Research Programme

• Prof.dr. M.E. Janson, Dr. T. Ketelaar (Cell Biology, WUR): The cytoskeleton in plant cell growth and division, intracellular organization and signaling.
• Prof.dr. B.M. Mulder (Cell Biology, WUR): Biophysics of cellulose synthesis.
• Prof.dr. S.C. de Vries (Biochemistry, WUR): Multiple signaling pathways served by the SERK receptors.
• Dr. J.W. Borst (Biochemistry, WUR): ATP effects on FRET biosensors.
• Dr. T. Munnik, (Plant Cell Biology, UvA): Role of phospholipids in plant signalling and development.
• Prof.dr. T. Bisseling, Dr. H.G.J.M. Franssen, Dr. R. Geurts, Dr. E.H.M. Limpens (Molecular Biology, WUR): Legume-Rhizobium interaction.
• Dr. A.R. van der Krol (Plant Physiology, WUR), Dr. A.H.P. America (Bioscience, WUR): Cell specific proteomics in plants.

• Prof.dr. B.J.G. Scheres, Dr. ir. R. Heidstra, Dr. V. A.Willemsen (Molecular Biology, WUR): Stem cell programming and Developmental gradients.
• Prof. dr. D. Weijers (Biochemistry, WUR): Cell specification and cell communication in the Arabidopsis embryo.
• Dr. M.C.G. Proveniers, Prof.dr. J.C.M. Smeekens (Molecular Plant Physiology, UU): Control of plant architecture – The role of TALE homeodomain proteins.
• Dr. R. Offringa (Plant Sciences and Natural Products, LU): The role of the phytohormone auxin in patterning and organ development.
• Prof.dr. R. Koes (Plant Development & (Epi)Genetics , UvA): Genetic control and evolution of inflorescence and flower development.
• Dr. E. Deinum (Biometris, WUR): Modelling plant development.
• Prof.dr. G.C. Angenent, Prof. dr. R.G.H. Immink, (Molecular Biology & Bioscience, WUR): Analysis of floral specific MADS box proteins.
• Dr. K. Boutilier (Bioscience, WUR): Haploid embryogenesis.
• Dr. R. de Maagd, Prof dr. G.C. Angenent (Molecular Biology, Bioscience, WUR): Tomato fruit development.

• Dr. A.R. van der Krol (Plant Physiology, WUR): Exploring the potential of light signalling in tomato, petunia and Arabidopsis.
• Prof.dr. P.G.L. Klinkhamer (Plant Sciences and Natural Products, LU): Paternal conflicts in seed size determination.
• Prof.dr. J.C.M. Smeekens (Molecular Plant Physiology, UU): Sugar sensing and natural variation in seed dormancy.
• Prof. Dr. R. Offringa (Molecular & Developmental Genetics, LU): Auxin transport, and plant growth in response to environmental signals.
• Dr. S.C.P. Groot (Bioscience, WUR): Shoot meristem determinacy and environment.
• Prof.dr. C.S. Testerink (Plant Physiology, WUR): Root developmental plasticity.

• Prof. Dr. G. van den Ackerveken (Plant-Microbe Interactions, UU): Molecular basis of disease susceptibility in Arabidopsis.
• Dr. J.A.L. van Kan (Phytopathology, WUR): Molecular genetic analysis of Botrytis species.
• Prof.dr. F. Govers (Phytopathology, WUR): The biology and pathology of the oomycete late blight pathogen, Phytophthora infestans.
• Prof.dr. J. Bakker, Dr. A. Goverse, Dr. J. Helder, Dr. G. Smant (Nematology, WUR): Compatible plant-nematode interactions.
• Dr. R.J.M. Kormelink (Virology, WUR): Replication and assembly of Tospoviruses.
• Prof. Dr. M. Rep, (Molecular Plant Pathology, UvA): Identification and functional analysis of pathogenicity factors of Fusarium oxysporum.
• Dr. J.W.M. van Lent (Virology, WUR): Cytology of virus infection.
• H.A. van den Burg (Molecular Plant Pathology, UvA): SUMO as suppressor of the Plant innate immunity.
• Prof. Dr. G.H.J. Kema, Dr. H.J.G. Meijer, Dr. T.A.J. van der Lee, Dr. C. Waalwijk (Biointeractions, WUR): Mycosphaerella and Fusarium research.

