Professional Career

 

Albert M. Kroon was born in Haarlem, the Netherlands. He studied medicine and biochemistry at the University of Amsterdam (UVA), the Netherlands. He was awarded the MD in 1964.

From 1961 to 1969 he worked in the Laboratory of Physiological Chemistry of the UVA (director: Prof. Dr E.C. Slater). He graduated in 1966; his thesis was entitled: Protein synthesis in Mitochondria.

From 1969 to 1992 he was in the employ of the State University of Groningen, Medical Faculty at the Laboratory of Physiological Chemistry as lector (1969-1975), full professor (1975-1986) and extra-ordinary professor (1986-1992).

The work of Albert Kroon and his group has been mainly focused on the biogenesis of mitochondria in mammalian cells. It covers aspects of intermediary metabolism, characterization of the mitochondrial genetic system, bio-energetic processes and the sensitivity of the biogenesis to inhibition by antibiotics, originally designed for the fight against bacterial infections.

From 1986 to 1999 Albert Kroon was mainly involved in the development, clinical testing and registration of anti-allergic products as medical director/registration officer at HAL (Haarlem Allergen Laboratory) in Haarlem, the Netherlands.

After his retirement in 1999, he served until 2007 as the founding director/secretary to the board of the European Allergen Manufacturers Group (EAMG).

In 2012 he returned to his original scientific interest: mitochondria, their biogenesis and their possible role as therapeutic target for cancer.