Curriculum Vitae - Muyldermans Serge (Member)

• Graduated as Chemist at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium in September 1977
• PhD at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium in June 1982 with greatest distinction. The structural organization of chromatosomes (nucleosomes), the subunit of chromatin, (i.e. DNA and histone proteins as occurring in the nucleus of eukaryotes) was investigated for the Ph D dissertation.  This topic remained the main research focus afterwards as well and led to several publications in Nucleic Acids Research, J. Mol. Biol, Biochemistry, J.Biol. Chem and a publication in Nature (1998).
• As a postdoc with skills in cloning, DNA sequencing and genetic engineering Dr Serge Muyldermans switched the focus of his research towards camel heavy chain-only antibodies as a result of their serendipitous discovery in the laboratory at Vrije Universiteit Brussel. He developed a technology to generate and identify the unique single domain antigen binding fragments (referred to as Nanobodies) of these heavy chain-only antibodies.  This technology became the core of Ablynx spin-off of which he was co-founder (2002).

• PhD defended in 1982
• Military service in 1983
• Since 1984 postdoc on research grants
• Since 1986 assistant (professor)
• 1995: Group leader at VIB
• 1998: 15% Professor at Vrije Universiteit Brussel & 85% groupleader at VIB
• Groupleader within Structural Biology department at VIB until December 2014.

Details of current employment

• Professor at Vrije Universiteit Brussel since 2003 (retirement on October 1, 2019)
• Responsible for courses on ‘Immunochemistry’, ‘Recombinant antibody technology’, ‘Applied Immunology’, ‘Analytical Biochemistry’, ‘Nucleic acid chemistry and genetic engineering’, ‘Combinatorial biochemistry and high throughput techniques’, ‘Biotechnology’ (~300 hours/year).
• Guest Professor (10%) at Dalian Technical University (China) since November 2019.
• Adjunct Professor at Xi’an Jiaotong University Xi’an since November 2023-November 2026

• Founder and scientific adviser (till 2010) of spin-off ‘Ablynx’ a company to identify camel single domain antibodies (Nanobodies) for human therapy and diagnostic. Founded in January 2002, located in Ghent, employing 600+ people and having 7 Nanobodies atvarious stage of clinical phase. Acquisition by Sanofi in June 2018 for 3.9 B €.
• Founder of NSF (Nanobody Service Facility) a facility to generate Nanobodies for VIB research groups and academic research groups.
• Co-founder of Zheijang HINT Biopharmaceutical Co, LTD (Xi’an & Hangzhou, China)
• Advisor of/consultancies for Kiso-Ji (Montreal, Canada, generating camel-mouse), Kangyuan (Dalian, China, Nanobodies in Apheresis), Pregene (Shenzhen, China, Nanobodies in CAR-T cells, until 2023), Ajinomoto (Japan), ICBI (CA, US), Moonlake (Zwitserland), Paratus Singapore, Shaanxi Health Innovation Technology.
• Supervisor of visitors that learned the Nanobody identification technology in our group: S. Tillib (Moscow Acad Sci, Russia); A. Olichon (now prof @ University of Toulouse); Y. Wan (now Director of Joint Center for Nanobody Research and Development between SEU and Egens, China); M. Abbady (AEC, Damas, Syria); R. Ben Abderrazek, Hassiki R.& I Hmila (Pasteur Institute Tunis, & University of Tunis); Behdani M, Evasalipour M &Hababi-Anbouh M (Tehran, Iran), M. Adel Zakri (King Saud University, Saudi); L. Kent (Cambridge University, UK); SigalGelkop (Beer Sheva, Israel)& 40 more
• Supervision or (co-)promotor of ~ 90 master students from 1990 onwards on camel antibodies and ~20 Ph.D. works on camel antibodies. External jury member at other universities of about 40 PhD theses.
• Member of the selection committee for the ‘King Faisal Prize-Medicine’ (January 2009).
• Expert to evaluate (national) PhD scholarships and research projects and external expert in major research projects in Flanders (2006-2013), Belgium, France (ANR), Netherlands, Germany, US (NIH grants), Kazakhstan, Canada, Chili and for EU (FP6 and e-RARE).
• Peer-reviewerof manuscripts submitted to some 30 journals, including Nature Biotechn., Nature Meth., Nature Immunol Rev, Nature Communications, Scientific Reports, Science, Science Advance, Blood, Proc.Natl.Acad.Sci.US, Nucl.Acids Res., J.Biol.Chem., J.Mol.Biol., Anal.Chem., Antibodies, Front. Immunol. Mol. Immunol., Proteomics, Biochemistry, FEBS Lett., Vet.Immunol.Immunopath. J.Immunol.Meth., Prot.Enging& Design & Select, Biol.Chem., Developm.Comp.Immunol., Analytical & Bioanalytical Chemistry.
• Editor tasks for Journal of Camel Practice and Research, Frontiers in Immunology, Biomolecules, Current Opinion in Biotechnology, Antibodies and PLoSOne. Editor of book on ‘Single domain antibodies Methods in Molecular Biology series.
• Annually (before Covid-19), invited 10-15 times to give lectures at international conferences, or seminars at universities & industry on camel antibodies and Nanobody applications. 

