Dr. Killian van Loocke
For the past four years Killian van Loocke studied Bacillus and Pseudomonas metabolite-mediated biocontrol strategies against Phytophthora cryptogea and Pythium sp. in hydroponic lettuce and chicory cultivation systems.
Besides fantastic results which can already partially be read in his meta-analysis towards effective biocontrol of Phytophthora root rot: “Towards effective biocontrol of Phytophthora root rot in annual crops: A meta-analysis”
He was also a very valued and pleasant colleague both at the PHP lab, where he worked the first two years as, as we were reliably informed, at the Phytopathology lab at UGent with Prof. Monica Hofte.
We wish Killian the best of luck on all his future endeavours!
Kaatje wuytack
Kaatje wuytack
Kaatje has been working in the PHP lab since November 2025 and studies Fusarium, the causal agent of Fusarium wilt, a devastating banana disease affecting the global banana production.
Previously, Kaatje studied Bioscience engineering at KU Leuven and won the VBI public and jury awards for best master’s thesis!
Eva Vansteenkiste
Eva Vansteenkiste
Eva started in the PHP lab in October 2025 and is studying the fungal pathogen Stemphylium vesicarium, causing brown spot in pears. This disease is a rapidly expanding problem in pear production in Flanders, leading to major crop losses.
Throughout her PhD she will develop an innovative control strategy for brown spot and gain a deeper understanding of the conditions and stress factors that promote the disease, as well as the effects of anti-stress and alternative agents.
Eveline Van den Steen
Eveline Van den Steen
Eveline started at the PHP lab in September 2025 and is studying the molecular interactions between strawberry and Botrytis cinerea, a common fungus affecting fruit quality. She will study the behaviour and functions of B. cinerea during the quiescent phase of the infection using single-cell omic techniques.
Previously, Eveline worked in the PHP lab during her bachelor’s, where she worked on Agrobacterium.
New paper!
New paper!
A highly efficient platform for Arabidopsis hairy root induction using Agrobacterium strain K599
An innovative and optimized method to generate composite Arabidopsis plants utilizing Agrobacterium rhizogenes K599
Agrobacterium conference
Agrobacterium conference
In September 2025, we organized the fifth European Agrobacterium conference in Leuven in cooperation with VIB and UGent.
We had two days of interesting talks, posters, and discussions.
We like to thank everyone who attended and hope to see you all in future conferences.
A fruitful conference summer
A fruitful conference summer
During the summer of 2025 our lab participated in a variety of conferences in both Europe and the US.
We congratulate Anke Van Den Berghe for winning the prize for best poster at the ISCP in Ghent, and Ward Boven won the award for most outstanding presentation at the IOBC Benefruits2025 in the Netherlands. Well done!
