Curriculum Vitae Prof. Dr. A.J. Minnaard

Head of the department of Chemical Biology
Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen
University of Groningen, The Netherlands
A.J.Minnaard@rug.nl

Education

1997

Cum Laude

PhD in Organic Chemistry, “Germacrane Sesquiterpenes; Synthesis and Role in Biosynthesis” , Wageningen Agricultural University, NL (PhD promotor: Prof. Æ. de Groot, co-promotor Dr. J.B.P.A. Wijnberg)

1991

Cum laude

Master in Molecular Sciences, Wageningen Agricultural University, NL

Current position

2009 –

Full Professor in Bio-organic Chemistry, head of the department of Chemical Biology, University of Groningen

Previous positions

1997 – 1999

Researcher at DSM-Research in Geleen.

1999 – 2005

Assistant Professor at the Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, in the department of Synthetic Organic Chemistry headed by Prof. Dr. B.L. Feringa

2006 – 2009

Associate Professor in Bio-Organic Chemistry, Stratingh Institute for Chemistry.

2006 – 2007

Guest Professor at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany, in the Chemical Biology group of Prof. Dr. H. Waldmann.

2007 –

Head of the department of Chemical Biology, Stratingh institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen

2009 –

Full Professor in Bio-organic Chemistry, head of the department of Chemical Biology, University of Groningen

2016 –2021

Director of the Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen

Teaching and supervision

Since 1999

Teacher in organic chemistry and catalysis in the BSc Chemistry, BSc Pharmacy, BSc Biology, MSc Chemistry.

Since 1999

Principal supervisor of 31 completed PhD theses. Current principal supervisor of 7 PhD students. Total guided number of postdocs: 19, currently supervisor of 5 postdocs. Supervisor Masters: >60 students. In the last 10 years guided 3 tenure track Assistant Professors to tenure (Prof. Dr. A. K.H. Hirsch, Prof. Dr. M.D. Witte, Prof. Dr. M.T.C. Walvoort).

Extracurricular scientific activities

Executive functions

2012 – 2015

Chairman of the Board of the Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, NL

2012 – 2015

Deputy Director Bachelor &Master – Chemistry & Chemical Engineering degrees, University of Groningen, NL

2010 – 2015

Chairman of the Dutch Science Foundation Study group – Design and Synthesis, NL

2008 – 2012

Member of the board, Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, NL

2007 – present

Head of the Department of Chemical Biology, Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, NL

2006 – 2011

Member of the board of the Netherlands Institute for Catalysis Research (NIOK), NL

2005 – present

Member of the board of the Backerfonds (foundation that promotes Organic Chemistry in The Netherlands)

Advisory Boards (Selection only)

2017-2021

President of the Scientific Advisory Board of the European Symposium on Organic Chemistry

2013-2023

Member of the scientific advisory board of the European Symposium on Organic Chemistry

2013, 2016, 2021

Member of the advisory board of the HRSMC Summer school, New Vistas in Organic Synthesis

2014-2019, 2021

Member of the scientific advisory board of the Lorentz Center (International Center for Workshops in the Sciences

Invited lectures (Selection only)

2022-2023

On average, Minnaard has been invited to 4 (inter)national lectures per year for the last 10 years. Most recent ones include: 2022: ACS Fall meeting (USA); 2023: Gratama Symposium (JPN); 2023: Symposium on Organic Synthesis (GER); 2023: Chemistry Nobel Symposium (SA)

Research grant reviewer

2010 –

NWO, NIH, NSF and for the French, Czech, Finnish, Israeli, and British Science Foundations

Journal reviewer

2010 –

Science, J. Am. Chem. Soc., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., Chem. Rev. …

Editorial board of scientific journals

2008 –

2008-15: Member International advisory board, European Journal of Organic Chemistry; 2011-2021: Member, International Advisory Board, Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry

Publications

  • Contributions to books: 5
  • Patents: 6
  • papers in international refereed  journals: 285, see publication list,
  • h-index = 65

