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H.G.K. Westenbrink prize

Westenbrink prize 2016/2017

The H.G.K.Westenbrink prize 2016/2017 has been awarded to Dr. Lotteke Swier for her thesis "On the transport mechanism of energy-coupling factor transporters" (promotor: Prof. dr. D.J. Slotboom en Prof. dr. B. Poolman, University of Groningen).

Dr. Swier’s PhD work is a multidisciplinary study of energy-coupling factor (ECF) transporters, part of the ABC transporter-family, in which she combined biochemistry, structural biology and organic chemistry. She determined crystal structures of membrame-embedded ECF transporter with and without substrate, allowing her to decipher the molecular mechanism of transport. She used this knowledge to design and synthesize new substrates that modulate ECF transporter activity, which will very valuable in the development of new antibiotics. Dr. Swier is currently working as a postdoc in the oncology research group of Anke van den Berg at the University Medical Centre Groningen.

About the Westenbrink prize

The H.G.K. Westenbrink prize was established by the Stichting Stimulering Biochemie Nederland (SSBN) and is awarded each year to the best thesis in the area of biochemistry and molecular biology in the previous academic year. The prize includes a charter and  € 2.000, which are handed out during the fall symposium of the NVBMB. Hendrik Gerrit Koob Westenbrink (1901-1964) was a professor in Physiological Chemistry in Utrecht. After World War II he worked very hard to get biochemical research in the Netherlands back to the internation level, as he was well aware of the significant stagnation that had taken place in Dutch biochemical research during the war years.

How to nominate candidates

The board of the SSBN invites you to send nominations for the H.G.K. Westenbrink prize. Please note the following:

  • candidates can only be nominated by their promotor or co-promotor;
  • candidates have to defend at a Dutch university but need not be of Dutch nationality; 
  • the research should be in the broad area of the molecular life sciences.

To nominate, send the following documents to the SSBN secretary, dr. H. van Ingen (H.vanIngen@uu.nl):

  • nomination letter with short motivation describing the importance and quality of the thesis;
  • digital version of the thesis;
  • CV of candidate.
  • Also send the five hardcopies of the thesis to the NVBMB secretariat.
  • The deadline for nominations for the academic year 2017/2018 is July 23 2018.

A jury will judge the theses that have been nominated. The winner will be announced in September.

Previous HGK Westenbrink Prize Winners

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