Peer Timmers

Dr. Peer Timmers is a trained microbiologist that focusses on water treatment. During his doctoral research at Wageningen University & Research (Wageningen, the Netherlands) and his post-doctoral research at Wetsus Institute (Leeuwarden, the Netherlands), he studied how to use microorganisms for the degradation of undesirable substances in wastewater or for the production of valuable resources from waste streams ‑ preferably for both simultaneously. His main interests were in microbial methane and sulfide oxidation for water treatment, for which he has collaborated since the start of his PhD with environmental technologists. Afterwards, he worked at KWR water research (Nieuwegein, the Netherlands) where he investigated current and novel drinking water treatment and management processes with a specific focus on microbiology and nature-based solutions, that possibly lead to new applications for climate-resilient water treatment and management. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of his research, he collaborated with technologists, hydrologists, analytical chemists and data scientists. 

Peer has been working closely with the Dutch drinking water companies at KWR, their central research institute. He also worked with waterboards, municipalities and wastewater treatment companies throughout his career. In the last 5 years, he also coordinated a joint research program for the water companies that use managed aquifer recharge of surface water for drinking water production. Because Peer has been doing applied research, he has not only published peer-reviewed papers, but also professional articles and over 30 scientific reports for water companies, waterboards and municipalities. Ever since, he strives to perform applied research that makes a difference in the way that we perceive and execute water treatment. He strongly believes that a paradigm shift is needed for sustainable water treatment, where we stop underestimating the power of (micro)biology. 

Corporate Experience

• Senior Researcher, KWR Water Research Institute, the Netherlands, 2018 - 2024 

• MSD, the Netherlands, 2008 - 2010

Academic Experience

• Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences, IE University, 2024 - Present

• Guest researcher, Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands, 2022 - Present

• Post-doctoral researcher, Wetsus, European centre of excellence for sustainable water technology, the Netherlands, 2016 - 2018

• Post-doctoral researcher, Wageningen University, the Netherlands, 2015 - 2016

• PhD Candidate, Wageningen University, the Netherlands, 2010 - 2015

Academic Background

• PhD in Microbiology, Wageningen University, 2015

• MSc in Biology, Radboud University Nijmegen, 2007

• Propaedeutic diploma in Teacher Training Biology, HAN University of Applied Sciences, 2001

Selected Publications

• Timmers, P.H.A., Siegers, W., Lousada-Ferreira, M., Van der Wielen, P.W.J.J. (2024). “Bioremediation of rapid sand filters for removal of organic micropollutants during drinking water production”. Water Research, 249(16):120921

• Timmers, P. et al. (2022). “Improved drinking water quality after adding advanced oxidation for organic micropollutant removal to pretreatment of river water undergoing dune infiltration near the Hague, Netherlands”. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 429: 128346

• Steenbeek, R., Timmers, P.H.A., Van der Linde, D., Hup, K., Hornstra, L., Been, F. (2022). “Monitoring the exposure and emissions of antibiotic resistance: Co-occurrence of antibiotics and resistance genes in wastewater treatment plants”. Water Health, 2 (8): 1157–1170

• Di Marcantonio, C., Bertelkamp, C., Van Bel, N., Pronk, T.E., Timmers, P.H.A., Van der Wielen, P. Brunner, A.M. (2020). “Organic micropollutant removal in full-scale rapid sand filters used for drinking water treatment in The Netherlands and Belgium”. Chemosphere, 260:127630