Utrecht University
Doctoral advisor Prof.dr. J.F. Arens

Johannes Frederik Gerardus (Hans) Vliegenthart (born April 7, 1936 in Zuilen, the Netherlands) is a Dutch emeritus professor in bioorganic chemistry of Utrecht University, well known for his research on the synthesis and characterisation of carbohydrates, and biomolecules containing sugar moieties such as glycoproteins and their role in living cells.

Contents

Biography

Hans Vliegenthart was born in Zuilen, the Netherlands in 1936. He studied chemistry at Utrecht University from 1953 to 1960, [1] where he also received his PhD degree in 1967, under supervision of prof. Arens. [2] In 1975, he was appointed lector (a defunct Dutch academic role that changed to professor in 1980) bio-organic chemistry at Utrecht University [3] and was full professor at Utrecht University from 1984 until 2003. [2] From 1999 until 2004, he was also the chairman of the Utrecht University Fund and he still awards every year the Vliegenthart Thesis Award. [4] In 1988, the founded the Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research at Utrecht University, [5] [6] and he served as the scientific director of the institute until 2000. He served as Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry from 1985 to 1989 and from 2000 to 2003 and in 2003 he became Honorary Professor at Utrecht University. [7] Since 2010, he is the chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Bijvoet Centrr. [8]

Research

The research of Vliegenthart focused on the synthesis and characterisation of carbohydrates, glycoproteins, glycolipids and proteoglycans and their role in living cells. [9] [10] He is most famous for his work on the analysis of the primary and three-dimensional structures of carbohydrates and glycoproteins using technologies such as NMR spectroscopy, [11] chromatography [12] [13] and other analytical methods. [14] [15] Vliegenthart applied his knowledge on carbohydrates to various fields of biology and medicine, such as research into blood types, which are largely determined by carbohydrates on red blood cells, [16] synthetic vaccines to protect against Streptococcus pneumoniae [17] and the role of sugar molecules in tumor growth. [18]

Honours and awards

Throughout his career, Vliegenthart has received numerous honours and awards. He has been a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences since 1987, which allows him to nominate people for the Nobel Prize . [19] In 1989, Vliegenthart became honorary member of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, for his contributions to biochemistry and molecular biology, not only in the Netherlands, but at the highest international level. [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] Vliegenthart has been a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences of the Netherlands since 1990. [25] In 1992, he received an honorary doctorate from the Lajos Kossuth University in Debrecen, Hungary, nowadays known as the University of Debrecen. [26] In 1993 Lille University of Science and Technology in France bestowed him with an honorary doctorate for his contribution to the structural analysis of carbohydrate chains. [27] Vliegenthart was awarded the Claude S. Hudson Award in Carbohydrate Chemistry of the American Chemical Society in 1994. [28] [29] [30] In 1997, the University of Stockholm in Sweden awarded him an honorary doctorate. [7] He became Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion in 1998. [7] In 2000, he received the Bijvoet Medal of the Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research of Utrecht University. [31] The University of Rome Tor Vergata in Italy awarded him their medal in 2001 [7] and his alma mater, Utrecht University, awarded him their silver medal in 2003. [32] In October 2017, the Council of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) elected Vliegenthart as a Fellow of AAAS for his contributions to science and technology in its Section on Biological Sciences. [33] [34]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurt Wüthrich</span> Swiss chemist

Kurt Wüthrich is a Swiss chemist/biophysicist and Nobel Chemistry laureate, known for developing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods for studying biological macromolecules.

<i>NRC</i> (newspaper) Dutch daily newspaper

NRC, previously called NRC Handelsblad, is a daily morning newspaper published in the Netherlands by NRC Media. It is generally accepted as a newspaper of record in the Netherlands.

<i>Trouw</i> Dutch newspaper

Trouw is a Dutch daily newspaper appearing in compact size. It was founded in 1943 as an orthodox Protestant underground newspaper during World War II. Since 2009, it has been owned by DPG Media. Trouw received the European Newspaper Award in 2012. Cees van der Laan is the current editor-in-chief.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hartmut Michel</span> German biochemist

Hartmut Michel is a German biochemist, who received the 1988 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for determination of the first crystal structure of an integral membrane protein, a membrane-bound complex of proteins and co-factors that is essential to photosynthesis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Bernhard of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven</span> Dutch Royal (born 1969)

Prince Bernhard Lucas Emmanuel of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven is a Dutch entrepreneur and a member of the Dutch royal family.

