Dani毛lle van den Broek
Department / Institute
RESEARCH PROFILE
Dani毛lle van den Broek is a Doctoral Candidate at the Self Organizing Soft Matter group at Eindhoven University of Technology (果冻传媒). With a keen interest in the intricacies of life at the molecular level, she aims to develop applications that will save lives or enhance quality of life. Currently, Dani毛lle is focused on addressing freezing damage in society by studying ice-binding proteins. She investigates how the structure of these proteins relates to their ice-binding activity, by visualizing the ice-crystal growth and shaping under the microscope. Additionally, Dani毛lle is passionate about making research accessible to both the scientific community and the broader public through creative storytelling and illustrations.
When we uncover the mysteries of these ice-stickers from nature, we can become superheroes who save lives: freezing a heart like Elsa and then thawing it like Anna!鈥� In this way Dani毛lle inspired primary school children with her research during the C3 Vuurvliegen competition in 2022.
ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
Dani毛lle van den Broek obtained her Bachelor and Master degrees in Molecular Life Sciences from Wageningen University & Research. This study program provided her with a robust foundation in biomolecular sciences at the interfaces between chemistry, biology and physics. While specializing in biomedical research, and developed a strong affinity with the design, characterization and application of self-assembling biomaterials. Her graduation project involved the assembly of collagen triple helices, offering insights for the bottom-up design of collagen fibrils. As an intern at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at 果冻传媒, Dani毛lle investigated the migration behavior of corneal cells, as well as cell-matrix interactions in engineered vascular grafts. After graduating in 2021, she began her doctoral research in the group of prof. Ilja Voets.
Recent Publications
Ancillary Activities
No ancillary activities