Course
NanoBioPhysX course
Interdisciplinary fundamental science and outreach course activity linked to the NanoBioPhysX club
Course outline
As part of the course, participants will organize one meet-the-speaker session, be the chair of the meeting, and write a small popular science feature about the seminar. Scientific Communication (SciComm) to non-experts has become an important transferable skill that every scientist should master. The popular science feature is therefore aimed at the general public, and it will communicate the research presented by the invited speaker in an accessible way. Depending on suitability, it will be sent to Resource for publication, posted on the NanoBioPhysX club website and further publicized via social media. Furthermore, a workshop popular science communication is organised once per year. Successful completion of the course is based on the active participation in seminars and meet-the-speaker sessions, the organization and chairing of meet-the-speaker sessions, and the written feature.
Course aim
This course aims to:
- Immerse participants in an interdisciplinary scientific environment and widen their scientific horizon.
- Foster scientific discussion and develop an interdisciplinary fundamental scientific community.
- Gain societal outreach experience and improve popular science writing targeted at the general public.
Target group
PhD candidates working on fundamental topics (experiment or theory) within the crossover field of nanotechnology, biology, physics and chemistry, interested in broadening their academic scope and societal reach.
Programme topics
The course is linked to the monthly sessions of the NanoBioPhysX Club. The NanoBioPhysX Club aspires to bring together ALL scientists at WUR who work in the broad areas of the Molecular Life Sciences / Biochemistry / Biophysics and adjacent fields like Bioinformatics and more (specifically invited as the 'X').
In other words, everyone who shares the enthusiasm for fundamental and interdisciplinary biomolecular research down to the nanoscale.
Course participants join the monthly seminars organised by the NanoBioPhysX Club and participate in the associated meet-the-speaker sessions which are open to attendance for course participants only.
More information on the specific topics will follow on the website of the NanoBioPhysX Club once a speaker is confirmed. The topics are introduced by excellent speakers and professors at the forefront of their field, who bridge at least two classical science disciplines, and who can engage a broad audience with an attractive talk.
Schedule
The seminars organised by the NanoBioPhysX Club are held every last Wednesday of the month throughout the year (except Dec, July, Aug). The seminar series is planned to start again on Wednesday, September 24, 2025.
Past and future speakers can be found on https://www.nanobiophysx.club/programme.
The course comprises nine seminars/year. Meet-the-speaker sessions will be 1 hour, followed by 1 hour of seminar and questions. Drinks will be organised after the seminar to provide ample opportunity to network.
Organisation
The course is organised by the Biophysics and the Physics and Physical Chemistry of Foods groups at Wageningen University in cooperation with VLAG Graduate School. The course is related to the ongoing NanoBioPhysX Club, organised by dr Johannes Hohlbein and dr Jasper Landman.
Course coordinators
For information about the course contents please contact the course coordinators Dr. Johannes Hohlbein (johannes.hohlbein@wur.nl) or Dr. Jasper Landman (Jasper.Landman@wur.nl).
For organizational matters please contact Jochem Jonkman (jochem.jonkman@wur.nl) from VLAG Graduate School.
Date & duration
Course registration is initially for the duration of 1 year. Course participants will attend the meet-the-speaker sessions and NanoBioPhysX Club seminars organised every last Wednesday of the month (except in December, July, and August). The seminars start at 16.00h, and will be preceded by a 1h meet-the-speaker session.
Up to three years of participation to the NanoBioPhysX course could be combined.
Study load
The study load for full participation in the course during one year is 1 ECTS, depending on the number of sessions attended throughout the year. This includes your participation to the sessions, preparing a meet-the-speaker session and writing a popular science feature on one of the sessions.
Language
The course language will be English.
Contact information
For information about the course contents please contact the course coordinators Dr. Johannes Hohlbein (johannes.hohlbein@wur.nl) or Dr. Jasper Landman (Jasper.Landman@wur.nl).
For organizational matters please contact Jochem Jonkman (jochem.jonkman@wur.nl) from VLAG Graduate School.
You can subscribe to the NanoBioPhysX Club newsletter on this page (link)
Location
The course intends to take place at the campus of Wageningen University & Research.
Registration & course fee
For registration, click here to go to the registration page
We aim for an initial number of 15-20 participants, with a maximum of 30. Applicants will be informed of acceptance of their registration within two weeks of the final registration date. They will then receive instructions for payment, a letter of acceptance and further course details.
Early bird registration deadline is 30 July 2025. Registration closes 29 August 2025. Participants will receive information about the program shortly after this date.
Course fee
The course fee includes access to all course sessions and related downloadable materials. The fee depends on the participant's status:
| Registration type | Early bird fee* | Regular fee |
| WUR** PhD candidates with approved TSP | € 125 | € 175 |
| All other PhD candidates | € 225 | € 275 |
* Early bird registration deadline 30 July 2025
**VLAG/EPS/PE&RC/WASS/WIAS/WIMEK PhD candidates with an approved TSP.
Cancellations policy
After registering, participants are held to the VLAG Cancellation Conditions.