The Anne Vondeling prize, named after the politician Anne Vondeling a member of the Dutch Labour Party, is an annual award in The Netherlands given to journalists who write in a clear manner concerning political subjects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthias Mann</span> German physicist and biochemist (born 1959)

Matthias Mann is a German physicist and biochemist. He is doing research in the area of mass spectrometry and proteomics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johannes Martin Bijvoet</span> Dutch chemist and crystallographer

Johannes Martin Bijvoet was a Dutch chemist and crystallographer at the van 't Hoff Laboratory at Utrecht University. He is famous for devising a method of establishing the absolute configuration of molecules. In 1946, he became member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Alexander Alexeyevich Makarov, is a Russian physicist who led the team that developed the Orbitrap, a type of mass spectrometer, and received the 2008 American Society for Mass Spectrometry Distinguished Contribution in Mass Spectrometry Award for this development. In November 2013 he was appointed to Professor by Special Appointment of High Resolution Mass Spectrometry at the Department of Chemistry and the Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research of Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathan Sharon</span>

Nathan Sharon was an Israeli biochemist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert J. R. Heck</span> Dutch chemist

Albert J.R. Heck is a Dutch scientist and professor at Utrecht University, the Netherlands in the field of mass spectrometry and proteomics. He is known for his work on technologies to study proteins in their natural environment, with the aim to understand their biological function. Albert Heck was awarded the Spinoza Prize in 2017, the highest scientific award in the Netherlands.

David A. Agard is a professor of biochemistry and biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco. He earned his B.S. in molecular biochemistry and biophysics from Yale University and his Ph.D. in biological chemistry from California Institute of Technology. His research is focused on understanding the basic principles of macromolecular structure and function. He is a scientific director of the Institute for Bioengineering, Biotechnology, and Quantitative Biomedical Research and has been a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator since 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piet Gros</span> Dutch chemist (born 1962)

Piet Gros is a Dutch chemist and professor biomacromolecular crystallography at Utrecht University. In 2010 he received the NWO Spinoza Prize for the elucidation of the three-dimensional structure of the C3 protein, which plays a central role in the complement system and contributes to innate immunity.

The Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research is a research institute at Utrecht University. The Bijvoet Centre performs research on the relation between the structure and function of biomolecules, including proteins and lipids, which play a role in biological processes such as regulation, interaction and recognition. The Bijvoet Centre houses advanced infrastructures for the analysis of proteins and other biomolecules using NMR, X-ray crystallography, electron microscopy and mass spectrometry. The institute is named after famous Dutch chemist Johannes Martin Bijvoet, who worked at Utrecht University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joachim Seelig</span> German physical chemist (1942–2024)

Joachim Heinrich Seelig was a German physical chemist and specialist in NMR Spectroscopy. He was one of the founding fathers of the Biozentrum of the University of Basel. He reached emeritus status in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herman van Bekkum</span> Dutch organic chemist (1932–2020)

Herman van Bekkum was a Dutch organic chemist. He was professor of Catalysis in Organic Chemistry between 1971 and 1998 at Delft University of Technology. He served as rector magnificus of the university between 1975 and 1976. He was an expert in the field of carbohydrate chemistry and zeolites.

George Blasse was a Dutch chemist. He was a professor of solid-state chemistry at Utrecht University for most of his career.

Johannes Lukas "Hans" Bos is a Dutch biochemist and cancer researcher. He has been a professor of physiological chemistry at Utrecht University since 1991. He is also employed by the University Medical Center Utrecht.

Elena Conti is an Italian biochemist and molecular biologist. She serves as Director and Scientific Member of the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany, where she uses structural biology and biophysical techniques to study RNA transport and RNA metabolism. Together with Elisa Izaurralde, she helped characterize proteins important for exporting mRNA out of the nucleus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ton Elias (journalist)</span> Dutch journalist (1921–1980)

Anton "Ton" Elias was a Dutch journalist. He is best known as the first Dutch journalist to specialize in education.

