Projects
Unraveling MAPK signaling Networks in Arabidopsis Ghent University
Understanding how plants perceive environmental challenges and process the signals to generate adaptive responses is a central goal of plant research to improve crop yields under numerous abiotic or biotic stresses. I hope to address aspects of this problem by elucidating versatile roles of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade in stress, immunity, growth, and development. The MAPK cascade represents the most universal and ...
Identification of chemical compounds that specifically interact with Arctical, a novel interactor of Arabidopsis Auroral, using chemical genetics Ghent University
Aurora kinases play key roles during eukaryotic cytokinesis. Recently we identified an interactor of Arabidopsis Aurora1 (Arctica1). This protein has a polar localization in Tobacco suspension cells. The aim of this project is to identify chemical compounds that specifically interfere with this localization. This will be achieved by the development of a screening platform using confocal and epifluorescence techniques.
Histidine phosphorelay kinases and epigenetic factors controlling de novo shoot organogenesis Ghent University
The success of plant tissue culture technology stems from the remarkable competence of specific
cell types to initiate cell divisions and form primordia (immature meristems) that generate organs
such as roots and shoots. De novo shoot organogenesis occurs upon administering the appropriate
sequence and dose of the hormones auxin and cytokinin. The interplay and opposing functions of
auxin and cytokinin has been ...
Functional analysis of new molecular components involved in the auxin-cytokinin interaction Ghent University
ERC Professorship: CYRE Ghent University
The cytokine network is an essential component of the intercellular communication that controls many key physiological processes in the human body. Cytokine dysfunction underlies multiple pathologies including autoimmune disorders, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer, and runaway overproduction of cytokines can be lethal as is the case for sepsis or flu pandemics. Although the first therapeutic successes with cytokines were obtained with the ...
Acquired immunity and immunologic aspects of SARS-CoV-2 infection a population of patients and healthcare workers in Multidisciplinary Oncologic Centres. (MOCOR-Study). University of Antwerp
Joint PhD w. Univ. of Edinburgh to study how wave patterns control cell division KU Leuven
How wave patterns control cell division Each healthy dividing cell goes through two main phases in its life cycle. DNA is first replicated in interphase, and then, in the mitotic phase, the cell segregates that DNA between the two daughter cells and it effectively divides. During mitosis, a mitotic spindle composed of bio-polymers called microtubules self-organizes and pulls the sister chromatids containing the DNA apart. Next, during a ...
Exploring the occurrence of foetal DNA damage after in utero exposure to chemotherapy - CURIOUS KU Leuven
Though rare, cancer in pregnancy is becoming more frequent due to the trend to postpone pregnancies until a later age. In large-scale clinical studies, we showed that chemotherapy given during pregnancy has no adverse effect on the short-term health of the infants. Yet, these children appear to be more often small for their gestational age, have a lower verbal IQ and increased chance of wearing glasses at the age of 6. Long-term health ...
Natural variation in temperature sensitivity of male meiosis and pollen development Ghent University
Sexual reproduction generates variation and creates offspring that undergoes natural selection leading to species adaptation to a changing environment. Meiosis, the process during which genetic variation is created, is itself also under the influence of the environment and appears to be highly sensitive to temperature stress. High and low temperatures or sudden temperature shifts during meiosis cause various defects resulting in reduced ...