MEET OUR TEAM

2021-present: Associate Professor, Division of Crop Biotechnics, KU Leuven

2016-2021: Assistant Professor (Tenure-track), Plant Health and Protection Laboratory, Division of Crop Biotechnics, Biosystems Department, KU Leuven

2015-2016: Postdoctoral Scientist Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Gent (KU Leuven)

2014: Visiting postdoctoral researcher Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, and CSIRO Plant, Brisbane, Australia.

2007-2016: Postdoctoral researcher at the “Plant-Fungus Interactions group” at the Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Prof. B. Cammue

2007: PhD in Science, Laboratory of Molecular Plant Physiology, KU Leuven

2002: Master in Biology at KU Leuven, graduated summa cum laude

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Prof. dr. Barbara De Coninck

Head Plant Health and Protection Laboratory

Associate Professor

2002: Master in Biology at KU Leuven, graduated summa cum laude

2007: PhD in Science, Laboratory of Molecular Plant Physiology, KU Leuven

2007-2016: Postdoctoral researcher at the “Plant-Fungus Interactions group” at the Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Prof. B. Cammue

2014: Visiting postdoctoral researcher Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, and CSIRO Plant, Brisbane, Australia.

2015-2016: Postdoctoral Scientist Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Gent (KU Leuven)

2016-2021: Assistant Professor (Tenure-track), Plant Health and Protection Laboratory, Division of Crop Biotechnics, Biosystems Department, KU Leuven

2021-present: Associate Professor, Division of Crop Biotechnics, KU Leuven

Post-docs

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Savio Rodrigues

Expertise: Genetic engineering

Investigating the role of Agrobacterium T-DNA ORFs during plant disease. [FWO Junior Postdoctoral Fellowship 'Hairy Root Disease']

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Lennard van Buren

Expertise: Bioinformatics

Understanding plant immunity priming by bacterial cyclic lipopeptides using single-cell transcriptomics and microscopy [FWO-WEAVE project ‘Plant immunity priming by cyclic lipopeptides’]

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Nina Bziuk

Expertise: Microbiome

Examining the role of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) as a signaling molecule in plant-microbe interactions in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha [ERC project ‘ETHYLUTION’]

Main promoter: Prof. Bram Van de Poel (KU Leuven)

Elissar Alam

Expertise: Bioinformatics

Deciphering the molecular underpinnings of quiescent Botrytis cinerea infections in strawberry flowers and fruit using confocal microscopy, single-cell and spatial transcriptomics. [MSCA SCOPE-BERRY]

PhD Students

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Maitreyee Sarma

In depth analysis of the implementation of biocontrol organisms to manage Fusarium wilt in banana

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Killian van Loocke

Biological control of Phytophthora cryptogea-induced root rot in hydroponic lettuce and chicory using beneficial microorganisms [VLAIO-LA project ‘HydroPhyt’]

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Katto Macharis

Exploring the fungal and yeast phyllosphere of strawberry to develop SynComs for controlling the strawberry fungal diseases Botrytis cinerea and Podosphaera aphanis [FWO-SBO project ‘SynBioS’]

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Ward Boven

Gaining insights into the pathosystem pear-Venturia pirina, through elicitors, ontogenic resistance and variation in different V. pirina isolates [VLAIO-LA project ‘NOVOSCAB’]

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Anke Van Den Berghe

Unravelling the molecular basis of plant immunity priming by bacterial cyclic lipopeptides using transcriptomics and metabolomics [FWO-WEAVE project ‘Plant immunity priming by cyclic lipopeptides’]

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Anna Bens

Unravelling the mode of action of plant defense elicitors to boost plant immunity [FWO-SBO project ‘BioBoost’]

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Dries Delmotte

Analysis of plant defense response modelling from Agrobacterium tumefaciens, through proteomics and proximity labelling [FWO project ‘Hijacked by nature’s genetic engineer’]

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Eveline Van den Steen

Unravelling the molecular interactions between Botrytis cinerea and strawberry throughout quiescent and infection phases using single-cell and spatial transcriptomics [KU Leuven-C1 project]

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Eva Vansteenkiste

Investigating and developing control strategies to the fungal pathogen Stemphylium vesicarium, causative agent of brown spot in pears. [VLAIO-LA]

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Kaatje Wuytack

Investigating the role of Fusarium wilt effectors in modulating host-pathogen interactions in banana, focusing on their impact on both plant defense mechanisms and the associated microbiome.

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Bram Vangenechten

Investigating the potential of microalgae as biostimulants and plant protection products [FWO-SBO project ‘VIGOROUS’]

Main promotor: Prof. Johan Ceusters (KU Leuven)

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Brianne Newman

Exploring the bacterial phyllosphere of strawberry plants to develop SynComs that promote plant health and tackle diseases [FWO-SBO project ‘SynBioS’]

Main promotor: Prof Sarah Lebeer (UAntwerpen)

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Jari Temmermans

Exploring the use of beneficial lactic acid bacteria as a sustainable alternative to fungicides for combating pathogenic fungi on strawberry plants [FWO-SBO]

Main promotor: Prof. Sarah Lebeer (UAntwerpen)

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Thanh Khang Le

Characterization of fungal pathogens infecting avocado fruit in Vietnam and tools (biocontrol organisms and essential oil compounds) to prevent this [VLIR-UOS]

Main promotor: Prof. Patrick Van Dijck (KU Leuven)