I use computers to study science. I use and write software that model chemical interactions, light-matter interactions and particles behaviour in fluids. I apply physics principles along with computational methods to propose solutions to scientific problems.

Structural Biology
cryo Electron Microscopy (cryo-EM)
Membrane Proteins

policy/strategy, academic & industrial partnerships, staff development & recruiting, quality management, technology transfer and public relations

Molecular Dynamics

Audiology, Tinnitus, Biophysics of Hearing

Membrane biology, Protein translocation and membrane protein biogenesis, multidrug resistance, biotechnology of filamentous fungi and yeast, membrane biology of hyperthermophilic Archaea, Synthetic cells

Transport processes in plants, CO2 utilization in algae and plants, Stress physiology in plants

(HS-)AFM, self assembly processes

Biological fluid mechanics and aerodynamic design, i.e. bio-inspired truck streamlined design. Computer fluid dynamics and experimental analysis of hydro- and aerodynamics with 3D designing technology. Biomimetics of marine life including demersal, pelagic fish and other related animals in the sea.

Theoretical and Computational Chemistry

Protein Crystallography
Biophysics
Structure-based Drug Design

Membrane proteins; Crystallography; Structural Biology; Crystallization, single particle Cryo-EM

Cell movement
Signal transduction

Membrane Biophysics, Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Lipid-protein interactions, Super-resolution microscopy

glaucoma, perimetry, optical coherence tomography, physiological optics, retinal physiology, ophthalmic epidemiology

Audiology, Biophysics of Hearing

Middle and Inner ear Mechanics
Biophysics of Hearing
Cochlear Implant
Brainstem Implant

Electrophysiology, Single-molecule Nanopore Technology

My research is aimed at an understanding of (bio)molecular processes, using multiscale molecular dynamics simulations.

Atomic force microscopy; Fluorescence spectroscopy; Molecular dynamics simulations
Biological membranes; Influence of antimicrobial molecules on bacterial outer layers; Action of signaling agents on membranes; Tear Film of the human eye
https://www.rug.nl/news/2019/11/melcrova

Field engineer: Process, Electronics, and Electromechanics.
Design of electronic systems: Power electronics and communications systems.
Design and implementation of control strategies for nonlinear systems.
Physics of invertebrate vision and animal coloration.

Artificial Intelligence, Biophysics

Research in the Onck group aims at understanding the micromechanical and functional behavior of (biological) materials based on an accurate description of the underlying (bio-) physical mechanisms. Computational techniques (e.g. molecular dynamics, finite element methods and solid-fluid interaction techniques) are being used to explicitly account for the physical mechanisms at the relevant length scales.

Primary focus at the moment is on:
(i) Transport through the nuclear pore complex
(ii) Phase separation and aggregation of disordered proteins
(iii) Molecular chaperones in neurodegenerative diseases
(iii) Soft-robotic nature-inspired microswimmers and magnetic artificial cilia.

For more details, visit the group's web-page.

Membrane Transport, Synthetic Biology, Enzymology, Membrane Biology, Fluorescence Microscopy, Membrane Reconstitution, Structure-Function of Proteins

Biophysics, diamond, nanotechnology, magnetometry, equipment development

Bio-optical imaging, foreign body reaction, bacterial adhesion, biofilms, colloid and interface science

Biological fluid mechanics and locomotion of marine, aquatic and aerial organisms, i.e. swimming and flying in all its forms. Steady and unsteady hydro- and aerodynamics of swimming and flying in nature and technology. Filtration systems in nature and technology. Biomimetics of locomotion including energetic consequences, filtration and sensory systems.

Physics of invertebrate vision and animal coloration.

Computational protein nanopore design

Theoretical Chemistry and Computational Modeling
Molecular dynamics
Coarse-Grained Models
Force Field Parametrization
Proteins and Biomembranes

STED super resolution microscopy, image-analysis, single-molecule biofysics, cell biology

Molecular dynamics
Intrinsically disordered proteins
Nuclear pore complexes
Protein design

Our main expertise is in the application of advanced methods of NMR spectroscopy to various types of solids, supramolecular assemblies, and (semi/soft) materials. Using the versatile tools of modern solid-state NMR spectroscopy we dissect dynamics as well as structure on the atomic scale. Most of our measurements employ magic-angle-spinning NMR methods, which are applicable to a wide array of materials of both biological and human-made origins. 

In a biological and biomedical context we have developed a particular interest in using the above techniques (along with other biophysical experiments) to probe the molecular mechanisms of human disease. A particular focus has been on the protein misfolding and aggregation behind Huntington's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. Moreover, we have a strong interest in study the behavior of lipid membranes and how they are modulated by protein/peptide-lipid interactions.

We are increasingly applying similar experiments to determine the structure-function relationship of various functional materials. A particular interest in this area is the increasing use of bio-inspired principles to design bio-mimetic functional materials. These include responsive hydrogels, functionalized nanomaterials and other nano-assemblies. 

enzymes, protein engineering, computational protein design, in silico screening