References

  1. "Profile of Prof. dr. J.F.G. (Hans) Vliegenthart". Utrecht University. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Prof.dr. J.F.G. Vliegenthart". Catologus Professorum, Utrecht University. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  3. "Dr. J.F.G. Vliegenthart". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). 4 April 1975. p. 3. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  4. "Vliegenthart Thesis Award". Utrecht University. 3 July 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  5. Joop Kessels (7 April 1988). "SON en RUU in Bijvoet Centrum". Chemische Courant (in Dutch).
  6. b.k. (April 1988). "'Bijvoet-centrum voor moleculair Onderzoek' geopend". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch).
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Curriculum Vitae Hans Vliegenthart". Utrecht University . Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  8. "Scientific Advisory Board". Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research . Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  9. "Person: Prof. dr. J.F.G. (Hans) Vliegenthart". NARCIS . Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  10. Jan Blom (30 June 1984). "Koolhydraten: toekomstige grondstof voor de industrie". De Volkskrant (in Dutch). p. 31. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  11. Vliegenthart, Johannes F.G.; Dorland, Lambertus; Halbeek, Herman van (1983). "High-Resolution, 1H-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy as a Tool in the Structural Analysis of Carbohydrates Related to Glycoproteins". Advances in Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biochemistry Volume 41. Vol. 41. pp. 209–374. doi:10.1016/S0065-2318(08)60059-1. hdl:1874/5376. ISBN   9780120072415.
  12. Gerwig, Gerrit J.; Kamerling, Johannis P.; Vliegenthart, Johannes F.G. (1978). "Determination of the d and l configuration of neutral monosaccharides by high-resolution capillary g.l.c". Carbohydrate Research. 62 (2): 349–357. doi:10.1016/S0008-6215(00)80881-2. hdl: 1874/5304 .
  13. Gerwig, Gerit J.; Kamerling, Johannis P.; Vliegenthart, Johannes F.G. (1979). "Determination of the absolute configuration of monosaccharides in complex carbohydrates by capillary g.l.c". Carbohydrate Research. 77: 1–7. doi:10.1016/S0008-6215(00)83788-X. hdl: 1874/5300 . PMID   519653.
  14. Van Soest, Jeroen J.G.; Tournois, Hubertus; De Wit, Dick; Vliegenthart, Johannes F.G. (1995). "Short-range structure in (partially) crystalline potato starch determined with attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform IR spectroscopy". Carbohydrate Research. 279: 201–214. doi:10.1016/0008-6215(95)00270-7. hdl: 1874/5571 .
  15. Fournet, Bernard; Montreuil, Jean; Strecker, Gerard; Dorland, Lambertus; Haverkamp, Johan; Vliegenthart, Johannes F. G.; Binette, J. Paul; Schmid, Karl (1978). "Determination of the primary structures of 16 asialo-carbohydrate units derived from human plasma α1-acid glycoprotein by 360-MHZ proton NMR spectroscopy and permethylation analysis". Biochemistry. 17 (24): 5206–5214. doi:10.1021/bi00617a021. PMID   728395.
  16. "De informatie zit in de staart". Trouw (in Dutch). 5 September 1984. p. 15. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  17. Maarten Evenblij (14 November 1987). "Synthetisch vaccin helpt afweersysteem". De Volkskrant (in Dutch). p. 39. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  18. Maarten Evenblij (30 June 1984). "Suikermoleculen spelen rol bij tumorgroei". De Volkskrant (in Dutch). p. 31. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  19. "Utrechtse hoogleraar onderscheiden". Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). 25 March 1989. p. 48. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  20. "Onderscheiding prof. Vliegenthart". Het Parool (in Dutch). 21 March 1989. p. 2. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  21. "Personalia". Trouw (in Dutch). 21 March 1989. p. 2. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  22. "Persoonlijk". De Volkskrant (in Dutch). 21 March 1989. p. 6. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  23. "Personalia". Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch). 21 March 1989. p. 3. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  24. "Personalia". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). 11 April 1989. p. 7. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  25. "Hans Vliegenthart". Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  26. "Personalia". Trouw (in Dutch). 8 December 1992. p. 2. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  27. "Personalia". Trouw (in Dutch). 1 April 1993. p. 2. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  28. "Claude S. Hudson Award in Carbohydrate Chemistry". American Chemical Society . Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  29. "Persoonlijk". Volkskrant (in Dutch). 18 September 1993. p. 9. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  30. "Personalia". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). 23 September 1992. p. 2. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  31. "Bijvoet Medal". Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  32. "Zilveren penning" (in Dutch). Utrecht University. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  33. "2017 AAAS Fellows approved by the AAAS Council". Science. 358 (6366): 1011–1014. 2017. Bibcode:2017Sci...358.1011.. doi: 10.1126/science.358.6366.1011 .
  34. "Hans Vliegenthart chosen AAAS Fellow". Utrecht University. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2019.