The goal of my research is to understand soil microbiome interactions for soil functioning and the microbes and plants co-dependency in sustainable agriculture. The main focus is to farm microbes linked to N and P (re)cycles to provide nutrients to plants, increase soil quality and fertility and mitigate greenhouse gas Nitrous Oxide.

In the last years my research has been oriented towards understanding the fundamental mechanisms of microbial interactions and communication with particular attention paid to the role of microbial volatiles.

The goal of our research program is to unravel the functional diversity of microbes living on and inside plants.

In the Bodelier group we aim at connecting microbial identity to functioning in lab and field settings to elucidate the role of microbial diversity and traits in regulating important ecosystem processes like greenhouse gas emission from terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Our goal is to explore how viruses act as the gatekeepers of biodiversity: miniscule biological entities that influence microbial and plant biodiversity, hereby safeguarding ecosystem functioning. My research group characterizes viral diversity in agricultural and natural ecosystems, and we aim to explore how viruses impact ecosystem functioning.

Research in the Verhoeven group focuses on plant microevolution and adaptation. We combine tools from genetics, genomics and ecology to explore the capacity of plants to adapt to rapidly changing environments.

The research in the Veen group focuses on how soil communities drive fundamental ecosystem functions. We aim to use our knowledge to understand how we can restore soil communities to improve soil functioning in natural and agricultural ecosystems.

Nocturnal illumination leads to a permanent disturbance of natural habitats and there is accumulating evidence for – often negative – impact of artificial light in an increasing number of species. However, most studies are correlative and only include immediate or short-term effects of artificial light at the level of the individual while long-term consequences are still largely unknown.

Why and how do animals vary in their ability to reproduce