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Research GBB Research Principal Investigators Prof. dr. Egbert Boekema

Biosketch

Prof. dr. Egbert Boekema
Prof. dr. Egbert Boekema

Prof. Egbert Boekema was trained in biochemistry (PhD in 1984) and in particular in bioenergetics and photosynthesis. His main tool to investigate these fields has been electron microscopy, using single particle analysis. A central theme in his work is the elucidation of protein supercomplexes, mainly large associates of membrane proteins in chloroplasts and mitochondria. Starting with Complex I in his PhD study, Boekema has always continued to work on relevant textbook enzymes, such as ATP synthase, Photosystem I and Photosystem II. He first described the supercomplexes of Photosystem II and Light-harvesting Complex II and many other photosynthetic supercomplexes, including the giant supercomplexes of Photosystem I with 18 and 43 copies of the stress protein IsiA. His main research areas included:

• Structure determination of plant Photosystem II;

• Structure determination of cyanobacterial Photosystem I

Egbert Boekema retired October, 2017. He has published >300 peer-reviewed papers with >21,800 citations (Google Scholar) and his work still receives a lot of interest from peers and researchers in the photosynthesis field. He acquired numerous grants from NWO and the EU (framework programs until Horizon2020), including investment grants for installing at the time state-of-the art electron microscopes. As full professor (since 2004) he has successfully supervised 15 PhD students and contributed to many more as co-supervisor. Egbert has been board member of the GBB institute between 2012 and 2016, but remained active until 2022 to finalize supervision of his last PhD student and to act as chair of the PhD defence committees for GBB PhD students.

Last modified:26 October 2023 2.27 p.m.