• Prof. dr. B.P.H.J. Thomma (Phytopathology, WUR): Arabidopsis guides research on tomato diseases.
• Dr. M.H.A.J. Joosten (Phytopathology, WUR): Resistance and (a)virulence in the interaction between Solanaceous plants and their pathogens.
• Dr. T. Munnik (Plant Cell Biology, UvA): Role of phosphatidic acid in plant defence signalling.
• Dr. F.L.W. Takken (Molecular Plant Pathology, UvA): Uncovering the molecular mechanisms of R protein function.
• Dr. Y. Bai, Dr. A.W. van Heusden, Prof.dr. R.G.F. Visser (Plant Breeding, WUR): Resistance breeding.
• Dr. ir. V.G.A.A. Vleeshouwers Prof.dr. R.G.F. Visser (Plant Breeding, WUR): In search for durable resistance against the potato pathogen Phytophthora infestans.
• Dr. B. Vosman, Dr. R.E. Niks, Prof.dr. R.G.F. Visser (Plant Breeding, WUR): Breeding for insect resistant plants.
• Prof.dr. J. Bakker, Dr. A. Goverse, Dr. G. Smant (Nematology, WUR): R gene mediated resistance in potato.
• Dr. A. Schots (Nematology, WUR): Oral immune regulation of inflammatory bowel diseases.

• Dr. I. Kappers (Plant Physiology, WUR): Communication between plants and insects.
• Prof. dr. C.M.J. Pieterse, Dr. P.A.H.M. Bakker, Dr. A.C.M. van Wees, Dr. R. de Jonge (Plant-Microbe Interactions, UU): Exploring the immune response of Arabidopsis.
• Prof. dr. J.M. Raaijmakers (Soil Ecology, NIOO, IBL, LU): Molecular and functional analysis of biosurfactant production in beneficial and plant pathogenic Pseudomonas species.
• Dr. R.C. Schuurink, Prof. dr. M.A. Haring (Plant Physiology, UvA): The role of plant volatiles in airborne communication.
• Prof. dr. J.J.A. van Loon (Entomology, WUR): Ecophysiology of insect-plant interactions.
• Prof. dr. M. Dicke, Dr. E.H. Poelman (Entomology, WUR): Chemical and molecular ecology of tritrophic interactions.
• L.E.M. Vet, Prof. dr. W.H. van der Putten, Dr. A. Biere (NIOO): Interactions aboveground-belowground induced responses.
• Dr. M.R. Kant (Population Biology, UvA): Exploring how herbivore variability leads to adaptation against host-plant defenses.
• Dr. K. Vrieling, Prof. dr. P.G.L. Klinkhamer (Plant Sciences and Natural Products, LU): Ecology and evolution of herbivory and plant defence systems.

• Dr. A.B. Bonnema, Dr. C.W.B. Bachem, Prof. dr. R.G.F. Visser (Plant Breeding, WUR): Quality and Development research in crop plants.
• Prof. dr. J. Memelink (Plant Sciences and Natural Products, LU): Plant responses to jasmonic acid.
• Prof. dr. R.E. Koes, Dr. F.M. Quattrocchio (Plant Development & (Epi)Genetics, UvA): Regulation of vacuolar pH in flower epidermal cells.
• Dr. P.M. Bleeker, Prof. dr. M.A. Haring (Plant Physiology, UvA): Production of secondary compounds in tomato glandular tissues.
• Dr. R.C. Schuurink, Prof. dr. M.A. Haring (Plant Physiology, UvA): Molecular control of fragrance biosynthesis in higher plants.
• Prof. dr. R.D. Hall, Dr. A.R. van der Krol (Plant Physiology, WUR), Dr. J.J.M. Vervoort (Biochemistry, WUR), Dr. A.G. Bovy, Dr. I.M. van der Meer, Dr. M.A. Jongsma (Bioscience, WUR): Metabolomics in plant science.

• Dr. H. Schluepmann (Molecular Plant Physiology, UU): Trehalose metabolism in plants.
• Prof. dr. H. van Amerongen, Dr. J. Hohlbein, Dr. E. Wientjes (Biophysics, WU): Primary steps in plant photosynthesis.
• Prof. dr. R. Croce (Physics and Astronomy, VU): Biophysics of photosynthesis.
• Dr. L.M. Trindade, Prof.dr. R.G.F. Visser (Plant Breeding, WUR): Bioengineering of metabolic pathways in food and industrial crops.

