Walter M. van Gulik

Dr. Walter M. van Gulik is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biotechnology at the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology. His research group focuses on obtaining a quantitative understanding of industrial microorganisms under harsh dynamic conditions in large-scale industrial bioreactors.

Research Interests

Dr. van Gulik's research spans several key areas in biotechnology, with a strong emphasis on Metabolic Systems Engineering and Quantitative Metabolomics. His work combines both computational and experimental approaches to understand microbial metabolism and its regulation. He has developed an excellent reputation in the international scientific community for combining theory and experimentation, particularly in quantitative metabolomics and the development of tools for unraveling in-vivo metabolic regulation of microbial cells.

His research is strongly driven by the need to develop sustainable production processes based on microbial fermentations using renewable feedstocks. He believes in the immense potential of microbial cell factories for producing pharmaceuticals and chemicals, and that full exploitation requires predictive (re)design of microbial metabolism.

Teaching Activities

Dr. van Gulik teaches several courses including Metabolic Engineering (LB2771), Fermentation Technology & Environmental Biotechnology (LM3741), and Analysis of Metabolic Networks (LM3432). His teaching philosophy emphasizes providing students with a quantitative, model-based approach to biotechnological processes, which is used for process design and redesign of cell factories. He incorporates exercises and assignments to develop students' insight and calculatory and modelling skills.

Academic Supervision

Dr. van Gulik has supervised numerous PhD candidates whose research covered diverse topics in industrial microbiology and biotechnology. His former PhD students include Florence Lip, Kartik Arun Totlani, Lucas Gelain, Yaya Liu, Ana Maria Zetty Arenas, Francisca Lameiras, Luisa da Cruz, Mihir Shah, Amit Deshmukh, Elaheh Jamalzadeh, Rutger Douma, Lodewijk de Jonge, Hilal Taymaz, Andre Canelas, Michiel van Leeuwen, Uly Nasution, Liang Wu, and Mlawule Mashego.

He also mentors post-doctoral fellows including Dr. Yanfang Wang, Agnes Janoska, Sushil Gaykawad, Amit Deshmukh, Rob Brooijmans, Kristel Bernaerts, Marjan de Meij, and Mlawule Mashego.

Laboratory and Research Group

Dr. van Gulik leads the Walter van Gulik Group within the Industrial Microbiology research section of the Biotechnology Department. His group applies both computational and experimental tools to achieve a quantitative understanding of industrial microorganisms. The group has obtained an excellent reputation within the field of metabolic systems engineering in the international scientific community.