Below a 2006-2023 selection of relevant publications, in part joint publications by Moody, van Rhijn and Minnaard groups

1. M. Holzheimer, J. Buter, A. J. Minnaard, Chemical Synthesis of Cell Wall Constituents of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Chem. Rev. 2021, 121, 9554-9643.  Web.
2. N. Tahiri, P. Fodran, D. Jayaraman, J. Buter, M. D. Witte, T. A. Ocampo, D. B. Moody, I. van Rhijn, A. J. Minnaard,
Total Synthesis of a Mycolic Acid from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.  Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 7555-7560. Web.
3. D. Geerdink, B. J. ter Horst, M. Lepore, L. Mori, G. Puzo, A. K. H. Hirsch, M. Gilleron, G. de Libero, A. J. Minnaard,
Total synthesis, stereochemical elucidation and biological evaluation of Ac2SGL; a 1,3-methyl branched
sulfoglycolipid from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Chem. Sci. 2013, 4, 709-716.  Web.
4. J. Buter, D. Heijnen, S. T. Wan, F. M. Bickelhaupt, D. C. Young, E. Otten, D. B. Moody, A. J. Minnaard, Stereoselective
Synthesis of 1-Tuberculosinyl Adenosine; a Virulence Factor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J. Org. Chem. 2016, 15,
6686-6696. Web.
5. J. Buter, T.-Y. Cheng, M. Ghanem, A. E. Grootemaat, S. Raman, X. Feng, A. R. Plantijn, T. Ennis, J. Wang, R. N. Cotton,
E. Layre, A. K. Ramnarine, J. A. Mayfield, D. C. Young, A. Jezek Martinot, N. Siddiqi, S. Wakabayashi, H. Botella, R.
Calderon, M. Murray, S. Ehrt, B. B. Snider, M. B. Reed, E. Oldfield, S. Tan, E. J. Rubin, M. A. Behr, N. N. van der Wel, A.
J. Minnaard, D. B. Moody, Mycobacterium tuberculosis releases an antacid that remodels phagosomes. Nature
Chem. Biol. 2019, 15, 889-899. Cited as reference (n. 20) on the Wikipedia page of Mycobacterium tuberculosis,
highlighted in Phys.org, C2W.nl, KNCV Tuberculosefonds and longroom.com.  Web
6. B. ter Horst, B. L. Feringa, A. J. Minnaard, Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Phthioceranic Acid, a Heptamethyl-
Branched Acid from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Org. Lett. 2007, 9, 3013-3015.  Web.
7. R. P. van Summeren, D. B. Moody, B. L. Feringa, A. J. Minnaard, Total Synthesis of Enantiopure β-d-Mannosyl
Phosphomycoketides from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 4546-4547.Web.
8. V. K. Mishra, J. Buter, M. S. Blevins, M. D. Witte, I. Van Rhijn, D. B. Moody, J. S. Brodbelt, A. J. Minnaard, Total
Synthesis of an Immunogenic Trehalose Phospholipid from Salmonella Typhi and Elucidation of Its sn-Regiochemistry
by Mass Spectrometry. Org. Lett. 2019, 21, 5126-5131. Web.
9. S. Barroso, R. Castelli, M. P. Baggelaar, D. Geerdink, B. ter Horst, E. Casas-Arce, H. S. Overkleeft, G. A. van der Marel, J.
D. C. Codée, A. J. Minnaard, Total Synthesis of the Triglycosyl Phenolic Glycolipid PGL-tb1 from Mycobacterium
tuberculosis. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2012, 51, 11774-11777. Web.
10. J. F. Reijneveld, M. Holzheimer, D. C. Young, K. Lopez, S. Suliman, J. Jimenez, R. Calderon, L. Lecca, M. B. Murray, E.
Ishikawa, S. Yamasaki, A. J. Minnaard, D. B. Moody, I. Van Rhijn, Synthetic mycobacterial diacyl trehaloses reveal
differential recognition by human T cell receptors and the C-type lectin Mincle. Sci. Rep. 2021, 11, 2010. Web