This project is a component of the EpiDiverse MSCA-ITN European training network. In long-lived sessile organisms such as trees, phenotypic plasticity is an important requirement for successful persistence in changing or variable environments. Epigenetic mechanisms have the potential to mediate long-term plastic responses to environmental change. However, the importance of epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation as regulators of adaptive plasticity is not well known.

This project is a component of the EpiDiverse MSCA-ITN European training network. DNA methylation variants can arise spontaneously, they can be under genetic control or they can be induced by environments. In plants, some DNA methylation variants are stable across many generations whereas other variants are very transient. A good understanding of the transgenerational dynamics of DNA methylation variants is essential to understand their impact on heritable traits and their effect on adaptation.

Linking Ecology, Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics in plant epigenetic research

Genome segmentation, the division of the hereditary material into multiple physical units, is widespread across all domains of life. Although many viruses also have segmented genomes, some viruses go a step further and package each segment into a different virus particle.

MITAR: Microbiome Invasion and Transmission of plasmid-mediated Antimicrobial Resistance

KNAW funded research on the role of biointeractions in causing fungal virulence in asparagus.

Plant virus genomes are highly diverse and can evolve rapidly, as highlighted by recent metagenomics advances. However, most research on plant viruses focuses on agricultural systems, and we therefore know little about virus diversity and evolution in natural ecosystems.

PhyloFunDB. This project aims at creating and maintaining phylogenetically validated reference databases of various microbial functional genes and creating the tools to make the databases available for the scientific community

This is a sub-project of a WUR-NIOO project entitled "Closing the loop: exploiting sustainable insect production to improve soil, crop and animal health", coordinated by Prof. Marcel Dicke. Insects can transform waste streams into high-value proteins for food and feed. Consequently, insects provide valuable contributions to a circular economy. The project aims to investigate the valorisation of the rest-stream of insect production, i.e. moulting skins and faeces (‘frass’) to enhance soil health and crop health (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2022.01.007).
In the NIOO project, we study the decomposition rate of frass and moulting skins of three insects species (black soldier fly, mealworm, cricket) in arable soil as well as the composition of the fungal and bacterial decomposers. In addition, we study if the insect materials, which are rich in chitin, can be used to control soil-borne fungal plant diseases.

In AgriWood we examine the best strategies to stimulate saprotrophic fungi (fungi growing on dead organic materials) in arable soil. Most arable soils contain a very low amount of fungal filaments (hyphae). This is due to intensive tillage, use of fungicides and lack of degradable organic materials. The latter factor appears to be the most important one and, therefore, growth of saprotrophic fungi can be enhanced by feeding them. This can have several benefits, including the increase of natural disease suppression (intensification of competition between saprotrophs and pathogens), improving the efficiency of use of nitrogen fertilizers (fungi can store overloads of nitrogen), contribution to a better soil structure (fungal hyphae are involved in soil aggregate formation) and stimulation of a richer soil food web (increase of fungus-feeding micro- and mesofauna). Solid, carbon-rich materials are well suited to stimulate saprotrophic fungi and in our previous research we found that sawdusts of deciduous trees perform particularly well: rapid and long-lasting stimulation. More details on this research is available at: https://edepot.wur.nl/537032
In the current project, we examine the addition of sawdust in greenhouse- and field-trials to optimize the application strategies for different purposes (disease suppression, reduction nitrogen losses).

Nederlandse beschrijving van het onderzoek in: https://library.wur.nl/WebQuery/wurpubs/fulltext/545998