Hi, I am Mark Nijland and I joined the BioHYBRITE Doctoral Network to pursue my interest in biomolecular engineering science, synthetic biology, and biophysics.
I completed both my BSc and MSc degrees in Molecular Life Sciences at Wageningen University. My early research focused on the molecular dynamics of proteins, carried out at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. With a background in protein science & biochemistry, molecular & mathematical modelling, and as an iGEM veteran, I look forward to contributing to high-quality science as part of a multidisciplinary team.
As a doctoral candidate in the Simmel lab at TUM, I will be focusing on designing DNA-based biological circuits and applying super-resolution microscopy. My goals are to touch upon some of the key current challenges in biology, such as cellular crowding, conformational changes of biomacromolecules, and robustness of biological systems.
In my free time I like cycling, hiking, flower breeding, and playing & listening to music.
Learn more about my research project: DNA and RNA strand displacement in complex environments (coming soon!)