• Co-author of about 275 articles on camel antibodies in peer-reviewed international journals (about 20 articles in journals with IF>10; nearly 43,500 citations, h-index: 97 – Since 2020: nearly 18,400 citations, h-index 62; source Google Scholar - April2025)
• 17 articles in books have been published.
• Editor of book “Single domain Antibodies” (Methods in Molecular Biology) Springer.
• About 20 patent applications on camel antibodies.
• 100+ abstracts in proceedings, and poster presentations.

Five most relevant publications of career

• Hamers-Casterman C., Atarhouch T., Muyldermans S., Hamers C., Robinson G., BaiyanaSonga E., Bendahman N., &Hamers R.  Naturally occurring antibodies devoid of light chains Nature 363, 446-448, 1993. (4200 citations Google Scholar, April 2025)
• Muyldermans S.  Nanobodies – Natural single domain antibodies. Ann Rev Biochem 82, 775-797, 2013 (IF 34.3) (2450 citations Google Scholar, April 2025)
• Ghahroudi A M., Desmyter A., Wyns L., Hamers R., Muyldermans S. Selection and identification of single domain antibody fragments from camel heavy-chain antibodies. FEBS Letters 414, 521-526, 1997(1140citations Google Scholar, April 2025)
• Muyldermans S., Atarhouch T., Saldanha J., Barbosa JARG,  Hamers R.. Sequence and structure of VH domain from naturally occurring camel heavy chain immunoglobulins lacking light chains. Protein Engineering 7, 1129-1135, 1994. (766 citations Google Scholar, April 2025)
• Jovcevska I, Muyldermans S. The therapeutic potential of Nanobodies. BioDrugs 34 (1): 11-26, 2020January 28. (716 citations, Google Scholar, April 2025)
• Articles from January 2022 onwards
• Wenning Jiang, Chungdong Huang, Serge Muyldermans, Lingyun  Jia.. Small but mighty: Nanobodies in the fight against infectious diseases. Biomolecules Accepted April 21, 2025. (IF 4.8)
• Geens R, De Vocht L, Aguirre-Botero MC, Vincke C, Romao E, Magez S, Muyldermans S, Amoni R, Sterckx Y. Evidence for a model of conformational change by the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein during sporozoite development in the mosquito host through the use of camelid single-domain antibodies Infection and ImmunityAccepted March 23, 2025 (IF 2.9)
• Pinto Torres JE, Claes M, Hendrickx R, Yuan M, Smiejkowska N, Van Wielendaele P, Hacisuleyman A, De Winter H, Muyldermans S, Michels PA, Walkinshaw MD, Versées W, Caljon G, Magez S, Sterckx YGJ.  Allosteric inhibition of trypanosomatid pyruvate kinases by a camelid single-domain antibody. E-Life, 13,RP100066.March 31, 2025. doi.org/10.7554/eLife.100066(IF 6.4)
• Gloria Krapež, Neja Šamec; Alja Zottel; Mojca Katrašnik; Ana Kump; Jernej Šribar; Igor Križaj; Jurij Stojan; R Romih; Gregor Bajc; Matej Butala; Serge Muyldermans; Ivana Jovčevska In vitro functional validation of an α-FREM2 nanobody for glioblastoma cell targeting. Antibodies 14 (1): e8, doi 10.330/antib14010008, January 24, 2025 (IF 3.0).
• Wang Yi, Wu Sihao, Wang Haitao, Hunag Xufang, Ji Xuemeng, Lv Huan, Wu Jing, Liu Jingmin, SergeMuyldermans, Hu Yaozhong, Wang Shuo. M13 bacteriophage based fluorescence immunoassay against food allergens of Ara h 3 and Mac i 1. Food Chemistry 469: e142617, March 30, 2025. doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142617  (IF 8.5).
• Redeghieri Paola, Moray Joël, Kerff Frédéric, Gohy Sophie, Leal Teresinha, V, Muyldermans Serge, Vanbever Rita, Morales-Yanez Francisco Javier, Dumoulin Mireille.  Enzymatic, structural and biophysical characterisation of a single domain antibody selectively and tightly inhibiting neutrophil elastase and exhibiting favorable developability properties. Protein Science 33 (12) e5227, doi.org/10.1002/pro.5227,December, 2024 (IF 8.0)
