L.B. Snoek

Dr. L.B. Snoek serves as an Assistant Professor in the Bioinformatics group within the Faculty of Science at Utrecht University. His research bridges computational biology with experimental approaches to understand genetic and phenotypic variation across different organisms. He leads the systems genetics and network biology lab, focusing on high-throughput techniques like RNA-sequencing to analyze complex biological interactions.

Dr. Snoek obtained his Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry/Biotechnology from Enschede University College in 2000, followed by a Master's in Plant Biotechnology/Genetics from Wageningen University in 2002. He completed his PhD at Utrecht University in 2009, with subsequent research positions at Wageningen University, NIOO, and his current role at Utrecht University where he became Assistant Professor in 2020.

His research interests center on genetical genomics and systems genetics, particularly studying natural variation in transcript abundance in organisms like Caenorhabditis elegans and Arabidopsis. He investigates how gene regulatory networks can be constructed using Recombinant Inbred Lines and Introgression Lines, with applications to agriculturally important traits and human disease models. His work on network biology focuses on integrating multi-level biological measurements to understand complex interactions from gene to ecosystem levels.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on quantitative trait loci mapping, expression QTL analysis, and the impact of environmental factors on gene expression. His work spans plant biology (particularly lettuce, rice, and tomato), nematode genetics, and microbiome interactions, demonstrating an interdisciplinary approach that combines computational methods with experimental validation. Recent projects show increasing integration of machine learning and big data approaches to tackle complex biological questions.

Dr. Snoek is actively involved in teaching, contributing to programs including Bioinformatics and Biocomplexity, Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences, and teaching courses on Python and R for life sciences. He currently serves as Principal Investigator for the LettuceKnow project, a TTW Perspective Grant focused on establishing lettuce as a model crop through quantitative genetics approaches. His lab maintains collaborations across multiple institutions, including ongoing work with NIOO-KNAW on ecosystem studies and Wageningen University on nematode research.