Leading microbiologist Arnold Driessen honoured

On 25 April 2025, Arnold Driessen (Horst, the Netherlands, 1958) received a Royal Decoration. Driessen is Professor of Molecular Microbiology and chair of the Molecular Microbiology research department of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Groningen. He received the insignia belonging to the Royal Decoration in the category of Knight of the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands from Mayor Mirjam van 't Veld of the Municipality of Groningen.

An especially amicable, pragmatic and top-notch researcher par excellence with a world-class reputation: this is in a nutshell how national and international colleagues describe Arnold Driessen. During his career, this outstanding and passionate microbiologist has become one of the ambassadors of Dutch academia. This is also evidenced by his appointment as member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2009 and the many prestigious fellowships and prizes he has acquired over the years. It has always been his ambition to engage in difficult, fundamentally academic challenges and to connect newly obtained insights to the understanding of important cellular processes. He translates these insights and this new knowledge into promising societal applications, particularly within biotechnology.

World-class pioneering research

In his fundamental research, Driesen focuses on various aspects of the microbial cells of bacteria, yeasts, and fungi in a ground-breaking and creative way. He is an international pioneer and expert in the field of so-called transport proteins and lipids, studying on a nanoscale how these proteins let small molecules pass through a membrane. Grasping these kinds of complex processes yields valuable insights into the formation of resistant cells. He also studies the biosynthesis of lipids and metabolites in especially difficult to cultivate microorganisms such as archaea: single-cell microorganisms belonging to the oldest life forms on Earth that can survive in extreme conditions. Additionally, he is working on the genetical modification of yeasts and fungi to render them usable in industrial fermentation. After all of these academic accomplishments, his attention is currently mostly focused on researching the question of how life on Earth evolved from a single-cell common ancestor.

Societally relevant breakthroughs

Driessen's approach is always aimed towards engaging in new challenges. Time and time again he is able to achieve ground-breaking, societally relevant results with his well-thought-out and innovative experiments. With his research into production processes for biofuels and the building blocks for biomaterials on an industrial scale, he has made a valuable contribution to the development of renewable resources and the sustainable bio-based economy. He was also a key figure of the research into the biosynthesis of the penicillin antibiotic and the developments in the field of medicine resistance, biotechnological applications, and the production of antibiotics and medicine.

Role model

Driessen has always actively sought out collaborations, both within and outside the academic world. For example, he participated in the first public-private partnerships aimed at researching antibiotic resistance — still one of the greatest challenges of our time, according to the WHO. Together with chemists such as Ben Feringa, he was also involved in the development of photoswitchable antibiotics and thereby the research field of photopharmacology. He worked closely with researchers of the UMCG on this to develop antibiotics-with-a-switch for so-called location specific treatments of cancer, among other things. In many ways, this makes him a role model to colleagues, students, companies, policymakers, journalists, and other public stakeholders.

Inspirational leader

Under Driessen's inspiring leadership, the Molecular Microbiology research group repeatedly received excellent assessments for research quality, productivity, viability, and relevance to applications. His own production is exceptionally high and consists of almost 500 scientific articles with no less than 42,000 citations. He has often made academic contributions to highly regarded academic journals and books and he has ten patents to his name. Driessen has supervised almost 90 PhD students and over 40 post-doctoral researchers within his group, including a large number of young international academics. These days, many of them have built their own successful careers in academia and industry.

Inspiring mentor

Students, young researchers, and staff members praise Driessen for his inspiring vision on the future of his research field and the challenging paths he shows them to new, smart, and sustainable biotechnological applications. As a mentor, he allows them ample freedom to independently consider whether they want to go down the unbeaten path and make new discoveries. He keeps an eye on their progress and when a path seems to be a dead end or in the case of personal circumstances, he timely adjusts course. This way, projects and PhD tracks are always completed successfully.

Experienced administrator

Driessen is also a beloved administrator because of his down-to-earth approach and extensive experience in handling complex situations and making strong, well-considered decisions on both strategic choices and solutions to personal and sensitive cases. Additionally, he has participated in many working groups and committees, both within and outside the University. As a board member and Academic Director, he has played a crucial part in the successful, international development of the Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute (GBB).

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