• Ting Yu, Fang Zheng,Wenbo He, SergeMuyldermans, Yurong Wen. Single domain antibody: evolution and application in biotechnology and biopharma. Immunological Reviews 328 (1): 98-112, November 2024. doi: 10.1111/imr.13381 (IF 8.7).
• Redado-Hernandez Sergio, Macia-Leon Javier, Castro-Lopez Jorge, Sanz AnaBelén, Dolader Elena, Arias Maykel, Gonzalez-Ramirez Andrés Manuel, Sanchez-Navarro David, Petryk Yuliya, Farkas Vladimir, Vincke Cécile, Muyldermans Serge, Garcia-Barbazan Irene, Del Agua Celia, Zaragoza Oscar,Arroyo Javier, Pardo Julian, Galvez Eva, Hurtado-Guerrero Ramon.  Broad protection against invasive fungal disease from a nanobody targeting the active site of fungal b-1,3-glucanosyltransferases.  Angewandte Chemie, 63 (34):e202405823, August 19, 2024 doi: 10.1002/anie.202405823. Online June 10, 2024 (IF 16.6)
• Clack K., Sallam M, Matheson C, Muyldermans S, Nguyen NT. Towards a wearable feminine hygiene platform for detection of invasive Pathogens via gold Nanoparticles Candida albicans detection using ultra-stable aptamer conjugated gold nanoparticle agregation. Micromachines 15 (2): e-899. doi: 10.3390/mi15070899. July 10, 2024 (IF 3.0).
• Mohamed Sallam, Mohammadi Mahan, Sainsbury Frank, Nguyen Nam-Trung, Kimizuka Nobuo, Muyldermans Serge, Martina Benesova-Schäfer, Bibliometric and scientometric analysis of PSMA-targeted radiotheranostics: knowledge mapping and global standing. Frontiers in Oncology 14: e1397790. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.2397790. July 1, 2024 (IF 3.5)
• Mohamed Sallam, Nguyen Nam-Trung, Sainsbury Frank, Kimizuka Nobuo, Muyldermans Serge, Martina Benesova-Schäfer, PSMA-targeted radiotheranostics in modern nuclear medicine: Then, now, and what of the future? Theranostics 14 (8): 3043-3079. doi: 107150/thno.92612. May 13, 2024 (IF 12.4)
• Clack K, Sallam M,  Muyldermans S, Sambasivan P, Nguyen CM, Nguyen NT. Instant Candida albicans detection using ultra-stable aptamer conjugated gold nanoparticles.  Micromachines 15 (2): 216. Doi: 10.3390/mi15020216. January 31, 2024 (IF 3.5
• Ben-Abderrazek Rhama, Hamdi Amna, Piccirilli Alessandra, Dhaouadi Sayda,  Muyldermans Serge, Perilli Mariagrazia, Bouhaouala-Zahar Balkiss. Camel-derived Nanobodies as potent inhibitors against NDM-1 enzyme. Molecules Accepted February 28, 2024 (IF 4.9)
• Petersson Marcus, Thrane Sandra W, Gram Lone, Muyldermans Serge, Laustsen Andreas H. Orally delivered single -domain antibodies against gastrointestinal pathogens. Trends in Biotechnology S0167-7799 (23)00033-1. Doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.01.015. Online ahead of print February 9, 2023 (IF 17.3; Q1, 98.4%)
• Giulia Monti, Cécile Vincke, MelanieLunding, Anne Mette G Jensen, Peder Madsen, SergeMuyldermans, MadsKjølby Olav M Andersen. Epitope mapping of nanobodies binding the Alzheimer’s disease receptor SORLA. Journal of Biotechnology Accepted August 24, 2023 (IF 4.1; Q2, 66.3%).
• Van Campenhout Raf, De Groof Timo, Kadam Prashant, Kwak Brenda, Muyldermans Serge, Devoogdt Nick, Vinken Mathieu. Nanobody-based pannexin1 channel inhibitors reduce inflammation in acute liver injury. Journal of Nanobiotechnology. 21 (1): 371. Doi: 10.1186/s12951-023-02137-1. October 11, 2023. (IF 10.2)
• Yucheng Guo, ZhenlinOuyang, Wenbo He, Jiaxin Zhang, Qian Qin, Min Jiao, SergeMuyldermans, Fang Zheng,Yurong Wen. Screening and epitope characterization of diagnostic nanobody against total and activated bacteroide fragilis toxin.  Frontiers in Immunology February 10, 2023 (IF 8.786; Q1,79.81%).
