Cees Dekker

Cornelis "Cees" Dekker, born in Haren in 1959 is a scientist known for his research on carbon nanotubes and molecular biophysics. He has more than 150 publications, including more than 20 papers in Nature and Science. Three of his group publications have been cited more than 1000 times, 20 papers got cited more than 100 times, and in 2001, his group work was selected as "breakthrough of the year" by the journal "Science". [ [http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=author%3Ac-dekker&hl=en&lr=&btnG=Search Google Scholar Search About Cees Dekker Publication] ] , [ [http://www.ceesdekker.net/publications.htm Dekker Publications] ] He was awarded the Spinozapremie in 2003.

He graduated in Experimental Physics at the University of Utrecht in 1984. From 1988 to 1993 Dekker was University Lecturer at the University of Utrecht; in these years he also worked in the United States as Visiting Researcher at IBM Research. It was during this period that Dekker carried out research at the University of Utrecht and at IBM on magnetic spin systems and on noise in superconductors and semiconductors.

In 1993 he was appointed as University Associate Professor at the Delft University of Technology. At the end of the 90s Dekker and his team achieved success with the discovery of the electronic properties of carbon nanotubes, the first single-molecule transistor and applied nanotechnology.

In 1999 he was appointed to the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Professorship, a chair for promising young scientists. In 2000 this appointment was converted to a regular professorship in Molecular Biophysics at the Faculty of Applied Sciences. [ [http://www.tudelft.nl/live/pagina.jsp?id=9596fcb2-a427-43b7-aa78-9425fad6526c&lang=en Cees Dekker University Professor at Delft University of Technology] ] In 2007, he was appointed as a Distinguished University Professor at Delft.

Dekker is a christian and has been an active participant in the discussion about the relation between science and religion. He expressed a critical position regarding neo-Darwinism, and showed sympathy for the possibility of Intelligent Design, although more recently he distanced himself from it. He co-authored and co-edited three books about the relationship between science and religion, which were criticized by some leading members of the Dutch academic community. Dekker himself is an active member of an evangelical church community, and thinks christian beliefs and science do not oppose each other.

Research overview

He started his research on Single carbon nanotubes in 1993. A new line of research was set up to study electrical transport through single organic molecules between nanoelectrodes. In 1996 a breakthrough was realized with carbon nanotubes. This was achieved in a collaboration with the group of Nobel laureate Richard Smalley. STM and nanolithography techniques were used to demonstrate that these nanotubes are quantum wires at the single-molecule level, with outstanding physical properties. Many new phenomena were discovered, and He and his research group [ [http://www.tudelft.nl/live/pagina.jsp?id=85b09794-3d21-4eaf-86e6-92af611a250c&lang=en Molecular Biophysics Group at TU Delft] ] have established a leading position in this field of research. Dekker and his research group continue to examine the new physics of nanotubes as well as to explore the feasibility of molecular-scale electronics.

Dekker has now (since 2001) shifted the main focus of his work towards single biomolecules. This is driven by his fascination for the astonishing functioning of biological molecular structures, as well as by the long-term perspective that many interesting discoveries can be expected in this field. The tools of nanotechnology do, in his opinion, provide exciting possibilities for studying biological systems. Many new biophysics projects have recently been started in his group, for example: Local probe studies of DNA repair, redox and restriction enzymes, translocation of DNA through solid-state nanopores and nanofluidic channels, biomolecular motors, and DNA-mediated assembly of hybrid nanostructures such as nanotubes. [ [http://www.ceesdekker.net/files/LongCV.pdf Dekker Long CV] ]

Achievements

* 2001, discovery of single-electron transistors at room temperature based on nanotubes
* 2001, realization of first logic circuits with carbon nanotube devices
* 2001, discovery of the molecular structure of DNA repair enzymes with AFM
* 2002, exploration of new assembly routes with carbon nanotubes functionalized with DNA
* 2003, demonstrated the first biosensors made out of a carbon nanotube
* 2003, resolved the structure and mechanism of particular DNA repair proteins
* 2003, discovered a new technique for fabricating solid-state nanopores for DNA translocation
* 2004, discovery of new physics in translocation of DNA through nanopores
* 2004, first experimental study of ions conduction in nanofluidic channels
* 2004, first electrochemistry with individual single-wall carbon nanotubes
* 2004, STM detection and control of phonons in carbon nanotubes
* 2004, first electrical docking of microtubules for kinesin-coated nanostructures
* 2004, first biophysics characterization of double-stranded RNA
* 2004, first single-molecule study of DNA Translocation by a restriction-Modification Enzyme
* 2005, discovery of the mechanism of DNA uncoiling by toposiomerase IB
* 2005, discovery of long-range conformational changes in Mre11 DNA repair complexes
* 2005, first force measurements on a DNA molecule in a nanopore
* 2006, first demonstration of molecular sorting in a lab on a chip using biomotors
* 2006, discovery of nanobubbles in solid-state nanopores [ [http://www.ceesdekker.net Cees Dekker Homepage] ]

References