Welcome

Apart from working as a forensic analytical scientist, I love playing sports and making creative products. I have a background in chemistry, and after working for some years at TNO, I am currently doing a PhD in forensic chemistry. On this website you can find information about previous projects and my current PhD project ‘FACING’. My research focuses on protection against highly toxic chemicals, with the emphasis on Chemical Profiling for forensic investigations and intelligence purposes.

Pitches and vlogs

About me

I have always been interested in learning how things work. When I did my bachelor chemistry, I was amazed to understand nature and products to the molecular level. After my bachelor I chose to do the master Forensic Science. Forensic Science is the application of science in a legal context. For example, scientific innovations contribute to protecting people and lead to new evidence in court. This was for me the perfect combination of science and helping to make the world better. I know it sounds ambitious, but small changes can make a big difference.

"Forensic Science: Applying science in a legal context"

At the end of my master I did my internship and thesis at TNO in the department CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) protection. My research was about the determination of the contact risk of toxic industrial chemicals and the opioid fentanyl. After the master I got a job as a scientist in the same department in the TNO unit defence, safety and security.

As a physical chemical analytical scientist, I worked in the field of aerosol research and analytical chemistry. Chemicals can be released as an aerosol and these small particles in the air can cause health effects. Think about soot particles and smoke that contribute to air pollution. However, there are also highly toxic chemicals that cause immediate health effects. I studied the characteristics of aerosols and the detection and protection against it.

More than three ago, I started with something new. Together with the University of Amsterdam and TNO, I wrote a proposal for a PhD research about Forensic Attribution for CWA INtelliGence (FACING). After an incident with chemical warfare agents (CWAs), it is important to address the question of its origin to accurately reconstruct events and find the persons and institutions responsible. Forensic chemical attribution can help to answer this question. The proposal is granted by the TNO DO-AIO fund of the Dutch Ministry of Defence and currently I perform my PhD research at both the University of Amsterdam and TNO.

On the website several projects of my PhD are highlighed, ranging from profiling of synthetic opioids to biomarkers of chemical warfare agents in plants. These topics are combined in my PhD thesis, which I will defend the 12th of June. I am looking forward to sharing more details about this later!

“After an incident with chemical warfare agents, it is important to address the question of its origin to accurately reconstruct events and find the persons and institutions responsible.”

Publications

2023
  1. Durán Jiménez, D., Venema, T., de Bruin-Hoegée, M., Alkema, D. P. W., Busker, R. W., van Wuijckhuijse, A. L. (2024). CHART: a novel system for detector evaluation against toxic chemical aerosols. Scientific Reports, 14, [1050]. 10.1038/s41598-023-50718-9
  2. Säde, S., Delaporte, G., Fraga, C. G., Hakulinen, H., Höjer Holmgren, K., Spiandore, M., Åstot, C., Akmeemana, A., de Bruin-Hoegée, M., Doward, J., Jacques, K., Kesah, S. A., See, S., Thomson, S., Flinck, J., Kalliovirta, L., & Vanninen, P. (2023). Interlaboratory development and proposition for a new quality control sample for chemical forensics analysis of chemical warfare agents. Talanta Open, 8, [100249]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talo.2023.100249
  3. de Bruin-Hoegée, M., Fidder, A., van Groningen, T., van der Schans, M. J., Noort, D., van Asten, A. C. (2023). On-site detection and laboratory verification of the presence of nerve agent biomarkers using dried blood spots. Forensic Chemistry, 35, 100526. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forc.2023.100526
  4. de Bruin-Hoegée, M., Schoorl, J., Zoon, P., van der Schans, M. J., Noort, D., & van Asten, A. C. (2023). A novel standard for forensic elemental profiling of polymers by LA-ICP-TOF-MS. Forensic Chemistry, 35, [100515]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forc.2023.100515
  5. Höjer Holmgren, K., Hakulinen, H., Norlin, R., de Bruin-Hoegée, M., Spiandore, M., Qi Shu See, S., Webster, R., Jacques, K., Mauravaara, L., Hwi Ang, L., Evans, C., Ovenden, S., Noort, D., Delaporte, G., Dahlén, J., Fraga, C., Vanninen, P., & Åstot, C. (2023). Interlaboratory comparison study of a chemical profiling method for methylphosphonic dichloride, a nerve agent precursor. Forensic Chemistry, 33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forc.2023.100473
  6. de Bruin-Hoegée, M., Alkema, D. P. W., Busker, R. W., Joosen, M. J. A., van Wuijckhuijse, A. L. (2023). Real-time characterization of chemical threat agent aerosols for improvement of inhalation studies. Inhalation Toxicology, 35 (9-10), 254–265. https://doi.org/10.1080/08958378.2023.2254323
2022
  1. de Bruin-Hoegée, M., van Asten, A. C., Lamriti, L., Langenberg, J., Olivier, R., Chau, L. F., van der Schans, M., & Noort, D. (2022). Verification of exposure to chemical warfare agents through analysis of persistent biomarkers in plants. Analytical Methods, 15, 142-153. https://doi.org/10.1039/D2AY01650H
  2. de Bruin-Hoegée, M., van Damme, I. M., van Groningen, T., van der Riet-van Oeveren, D., Noort, D., & van Asten, A. C. (2022). Elucidation of in Vitro Chlorinated Tyrosine Adducts in Blood Plasma as Selective Biomarkers of Chlorine Exposure. Chemical research in toxicology, 35 (6), 1070–1079 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.2c00053
2021
  1. de Bruin-Hoegée, M., Kleiweg, D., Noort, D., & van Asten, A. C. (2021). Chemical attribution of fentanyl: The effect of human metabolism. Forensic Chemistry, 24, [100330]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forc.2021.100330
2020
  1. Verheij, E. R., Joosen, M. J. A., Cochrane, L., de Bruin-Hoegée, M., & de Koning, M. C. (2020). Decontamination of Toxic Industrial Chemicals and Fentanyl by Application of the RSDL® Kit. Journal of special operations medicine, 20 (1), 55-59. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32203607
  2. de Bruin-Hoegée, M., de Koning, M. C., Cochrane, L., & Joosen, M. J. A. (2020). Contact transfer risk from fentanyl-contaminated RSDL® Kit. Toxicology Letters, 319, 237-241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxlet.2019.11.013

Press releases

  • Oude bloedvlek spreekt boekdelen (2023-10-30), C2W.
  • I sing the body fentanyl (2023-06-01), CBRNe World.
  • UvA-promovenda: Bewijs van chemische aanval terug te vinden in planteneiwitten (2023-02-10), Folia.
  • Plants take up chemical weapons (2023-02-03), C2W.