• Qian Qin, Hao Liu, Wenbo He, Yucheng Guo, Jiaxin Zhang, JunjunShe, Fang Zheng, Sicai Zhang, Serge Muyldermans, Yurong Wen.  Single domain antibody application in bacterial infection diagnosis and neutralization. Frontiers in Immunology 13: 1014377. September 29, 2022, doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1014377 (IF 8.786; Q1,79.81%).
• Hu Yaozhong, Wang Yi, Lin Jing, Wu Sihao, Serge Muyldermans, Wang Shuo. Versatile application of Nanobodies for food Allergen Detection and Allergy Immunotherapy. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 70, 8901-8912, 2022 (IF 5.895, Q1)
• Seyedeh Zahra BahojbMahdavi, FatemehOroojalian, ShirinEyvazi,MaryamHejazi, BehzadBaradaran, Nasser Pouladi, Mohammad Reza Tohidkia, AhadMokhtarzadeh, Serge Muyldermans.  An overview on display systems (phage, bacterial and yeast display) for production of anticancer antibodies: Advantages and disadvantages. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 208, 421-442, 2022 (IF 6.953, Q1)
• Eduardo Ruiz-López, Ivana Jovčevska, Ruth González-Gómez, Héctor Tejero, Fátima Al-Shahrour, Serge Muyldermans and Alberto J. Schuhmacher. Nanobodies Targeting ABCC3 for Immunotargeted Applications in Glioblastoma.  Scientific Reports 12 (1): e22581, December 30, 2022 (IF 4.996, Q2, 74.66%).
• Hu Yaozhong, Wang Yi, Nie Linqing, Lin Jing, Wu Sihao, Li Shijie, Wu Jing, Ji Xuemeng, Lv Huan, Muyldermans Serge, Wang Shuo.  Exploration of specific Nanobodies as immunological reagents to detect milk allergen of b-lactoglobulin without interference of hydrolytic peptides. Journal of Agriculture Food Chemistry Accepted November 10, 2022. (IF 5.895, Q1)
• Lan-Huong T, Graulus G-J, Vincke C, Smiejkowska N, Kindt A, Devoogdt N, Muyldermans S, Adriaensens P, Guedens W.  Nanobodies for the early detection of ovarian cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 23, 13687. November 8, 2022. doi.org/10.3390/ijms232213687
• Hu Y, Lin J, Wang Y, Wu J, Lv H, Ji X, Muyldermans S, Zhang Y, Wang S.  Identification of serum ferritin-specific nanobodies and development towards a diagnostic immunoassay. Biomolecules 12: e1080 August 5, 2022. doi: org/10.3390/biom12081080 (IF 6.064, Q2, 74.83%)
• Al-Amin Rasel A., MutheloPhathutshedzo M., Abdurakhmanov Eldar, Vincke Cecile, Amin Shahnaz, Muyldermans Serge, Danielson Helena U., Landegren Ulf Sensitive protein detection using site-specifically oligonucleotide-conjugated nanobody reagents. Analytical Chemistry 94 (28): 10054-10061. July 19, 2022 (IF 8.008; Q1)
• Ben Abderrazek R, Idoudi F, Ksouri S, Dhaouadi S, Tounsi A, Vincke C, Farah A, Hamdi E, Benlasfar Z, Majdoub H, Muyldermans S, El Ayeb M, Bouhaouala-Zahar B. Neutralizing dromedary-derived Nanobodies against BotI-like toxin from the most hazardous scorpion venom in the MENA region.Frontiers in Immunology 13: e863012. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.863012 April 19, 2022 (IF 7.561; Q1).
• Marino M, Zhou L, Rincon MY, Callaerts-Vegh Z, Verhaert J, Wahis J, Creemers E, Yshii L, Wierda K, Saito T, Marneffe C, Voytyuk I, Wouters Y, Dewilde M, Duqué SI, Vincke C, Levites Y, Golde TE, Saido T, Muyldermans S, Liston A, De Strooper B, Holt M. AAV-mediate delivery of an anti-BACE1 VHH alleviates pathology in an Alzheimer’s disease model. EMBO Mol Med, 14, e09824, April 2022 (Q1, IF: 10.624)
• Cai J, Romao E, Wu G, Li J, Li L, Wang Z, Li Y, Yang J, Shen Y, Xu Z, Muyldermans S, Wang H. Nanobodies as binding-chaperones stabilize the recombinant Bombyx mori acetylcholinesterase and protect the enzyme activity in pesticide detection. Enzyme Microb Technol. 155: e-109992. April 2022; doi: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2022.109992.