VerhelstLab

After a close friend was diagnosed with cancer, medical student Emeric Bomans at KU Leuven decided to run the Antwerp marathon on Oct 19, 2025. I am joining this year as well. Please consider donating to Emeric’s cause. And any gift above 40 EUR is tax deductable (in Belgium).

Some journeys are even tougher – getting diagnosed and facing a battle with cancer, for example. Fortunately, I have never encountered this, but many people have.

Run for tomorrow - donate.kuleuven.cloud/crowdfunding/k… You may know that I am an avid runner, for >35 years. The older, the more motivated I became. 2024, I ran my first full marathon. When I crossed the finish line, I thought: "This was the toughest thing I’ve ever done (beside a PhD)."

There are still 6 days left to apply for these two PhD student positions in my lab! One in Organic Synthesis (focus on carbohydrates) and one in Cell Biology/Biochemistry.

Are you interested in chemical biology approaches and like to work in an interdisciplinary and international environment, with excellent scientific training possibilities? See above links for details on the projects and how to apply!

My lab has two open positions! One in Organic Chemistry (focus on carbohydrates), one in Cell Biology/Biochemistry. Deadline Sept 3rd, 2025! PhD student Organic Synthesis: kuleuven.be/personeel/jobs… PhD student Cell Biology/Biochemistry: kuleuven.be/personeel/jobs… 📷

@J_McGouran See you there!

I joined blue sky, the chemistry community is picking up momentum, so I will likely be makeing my sporadic chemical biology updates over there. If you are over there come say hi, if not I'll leave you with this delightful photo of my dog on a paddle board

a few years back @RuiMoreira_UL encouraged me to join this social media platform. I see more and more scientists leave here, and I will also from now on be posting at bluesky.

Congrats to all authors, especially to first author Shanping Ji. Also thanks to @KvidoStrisovsky , Martin Lepsik @Lepsik_science and @RuiMoreira_UL for the collaboration.

Please check out our most recently accepted paper on oxo-beta-lactams as inhibitors for the human intramembrane protease PARL. Note that this will likely be my last post on X. Please join me at bluesky! pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ac…

I see less and less scientist here. Where have they gone? Mastodon? Bluesky? Something else? What is the recommended platform?

@petofmistressN No, I do not understand. What does LGBTI policy have to do with economic standpoints? Why don't you compare the relevant policies to each other? By the way, if you are a college student, please work on your punctuation and language. It will help you in your future.

@VerhelstLab I am a physics student!! Let me clarify ground reality is people want better lives house food all these movements fights trans shit pronoun shit lgbt is bull shit in longer run people want good food house low rent!!! I hope uou understand

I'm on X to promote science, and I generally do not mix in other discussions. But today I am just confused. How can it be that Donald Trump was re-elected president?

I am ending this thread with a quote of Charles Bukowski, one of my favorite authors: “We are here to drink beer. We are here to kill war. We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.”

There is only one planet. There is only one life to live. Live it well, and keep the planet and human society well for the next generation.