Nico Sommerdijk

Nico Sommerdijk is a Professor of Bone Biochemistry at the Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen. Previously, he held positions at Eindhoven University of Technology, including Full Professor (2014–2019) and Head of the Laboratory of Materials and Interface Chemistry. His research focuses on biomineralization, biomimetic materials, and advanced electron microscopy techniques, particularly cryo-EM and liquid-phase EM. He earned his PhD (cum laude) from Radboud University Nijmegen in 1995 and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Kent (UK), Radboud University, and Eindhoven University of Technology.

He pioneered the use of cryo-EM to study organic-inorganic interactions and founded the Radboud Electron Microscopy Center. His work has been supported by prestigious grants, including an ERC Advanced Grant (2018), NWO VICI (2010), and TOP-PUNT (2016). Notable awards include the Royal Society of Chemistry Soft Matter Award (2015) and the NWO VIDI Award (2006).

Key research areas include collagen mineralization mechanisms, crystal nucleation, and biomaterial design. His interdisciplinary approach bridges chemistry, materials science, and biophysics, with applications in biomedical materials and geology.