Insect-Microbe-Plant Interactions

Pest insects pose major threats to global food security and climate change is currently driving their accelerated expansion. The Southern green shield bug, Nezara viridula, is such an invasive pest that feeds on important food crops and is threatening global food production including the Netherlands. Current chemical control methods are ineffective and harmful to the environment and non-target organisms. Since insects are known to live in a close relationship with beneficial microorganisms, I aim at understanding the complex interactions between N. viridula, their associated microorganisms and plants, providing a basis for the development of sustainable pest control strategies.

My background

I have a background in Medical Molecular Biology and Environmental Biology with a specialization in Plant Biology. I did my PhD at Utrecht University Plant-Microbe Interactions studying how plants respond to combined biotic & abiotic stresses. After my PhD I worked at a plant breeding company, at Wageningen University, at Radboud University and returned to Utrecht University in 2023 where I am a lecturer in diverse biology related course and where I continue my research on insect-associated microbes.

_{Source: Photographs 1&4 made by Harold de Kamp}