Projects
Synthesis of strigolactone and karrikin analogues by gold mediated cyclisation Ghent University
Karrikins (KARs) and strigolactones (SLs) are two classes of molecules which have a large impact on plant growth and development. KARs are spontaneously formed from burning plant material. Seeds use them as a germination signal to take advantage of reduced competition after bushfires. SLs also induce germination but have a much broader role, serving as true phytohormones. At first glance KARs and SLs look quite different at the molecular ...
Sylvatic cycle of arboviruses in African wildlife. University of Antwerp
Sylvatic cycle of arboviruses in African wildlife University of Antwerp
High-throughput identification of robust collateral sensitivity for antibiotic cycling applications in Staphylococcus aureus wound infections KU Leuven
The fast spread of resistance due to the high usage of antibiotics during the last decades has rendered several antimicrobials ineffective and made novel antimicrobial strategies urgently needed. In this research project, we explore a possible solution, namely the rational cycling between different antibiotics based on collateral sensitivity, where resistance mutations acquired during treatment with one antibiotic increase susceptibility to a ...
A transcriptomic and (epi)genetic study of a complex life cycle in a warming world KU Leuven
Global temperatures are rapidly rising and species’ traits are changing to better cope with warming. Species can adjust to warming in a plastic manner or in a genetic manner, yet the contribution of both processes to respond to recent global warming is not clear. Most animals, including damselflies that heavily react to global warming, have a life cycle with a larval stage separated from the adult stage by metamorphosis. These different life ...
African trypanosome transmission: unraveling the molecular 'tripartite' between a protozoan parasite, a symbiotic bacterium and the tsetse fly innate immunity Institute of Tropical Medicine
Optimization and validation of collateral sensitivity based alternative treatment strategies for multidrug resistant Candidemia KU Leuven
An Evo-Devo perspective on reproductive division of labour in wasps KU Leuven
The evolution of sociality in insects is an example of a so-called “major transition in evolution”, whereby previously solitary breeding insects went on to live in social groups. The question of what ancestral reproductive ground plans (RGPs) from solitary breeding insects have been co-opted in the evolution of their social behaviour is a topic of active study. Earlier, we have shown that conserved queen signals help to regulate the ...
Observational imprints of binary evolution on B- and Be star populations KU Leuven
Massive stars are among the most important cosmic engines in the Universe. They have a profound impact not only on their immediate surroundings, but on their entire host galaxies. It is therefore crucial to understand their life cycle, from their birth until their deaths which are often accompanied by energetic supernova explosions. Observations have shown that a majority of stars are members of binary systems, complicating our understanding ...