• Prof. dr. C.S. Testerink, (Plant Physiology, WUR): Salt and water stress responses in plants.
• Dr. E.J.W. Visser (Experimental Plant Ecology, RU): Plasticity of plants in response to environmental stresses.
• Prof. dr. H. van Amerongen (Biophysics, WUR): Primary steps in plant photosynthesis.
• Dr. H.W.M. Hilhorst, Dr. L. Bentsink (Plant Physiology, WUR): Seed science.
• Dr. T. Munnik (Plant Cell Biology, UvA): Cold and osmotic stress-induced lipid signaling.
• Prof. dr. C. Mariani, Dr. I. Rieu (Plant Cell Biology, RU): Biotic and a-biotic stress responses in Solanaceae.
• Prof. dr. L.A.C.J. Voesenek, Dr. R. Pierik, Dr. R. Sasidharan (Plant Ecophysiology, UU): Regulation of environmentally induced elongation growth.
• Prof. dr. R. Pierik (Plant Ecophysiology, UU): Plant Photobiology: how to grow at high densities.
• Dr. R. Sasidharan, Prof. L.A.C.J. Voesenek (Plant Ecophysiology, UU): Flooding survival mechanisms in plants.
• Prof. dr. M.G.M. Aarts (Genetics, WUR): Evolution of plant adaptation to the abiotic environment.
• Prof. dr. H.J. Bouwmeester (Plant Hormone Biology, UvA): The role of plant hormones in the communication between plants and other organisms.
• Dr. C.G. van der Linden, Prof. dr. R.G.F. Visser (Plant Breeding, WUR): Breeding for abiotic stress resistance.
• Prof. dr. T.M. Elzenga (Ecophysiology of Plants, RUG): Membrane transport processes in plants.
• Dr. L.J. de Kock (Ecophysiology of Plants, RUG): Plants’ Sulfur Metabolism and its Significance in Adaptation to the Environment.
• Dr. H. Schat (Systems Ecology, VU): Physiological and molecular analysis of heavy metal hypertolerance and heavy metal hyperaccumulation in metallophytes.

• Dr. C.W. Bachem, Dr. H.J. van Eck, Prof. dr. R.G.F. Visser (Plant Breeding, WUR): Genetic and Physical mapping of the Potato Genome.
• Prof. dr. T. Bisseling,  Dr. J. Wellink (Molecular Biology, WUR and Prof. dr. B.M. Mulder (AMOLF): Higher order organisation of chromatin and its function in development.
• Prof. dr. D. de Ridder, Dr. M.H. Medema, Dr. S. Smit, Dr. H. Nijveen, Dr. A.D.J. van Dijk (Bioinformatics, WUR): Novel computational methods for the analysis and integration of –omics data
• Dr. P. Fransz, Dr. M.E. Stam (Plant Development & (Epi)Genetics, UvA): Regulation of the chromatin structure in Arabidopsis and maize.
• Dr. E. van de Weg, Dr. P. Arens, Dr. C. Maliepaard (Plant Breeding, WUR): Crop genomics.
• Dr. M. van Zanten, Prof. dr. J.C.M. Smeekens (Molecular Plant Physiology, UU): Mechanisms of plant high temperature acclimation.

Dr. B.J. van der Zaal, Prof.dr. P.J.J. Hooykaas (Molecular and Developmental Genetics, LU): Novel tools for plant molecular genetics.

• Dr. L.W. Chatrou, DR. F.T. Bakker , Prof. dr. M.E. Schranz (Biosystematics, WUR): Evolution and phylogenetics of plant species, including wild relatives of crop plants.
• Prof. dr. E. Schranz  (Biosystematics, WUR): The evolutionary history (phylogeny) of polyploid plants and their diploid relatives.
• Dr. N. Fatouros, Prof. dr. E. Schranz (Biosystematics, WUR): evolution of insect-microbe-plant interactions.
• Dr. S. Simon, Prof. dr. E. Schranz (Biosystematics, WUR): Insect-Phylogenomics.
• Dr. M. Seidl, Prof. dr. B.P.H.J. Thomma (Phytopathology, WUR): Evolutionary genomics
• Dr. F.A. Krens, Dr. J.M. van Tuyl, Prof.dr. E. Jacobsen, Prof.dr. R.G.F. Visser (Plant Breeding, WUR): Exploiting genetic modification to enlarge genetic variation in crop plants.
• Prof.dr. P.W. Crous (Phytopathology, WUR): Host specificity and speciation in the Dothideomycetes.
• Dr. K. Verhoeven (NIOO) Ecological epigenetics.