Roelant Hilgers

Roelant Hilgers is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Chemistry at Wageningen University & Research. His research focuses on enzymatic reactions in food systems, particularly involving lipoxygenases, laccases, and oxidoreductases for applications in plant-based food processing and lignin/polysaccharide modification.

• Education: PhD in Food Chemistry (completed 2020).
• Affiliations: Wageningen University & Research (current), Myceliophthora thermophila collaborations.

His work spans biochemical mechanisms of enzyme-mediated browning reactions, lignocellulose degradation, and catalytic systems for food and biotechnological applications. Current projects include:

• Mechanisms of aroma generation in plant-based meat analogues using heme-proteins.
• Chemical and sensorial analysis of flavor-enhancing compounds.
• Phenolics-mediated copper enzyme systems for food processing.

Research trends from his publications include:

• Enzymatic manipulation of lignin and polysaccharides (laccase/mediator systems, AA9 monooxygenases).
• Food chemistry applications (browning control, antioxidant interactions).
• High-throughput screening for enzyme activity optimization.

He supervises PhD candidates in food biotechnology and collaborates on cross-disciplinary projects with institutions in Europe and beyond.