Klaas de GrootKlaas de Groot (3 November 1940, Bergen, the Netherlands) obtained a B.Sc. degree in chemistry in 1961, M.Sc. in physical chemistry in 1965 and Ph.D. in 1968, all from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. He worked as full professor of biomaterials science at Free University in Amsterdam, Leiden University and is now Emeritus Professor at the University of Twente. De Groot was a visiting professor at a number of universities in the USA, China and Syria.
His work has focused on the research and development of bioceramics that resemble the composition of bone, including dense and porous calcium-phosphate bone fillers and coatings on metallic implants.
His group also studied the incorporation of drugs and growth factors such as Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMP) into ceramics and coatings, as well as on the use of calcium-phosphate particles for plastic surgery.
For his work, De Groot was awarded a number of prestigious awards including the George Winter award by the European Society for Biomaterials, the Clemson award by the Society for Biomaterials USA, the John Charnley award by the USA Hip Society, the Somiya award by the International Union of Materials Research Societies and the Chinese Friendship award. During his career, he supervised over 45 PhD students, he is an author on over 350 publications, and is an inventor on 10 patents. De Groot was a (co)founder of a number of biomedical companies, including CAM Implants BV (now CAM Bioceramics), Beijing Amsterdam Biomaterials Industry and IsoTis NV.