Projects
FunBat: Tritrophic interactions among FUNgi, flies, and BATs: systematics, taxonomy, and community ecology Ghent University
This is a story across multiple trophic levels: bats are host to bloodsucking flies that in turn serve as hosts for minute ectoparasitic fungi, the Laboulbeniales. Laboulbeniales fungi are obscure, microscopic ectoparasites, and have been traditionally understudied by the mycological community. With this project, moving forward from a previous FWO-funded fellowship, we propose to exploit the TriTrophic Traits (3T) database consisting of ...
Laboulbeniales hyperparasitic fungi of bat flies: host specificity and patterns of speciation Ghent University
This is a story about hyperparasitism: flies that live as parasites on bats in turn serve as hosts for small ectoparasitic fungi, the Laboulbeniales. Laboulbeniales fungi are microscopic, obscure, and understudied, even neglected by the mycological community. The small community of researchers studying Laboulbeniales primarily focus on taxonomy (description of species) and ecology (effects of the fungi on their hosts). With this project, we ...
Prioritizing conservation and restoration targets for freshwater biodiversity in Flanders KU Leuven
Riverine biodiversity is deteriorating rapidly as a result of multiple interacting anthropogenic pressures. Freshwater species are subject to physico-chemical pollution originating from various sources (e.g. agriculture, industries, households), hydro-morphological alterations (e.g. construction of dams, river calibration), and the introduction of invasive species (e.g. topmouth gudgeon, Chinese mitten crab, round goby in Flanders). ...
Individual variation and evolutionary potential of parasite traits in a songbird-tick system: direct and indirect genetic effects. University of Antwerp
Spotting and spreading of a fungal parasite on a globally invasive ladybird: explaining its worldwide distribution and biocontrol potential Ghent University
The harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae), is one of the worst invasive species in Europe. Originally from eastern Asia, it was introduced as biocontrol in North America, it has since spread over the rest of the world and has a negative effect on native insects as well as food production and human health. The ectoparasitic fungus Hesperomyces harmoniae nom. prov. (Ascomycota, Laboulbeniomycetes, Laboulbeniales) is ...
Genetic variants associated with honey bee resistance against Deformed wing virus and their use in CRISPR-based marker assisted selection to improve resilience of bees Ghent University
Honey bees are under pressure due to abnormal high death rates, especially during the winter. The infestation by the Varroa destructor mite and the viruses that this ectoparasite transmits are generally seen as the most important biotic causes. The control of these mite-transmitted viruses is almost exclusively done in an indirect way, by limiting the severity of the mite infestation. We recently succeeded in the selection towards virus ...
Forward genetic dissection of inherited predisposition to Psoroptic Mange in Belgian Blue Cattle. KU Leuven
Psoroptic mange (PM) is an ectoparasitic dermatosis due to Psoroptis ovis. The occurrence of PM is extremely frequent in Belgian Blue Cattle (BBC) and in this breed a delayed hypersensitivity response is present. BBC, or at least some animals in that breed, are likely to carry genes that increase susceptibility to PM. The aim of this project is twofold. At first a positional cloning approach is used to identify the genetic determinants ...
FWO Visiting Postdoctoral Fellowship (Joël WHITE, France). University of Antwerp
Adaptive maternal investment in relation ot environmental variation in teh Great Tit (Parus major) Ghent University
Through controlled field experiments in a population of the Great Tit (Parus major) residing in the proximity of the city of Ghent, (i) the effect of food availability and pathogeny of the environment on maternal investment in egg yolk immune factors and sex-allocation, and (ii) the consequences of differential maternal investment on the offspring's fitness will be examined.