dr. Robin van den Biggelaar

Research

My research focuses on host-directed therapies (HDTs) as innovative strategies to address antimicrobial resistance. I study intracellular bacterial pathogens that evade conventional antibiotics by residing within host cells, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, non-tuberculous mycobacteria, Salmonella enterica, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Using human cell–based infection models, I develop and apply quantitative, time-resolved assays to measure intracellular bacterial survival and to assess synergy between small-molecule drugs and conventional antibiotics. In parallel, I investigate the underlying host-cell mechanisms—such as autophagy, lysosomal function, and related stress pathways—using targeted mechanistic readouts to understand how these interventions restrict intracellular bacterial survival while limiting host toxicity.

Curriculum Vitae

I earned my BSc (Honours) in Biomedical Sciences and MSc in Infection and Immunology from Utrecht University. During my internships, I investigated the safety of the antimalarial drug primaquine at Radboud MC, explored the role of sialic acids during coronavirus infections at Utrecht University, and studied differences between CD8⁺ and DN MAIT cells at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. After my studies, I pursued a PhD in veterinary immunology at Utrecht University within the IMI2-funded VAC2VAC consortium, in which I developed animal-free assays to evaluate the immunostimulatory properties and quality of poultry vaccines. I also contributed to collaborative initiatives aimed at replacing animal-based vaccine testing more broadly and took part in pioneering studies on trained innate immunity in chickens.

After completing my PhD in 2021, I started my postdoc, working jointly at the LUMC and the Institute of Biology. My project, funded by NWO NACTAR, focused on the identification of host-directed therapies (HDTs) against intracellular bacterial bacteria using cellular and zebrafish embryo infection models. Since 2023, I work fully within the LUMC as part of the NWO-funded MycobacteriumXL consortium, identifying broadly active HDTs against M. tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacteria, and studying their mechanisms. Recently, I was co-awarded an Open Science NL Replication Studies grant to re-examine previous findings suggesting drug-induced phospholipidosis can confound antimicrobial drug discovery.