Isabel W.C.E. Arends (born 1966) is a Dutch chemist and professor of

biocatalysis Biocatalysis refers to the use of living (biological) systems or their parts to speed up (catalyze) chemical reactions. In biocatalytic processes, natural catalysts, such as enzymes, perform chemical transformations on organic compounds. Both enzy ...

and

organic chemistry Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms that contain carbon atoms.Clayden, J.; ...

Utrecht University Utrecht University (UU; nl, Universiteit Utrecht, formerly ''Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht'') is a public research university in Utrecht, Netherlands. Established , it is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands. In 2018, it had an enrollme ...

. She was appointed dean of its Faculty of Science in July 2018. Her research specializes in environmentally-friendly, or 'green', chemistry; for example, using

enzyme Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...

s as biocatalysts while avoiding the need for

toxic Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a subst ...

solvents.

Academic career

Arends studied physical organic chemistry at

Leiden University Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a Public university, public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William the Silent, William, Prince o ...

between 1984 and 1988, obtaining an MsC. In 1993 she obtained her PhD at the same university with a thesis titled: 'Thermolysis of arene derivatives with coal-type hydrogen donors', studying with Prof. Rob Louw and Dr. Peter Mulder. Following graduation, Arends spent a year as a postdoctoral researcher in Ottawa, Canada at the Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences. She joined Delft University of Technology in 1995, and was awarded a research fellowship of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) in the field of biomimetic oxidations. Between 2001 and 2006 she worked as associate and assistant professor at Delft University of Technology. In 2007 she was promoted to full professor of Biocatalysis and Organic Chemistry. She served as the chair of the Biotechnology Department at Delft University of Technology from 2013 to 2018, vice-chair of the Applied and Engineering Sciences domain of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, and founded the TU Delft Bioengineering Institute in 2016. Arends was elected a member of the

Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences ( nl, Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, abbreviated: KNAW) is an organization dedicated to the advancement of science and literature in the Netherlands. The academy is housed ...

(KNAW) in 2017.

References

1966 births Living people Academic staff of the Delft University of Technology 21st-century Dutch chemists Dutch women chemists Leiden University alumni Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Academic staff of Utrecht University {{Netherlands-scientist-stub