News
WUR now also has a professor in Arbovirology and Medical Biotechnology
Gorben Pijlman is per 1 november 2023 benoemd tot persoonlijk hoogleraar Arbovirologie en Medische Biotechnologie aan Wageningen University & Research. Pijlman is gespecialiseerd in infectieziekten bij mens en dier. In het bijzonder heeft hij een fascinatie voor arbovirussen. Dat zijn virussen die verspreid worden door bloedzuigende steekmuggen en teken. “Ik krijg energie van het bestuderen van ingewikkelde biologische puzzels.”
For more than 10 years, Pijlman and a team of students, technicians and PhD students have studied West Nile and Zika viruses. The aim is to discover how these viruses are transmitted by a mosquito bite. "This will provide important insights which can aid in implementing preventive measures," Pijlman expects. The Wageningen laboratory of Entomology is also closely involved in these studies.
For working with dangerous viruses in combination with mosquitoes, Wageningen University has an advanced biosafety level 3 laboratory, for which Pijlman is responsible. In this facility, researchers can safely investigate virus-mosquito interactions and thus learn more about these viruses dangerous to humans. "One discovery was that exotic mosquitoes established in the Netherlands can transmit the Zika virus. That is vital information on which action can be taken," Pijlman says. "In the coming years, we are committed to understanding even better how mosquitoes become infected at the cellular level and why certain species of mosquitoes transmit West Nile but not Zika virus."
Vaccine development
Aside from basic research, Pijlman focuses on biotechnology applications. He is involved in the development of vaccines, including self-amplifying mRNA vaccines and potent vaccines based on nanoparticles. Pijlman explains, "Our focus is on creating innovative vaccines with fewer side effects and effective protection against disease. For example, we contributed to the development of a nanoparticle covid vaccine that successfully passed clinical trials. I myself took this vaccine with confidence without ever having had COVID afterwards."
"Gorben's expertise and passion for infectious diseases are invaluable” says Richard Harrison, director of the Plant Sciences Group. “With his appointment as a personal professor, the field of arboviruses and vaccine development, crucial for Global One Health, receives more attention at Wageningen. His contribution to education also has a great impact on our students, equipping them with foundational knowledge in molecular virology and biotechnology. I am excited to see how through this appointment this important research field will develop still further."
Education
As Harrison mentioned, in addition to his research, Gorben Pijlman contributes to Wageningen education, particularly in fields of study focused on health and modern biotechnology. He emphasizes: "It is important to properly integrate the topics of biological safety and genetic modification in education, as technological progress is very rapid. We need to prepare students for the challenges, but more importantly, for the opportunities of the future."