Jos Raaijmakers

Prof. Jos Raaijmakers PhD

Head of department
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Visiting Address

Droevendaalsesteeg 10
6708 PB Wageningen

+31 (0) 317 47 34 00

The Netherlands

About

My research group investigates the taxonomic and functional diversity of the plant microbiome. We developed the concept of microbiome ‘rewilding’, which posits that plant health can be improved by reinstating key members of the diverse (ancestral) microbiota that were lost through domestication. To this end, we go back to the centres of origin of the wild relatives of our crop species to identify the ‘missing microbes’ and their beneficial traits.

Biography

Jos Raaijmakers is head of the Microbial Ecology Department at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) and Professor at the Institute of Biology at Leiden University. He is member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts & Sciences and board member of the PhD graduate School PE&RC. The overall goal of his research program is to unravel the impact of plant domestication on the diversity and beneficial functions of microorganisms associated with plants. In this search for 'missing plant microbes', we work closely together with research institutes and universities in the centres of origin of plant species (Africa, Asia, South America). The functions of the plant microbes studied in detail are protection of plants against infections caused by fungal pathogens, parasitic weeds and insects. Jos teaches BSc and MSc courses at Leiden University, and organizes (inter)national PhD courses and conferences, including the International Plant Microbiome conference.

International visibility, activities, prizes, scholarships

Jos Raaijmakers is  member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts & Sciences (KNAW), Professor of Microbial Ecology at Leiden University, board member of the graduate school Production Ecology & Resource Conservation and former board member of the Centre for Soil Ecology. He was a visiting Professor at Copenhagen University (Denmark), Oregon State University (USA) and the University of Malaga (Spain), and former Chair of the Dutch Phytobacteriology group. He is currently editor-in-chief of the scientific journal ISME Communications.

His past and present research program is conducted in an international context with projects in Asia (Vietnam, Indonesia, Korea, China), South America (Ecuador, Colombia, Brasil) and Africa (Ghana, Ethiopia). He is recipient/coordinator of several prestigious and large national and international research grants (e.g. NWO-EcoGenomics (Netherlands Genomics Initiative), NWO-Gravitation (http://microp.org (external link)), BE-Basic, TTW-Perspectief Back-To-Roots), EU-Horizon/Marie Curie ITN; NWO-Groot). His expertise in plant-microbiome research led to the invitation by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop and coordinate the international program PROMISE (http://promise.nioo.knaw.nl (external link)). In the latest international peer review, his department/institute was rated with the highest score (“excellent”) on all criteria (Quality, Relevance, Viability).

He published many articles in peer reviewed scientific journals, including papers in Nature-based journals (Nature Microbiology, Nature Chemical Biology, ISME Journal), Science, PNAS, and top Microbiology, Plant Science and Ecology journals. Over the past 5 years, he was elected in the Top 1% of the most highly cited researchers worldwide. 

He holds several international patents and works closely with industry (start-ups, medium & large enterprises), including international seed and agrochemical companies focused on developing new microbiome-based products for sustainable horti- and agriculture. He supervises multiple PhD students, postdocs and technicians, and is involved in teaching BSc and MSc courses at Leiden University as well as international PhD courses. During his time as an associate professor at Wageningen University, he was selected by the students among the best teachers. He also organized several international conferences, including the PGPR-meeting (2007), Rhizosphere 4 (2015), and the International Plant Microbiome conference (2016, 2018, 2022, 2023). Many of his former PhD and postdocs have acquired leading positions at (inter)national universities, government research institutes and R&D departments of different companies.

Professional activities

  • Promoter of PhD students: 19 graduations completed; 11 ongoing
  • Reviewer for various international scientific journals 
  • Speaker at international conferences and workshops
  • Member of (inter)national PhD committees & Scientific Advisory Boards
  • Member of professional organizations - International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME); American Society for Microbiology (ASM); Dutch Society for Microbiology (NVvM); Dutch Phytopathological Society (KNPV); Graduate Schools - Experimental Plant Sciences (EPS); Production Ecology & Resource Conservation (PE&RC).

Teaching (past & present)

  • Microbial Ecology; Molecular Microbiology; Leiden University, Netherlands
  • Plant-Microbe Interactions, Integrated Pest Management, Living Soil, Wageningen University, Netherlands
  • Genomics, Applied Microbiology, Wageningen University & University Copenhagen

Scholarships & prizes

  • Elected member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts & Sciences (KNAW) - 2023
  • Nominee Huibregtsenprize 2022 (https://www.avondwenm.nl/huibregtsenprijs (external link))
  • 2018 – 2022: top 1% of most Highly Cited Researchers worldwide (Clarivate Analytics)
  • Nominee of the Merck Future Insight Prize 2021
  • Academy (KNAW) fellow (2001-2006) ‘Pathogen defense against microbial antagonism’
  • Elected in 2010 & 2011 by students among best teachers of Wageningen University
  • OECD-fellowship (1998) ‘Role of antibiosis in Fusarium-wilt suppressive soils’
  • USDA-award (1997) ‘Unravelling the molecular basis of disease suppressive soils’

Research groups