Curriculum vitae:
Vanaf 1983 heb ik een studie chemische biologie aan de Universiteit van Utrecht gevolgd, daarna in 1996 gepromoveerd in de biochemie aan de Universiteit van Leiden. Na postdoc posities in Leiden en Wageningen ben ik in 2000 aangesteld als onderzoeker bij Wageningen Research. Sinds 2019 ben ik Chief Technology Officer bij Isobionics, onderdeel van BASF. Ik ben co-auteur op 135 wetenschappelijke publicaties en 15 patent families. Tijdens mijn academische carrière in Wageningen heb ik mij voornamelijk bezig gehouden met de vraag hoe planten bruikbare ingrediënten maken. Dit onderzoek heeft zich gericht op analyse van metabolieten, het ontrafelen van metabole routes, en het engineeren van metabole routes in planten en in micro-organismen.
The nitrogen issue has always had his special attention because it serves as an example for tackling all sustainability problems in view of the systems approach needed to balance all actors, media, effects and primary human motives (energy, food, nature and health). In addition, it has many substantive issues that make the problems interesting in themselves, both multi-, trans- and mono disciplinary.
Jan Willem played an important role in advising universities, governments, industry, media and citizens about the nitrogen issues and potential solutions.
Jan Willem has initiated several (inter)national projects, committees and organisations that work on the issue of nitrogen in relation to food and energy production and the environment. He was treasurer of the International Geosphere Biosphere Program (IGBP) that coordinated large global earth science research programs. Until 2020 he was the CEO of the Louis Bolk Institute, a knowledge based institute working towards sustainable agriculture, nutrition and health.
