Peter Rottier is an emeritus professor of Utrecht University, the Netherlands. He studied biochemistry in Nijmegen and obtained a PhD in plant virology at Wageningen University (1980). He spent several years in the USA, working as a research associate at the Salk Institute, Yale University and the Scripps Research Institute. He became associate professor (1990) and later full professor in Virology & Virus Diseases (1995) at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences of Utrecht University where he stayed until his retirement in 2016. He spent most of his research career studying coronaviruses and arteriviruses and, to a lesser degree, influenza viruses. His main scientific interests were the biogenesis of the viral structural proteins, their assembly into virus particles and the entry of viruses into cells. He developed a particular interest in the structure and functioning of the viral membrane proteins, most particular in the role of the coronaviral spike protein in the process of membrane fusion. He developed an original reverse genetics system for coronaviruses based on targeted RNA recombination which he used to study fundamental questions but also for studies into the pathogenesis of coronaviruses, particularly feline coronaviruses. Based on this technology he developed candidate life attenuated virus vaccines, some of which are currently being further advanced towards the market by vaccine companies. Professor Rottier supervised 43 PhD students. He published more than 260 articles in peer-reviewed journals including Nature and Science and is an inventor on several patents.