Professional appointments
2014-2017
Senior scientist NIOO-KNAW
2009-2014
Head of the Department of Microbial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen
2006-2007:
Interim director of the Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden
1998-2009:
Director of Centre for Terrestrial Ecology, Head of the Department of Terrestrial Microbial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Heteren
1993-present:
Professor of Microbial Ecology, Leiden University, Leiden
1992-1997:
Director of the DLO-Research Institute for Plant Protection,Wageningen
1990-1992:
Deputy Director, DLO Institute for Soil Fertility, Haren
1989-1992:
Head of the Department of Soil Biology, DLO-Institute for Soil Fertility, Haren/Wageningen
1983-1989:
Head of the Department of Soil Microbiology, Ital, Wageningen
1982:
Visiting Scientist, CSIRO Division of Soils, Adelaide, Australia
1978-1983:
Senior Scientist, Ital, Wageningen
1977-1978:
Post-doctoral fellow, Dept. of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
1973-1977:
PhD-student, Ital, Wageningen
Awards
Royal decoration of The Netherlands: Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
UNESCO Carlos J Finlay Award for Microbiology (together with Prof. J. Tiedje, USA and Prof. J. Lynch, UK)
ISME: Life long member of ISME In recognition of exceptional contribution to the International Society of Microbial Ecology
Editing activities
- (Review) Editor of Biology and Fertility of Soils,
- Reviewing activities , e.g. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Gene, Microbial Ecology, FEMS Microbial Ecology, Soil Biology & Biochemistry, Plant & Soil, Environmental Microbiology, The ISME Journal, Journal of Applied Ecology
- Co-founder of The ISME Journal (2007)
Publications: over 200 in refereed journals
Present services to the profession
- Chairman of the Sceintific Advisory Board of the Department Plant and Environmental Sciences of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- Member of the Board of the venture "MicroLife Solutions"
- Member of the Management team of the BE-Basic program and Flagship manager
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Council of the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, IBED, of the University of Amsterdam
- Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of MicroP of the University of Copenhagen
PhDs
Y.Yan
Assemblage and functioning of bacterial communities in soil and rhizosphere
M.Lupatini
Microbial communities in Pampa soils; impact of land use changes, soil type and climatic conditions
Y.Bai
Ecological funtioning of bacterial chitinases in soil
M.Rudnick
Mycophagous soil bacteria ( second supervisor)
E. Hannula
Assessment of the effects of genetically modified potatoes on structure and functioning of soil fungal communities (2012)
L.Joosten
Pyrrolizidine alkaloid composition of the plant and its interaction with the soil microbial community ( 2012)
R. Czajkowski
Ecology and control of Dickeya spp. in potato (2011)
F. Mela
Genomic analysis of bacterial mycophagy (2011)
A. Kielak
Metagenomic analysis of two important,but difficult to culture, soil borne bacteria phyla, the Acidobacteria and Verrucomicrobia (2010)
B. Drigo
The impact of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide on microbial community dynamics in the rhizosphere(2009)
S.Hoppener-Ogawa
Ecology of mycophagous Collimonas bacteria in soil (2008)
A. van der Wal
Soils in transition: dynamics and functioning of fungi (2007)
J. Salles
Burkholderia community structure in soils under different agricultural management practices (2005)
P. Garbeva
The significance of microbial diversity in agricultural soil for disease suppressiveness (2005)
F.A. de Souza
Biology, ecology and evolution of the family Gigasporaceae, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomeromycota) (2005)
P. Brinkman
Interactions amongs endoparasitic root-feeding nematodes: consequesnces for nematodes and host plant (2004)
J. van Os
Ecology and control of pythium root rot in flower bulb culture (2003)
W.G.H. Hol
The role of pyrrolizidine alkaloids from Senecio jacobaea in the defence against fungi (2003)
L.B. Folman
Biological control of Pythium aphanidermatum in soilless systems (2003)
B. M. Duineveld
Spatial and temporal dynamics in the bacterial community of the rhizosphere (2000)
J.H. van Ginkel
Elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide and carbon dynamics in a grassland soil (1999)
L.S. van Overbeek
Responses of bacterial inoculants to soil conditions (1998)
L.J.M. Gerritsen
Symbiotic interaction between the bacterium Photorhabdus Luminescens and the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis (1997)
J. Swinnen
Production and turnover of root-derived organic matter in the rhizosphere of wheat and barley under field conditions (1994)
C.E. Heijnen
Population dynamics of bacteria introduced into bentonite amended soil (1992)
A.Gorissen
Effects of air pollutants on the microflora in the rhizosphere of Douglas fir ( 1991)
C. Christiansen-Weniger
Influence of Azospirillium on the nitrogen supply of a gramineous host (1991)
P.J. Kuikman
Mineralization of nitrogen by protozoan activity in soil (1990)
E. Liljeroth
Micro-organisms in the rhizosphere of barley and wheat: the effects of variety and nitrogen fertilization (1990)
J. Postma
Distribution and population dynamics of Rhizobium sp.introduced into soil (1989)
Expertise
Microbial ecology of terrestrial ecosystems
My interest is in the role of micro-organisms in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. I have been involved in research on several subjects including the modeling of microbial transformations of N and C, the fate of (genetically modified) micro-organisms inoculated into soil, rhizosphere ecology, the application of molecular biological methodology in soil microbiology and presently in the regulation and exploration of the diversity of microbial communities in soil and bacteria-fungi interactions