The people and history of ChloroSpec

Prof. Alfred Holzwarth is well-known in the photosynthesis community for his advanced research in the biophysics of photosynthesis area. In particular for his contribution to the technology development and application of chlorophyll fluorescence measurement techniques of photosynthetic organisms, as well as advanced data analysis methods. He has published or co-published a significant number of scientific studies in this field.

A few years ago, he became a visiting professor in the laboratory of Prof. Roberta Croce, head of the Biophysics department at the VU University in Amsterdam, focusing their collaboration on chlorophyll fluorescence techniques and applications. They decided to join the Demonstrator Lab at the VU in Amsterdam, with the aim to focus their expertise into the development of a novel easy-to-use instrument that makes full use of both the spectral and temporal dimension of chlorophyll fluorescence. Soon after they successfully realized a laboratory proof-of-concept version, it became clear that more information could be gathered and extracted from chlorophyll fluorescence signals than ever before. Not only does the instrument allow to separate and characterize various fluorescence components, quenching mechanisms, etc. It also allows to identify and characterize different stress factors and detect stress effects at an earlier stage.

As powerful data analysis techniques including machine learning are important features of our technology, we also cooperate with expert groups in that area.

The original laboratory set-up of the proof-of-concept version has now been turned into a commercially available product.

ChloroSpec has been established as a private enterprise and is registered as a B.V. at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK) with registration number 81861346.

ChloroSpec is domiciled at the Amsterdam Venture Studios in the VU premises, with corporate address De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam.

The management of ChloroSpec consists of Peter Kievit as CEO and Alfred Holzwarth as CTO. Production is outsourced; the prototype and initial laboratory product version (L1) are being manufactured by the technical departments from the VU that have also been engaged in the initial development and laboratory set-up.

Further development will be conducted in close cooperation with the VU faculty departments already involved and a few selected leading laboratories as launching customers.

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