HydRegen appoint Dr Willem Breukelaar as a Scientist specialising in Biocatalysis
HydRegen, the revolutionary bioscience company, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Willem Breukelaar as a Scientist and specialist in biocatalysis. Following more than 4 years of specialist research, Willem brings a broad knowledge of biocatalytic reactions in organic chemistry and enzyme production.
“I am proud to be part of such an innovative business like HydRegen, who is taking action to revolutionise chemical manufacturing.”
Willem began his research of biocatalytic reactions during his Bachelor of Science thesis on homogeneous, supramolecular and bio-inspired catalysis in 2016, at the University of Amsterdam, before undertaking a Master’s project on biocatalytic synthesis at the University of Graz. It was during his Master’s project that Willem gained his extensive knowledge of biocatalytic reactions and preparation of enzyme variants, developing analytics for biotransformations. In 2019, Willem commenced his PhD project at the same University, continuing his research of biocatalytic synthesis. Focused on the enantioselective reduction of oximes to amines, he produced biocatalysts in various preparations and optimised redox biocatalytic reactions both on analytical and preparative scales.
HydRegen spun out from the University of Oxford in 2021, facilitating the implementation of its new strategies to reduce the environmental impact of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing. Its bio-based manufacturing technologies are cleaner, safer and more efficient than current chemical manufacturing processes, addressing the unmet needs of the chemical sector by enabling more sustainable chemical manufacturing. With a focus on the fine chemicals and pharmaceutical sectors, HydRegen’s vision is to replace finite resources for hydrogenation reactions, such as metals, with environmentally and economically friendly alternatives.
Dr Holly Reeve, CEO at HydRegen said: “Having first met Willem at a conference some months ago, I was instantly struck by his enthusiasm for synthetic organic chemistry and biocatalysis and his passion for making the industry cleaner. His broad range of experience with biocatalytic reactions will be of great value as we look to scale up our specialist enzyme production and create multiple sustainable and versatile solutions to take to market. Our continued development of greener and less wasteful bio-based manufacturing technologies will help our clients reduce their environmental impact whilst also reducing their costs.”
Dr Willem Breukelaar, Scientist in Biocatalysis at HydRegen comments: “I’ve had a deep interest in enzyme catalysis ever since my Master’s course which has led me to be a part of some really interesting research projects. One thing that struck me about synthetic organic chemistry and biocatalysis was how dirty and wasteful it could be. I’ve always been driven to try and find ways in which we can make the world a better place than when we found it, and by joining the experienced team at HydRegen I feel I can contribute to this by helping make chemical manufacturing more sustainable. There is no one magic answer to reducing the impact this sector has on the environment, but through collaboration and working together we can effect change. I am proud to be part of such an innovative business like HydRegen, who is taking action to revolutionise chemical manufacturing.”
ENDS
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Notes to editors:
HydRegen Ltd is pioneering a novel biotechnology that enables more sustainable chemical manufacture. At HydRegen, we are passionate about reducing the environmental impact of chemical manufacturing and committed to enabling companies across the chemicals sector to improve their energy and resource efficiency whilst moving towards continuous manufacturing processes.