LAMP — Laboratory of Applied Mycology and Phenomics

Kris Audenaert

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Kris is an associate professor in plant health at the department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University. He leads a team of young researchers at the Laboratory of Applied Mycology and Phenomics (LAMP). Growing healthy crops resilient upon pathogen attack is a major challenge for agriculture in a changing climate. The mission of LAMP is to play a pivotal role in this challenge by exploring new innovations and by enabling that such innovations find their way to society.

Boris Bekaert

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Boris is a Hogent Biochemistry graduate and lab technician, specialized in molecular techniques comprising PCR, RT-QPCR, and ELISA. Managing the lab, he efficiently handles orders and ensures lab safety, while also being a helping hand for anyone in need. Beyond his administrative role, Boris channels his artistic background into crafting graphical abstracts, posters, and web designs. This highlights his versatile skill set, combining scientific expertise, lab management, and creative contributions.

Noémie De zutter

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Noémie received her PhD degree in Bioscience Engineering in 2023. During her PhD, she focused on the potential of phosphate solubilizing bacteria as a sustainable alternative to synthetic fertilizers. In this work, she used a combination of plant-based microbiome selection and multispectral imaging to select for rhizosphere competent microbial biostimulants alleviating P-stress in maize. Aside her main research focus, she is involved in internal and external service contracting with research and industry, encompassing both abiotic (i.e. drought, salinity, heat, nutrients) and biotic (i.e. fungal infections) stress on a broad variety of host plants.

Sabina Bajda-Wybouw

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Sabina manages the CropFit Services Core Facility at UGent, where LAMP is a valued member. CropFit Services provides innovative bioassays to elucidate biostimulants’ and biopesticides’ efficiency and mode of action, supporting every aspect of product development. In her role, Sabina oversees public relations, manages day-to-day operations, and leverages her expertise in integrated pest management to establish a connection between academia and industry. Her efforts aim to foster collaboration, stimulate service initiatives, and generate revenue for the university.

Trang Minh Tran

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trang successfully completed his doctoral program at Ghent University in 2021, focusing on investigating the modes of action of Streptomyces strains against fungal phytopathogens. Subsequently, he served as a postdoctoral researcher at INRAE in France, where his research aimed to unravel the antifungal and antimycotoxin mechanisms of stilbenoids against Fusarium Head Blight, utilizing multi-omics approaches. Currently, Trang Tran holds the position of an FWO postdoctoral researcher at UGent and KULeuven. In this role, he is dedicated to exploring fructan metabolizing microbes and developing sweet immunity-mediated synthetic microbial communities (SWEETiCOM). The combination of fructans as prebiotics and SWEETiCOM has the potential to promote plant growth and enhance plant tolerance to both biotic and abiotic stresses.

Chloë Schoorens

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Chloë obtained her master’s degree in bioscience engineering: cell- and gene biotechnology at Ghent University in 2023. She is currently working as a PhD researcher on the ODORATION project involving the development of a botanical biofiltration system for household environments, based on optimized malodorant-metabolizing rhizosphere and phyllosphere microbiomes.

Fien Drijvers

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Fien obtained her master’s degree in Bioscience Engineering: Cell and Gene Biotechnology at Ghent University in 2020. In 2021 she started as a teaching and research assistant at the department of Biotechnology (Ghent University). She is currently working on her PhD project focused on the phytoremediation of heavy metal polluted soils using hemp plants and the associated rhizospere microbial community. The impact of this phytoremediation process on the phenotype of the plants is studied by spectral analysis. Her supervisors are Leen De Gelder and Kris Audenaert.

Jelle Van Vooren

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Jelle obtained his master’s degree in bioscience engineering: chemistry and technology at Ghent University in 2021. After graduating, he did an IOF project on the development and testing of natural product-based compounds as potential new herbicides. Currently he is working as a PhD researcher on the ODORETION project and focuses on the identification of fungal volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) and their relation to plant growth promotion under biotic and abiotic stresses. The project is funded by VLAIO and his supervisors are Kris Audenaert, Sven Mangelinckx and Willem Desmedt.

Kenan Meert

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Kenan holds a VLAIO Baekeland fellowship at Ghent University, specializing in synthetic biology for crop protection. His work involves designing, creating, and testing synthetic proteins to combat plant pathogen infections. Inspired by the innate immune system of plants, he explores the synergy between nature and engineering. In collaboration with esteemed partners — The Laboratory of Applied Mycology and Phenomics (LAMP – UGent), The Laboratory of Applied Biotechnology (LAB – UGent), and Biotalys — he is at the forefront of pioneering solutions for a sustainable and resilient agricultural future.

Laurence Vandenbulcke

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Laurence is working as a PhD student on the PRIMO project focusing on the biocontrol of Solanum tuberosum against Phytophthora infestans by volatile organic compounds. Biocontrol is of major importance as European initiatives are driving a paradigm shift to reduce the use of chemical phytopharmaceuticals. A specific approach in biocontrol involves harnessing the plant’s innate immune system through a phenomenon known as priming which brings the plant in a state of alertness. In our research group, we have established a proof-of-principle that the green leaf volatile Z3-hexenyl acetate (Z3-HAC) is a potent priming agent against P. infestans in potato.

Louka Noyen

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Louka is a Ph.D. student at Ghent University, affiliated with the research group Phycology and the Laboratory of Applied Mycology and Phenomics (LAMP). As a part of the European AlgaeProBANOS project, her doctoral research focuses on the cultivation of the red seaweed Furcellaria lumbricalis in the Baltic Sea. The primary objective is to explore its potential as a feedstock for plant biostimulant production. This work involves various aspects, including seaweed life cycle control, sustainable seaweed aquaculture, population genomics, and the application of bioassays to investigate Furcellaria’s biostimulatory potential through multispectral imaging.

Jing Liu

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Jing obtained her master’s degree in Food Science: functional food and bioactive components at Chinese Academy of Agriculture Science in 2022. She started her PhD in December 2022, and is investigating a new selection pipeline for the discovery of high biocontrol bacteria against B. cinerea in tomato. The project is funded by the China Scholarship Council (CSC) and her supervisors are Kris Audenaert, Sarah De Saeger, and Caroline De Tender.

Lies Van Vlierberghe

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lies began her PhD studies at Ghent University in 2024 after completing her master’s degree in Biochemical Engineering Technology. Her research focuses on unravelling the chemical ecology between toxin-producing Sarocladium and Fusarium species involved in the rice sheath rot disease complex. This work has significant implications for improving diagnosis, understanding epidemiology, and developing effective disease management strategies. The project is funded by the Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO), under the supervision of Monica Höfte and Kris Audenaert.

Marie Blomme

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Marie successfully obtained her master’s degree in industrial engineering biochemistry at Ghent University in 2024. She is currently working as a PhD researcher on a project focusing on the characterization of metabolic interactions among plants and fungi. This research allows the identification of yet undiscovered bioactive fungal metabolites. The project is realized in collaboration with the VIB and the MEMO group (metabolic engineering of microorganisms) - UGent.

Dylan Cool

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Dylan obtained his master’s degree in Biochemistry and Biotechnology at KU Leuven in 2024. Currently, he has started to write a project titled: “Identification and quantification of nematodes in soybean plants.” This project will be handed in for a VLAIO Baekeland fellowship under the supervision of Kris Audenaert, Tina Kyndt, and BASF members Xavier Scheldeman and Alexander Galle.

Jarno van de Geuchte

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Jarno successfully obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical and Biological Laboratory Technology from Odisee in 2024, followed by an Advanced Bachelor’s in Bioinformatics in 2025. He is currently working as a lab technician, primarily responsible for the lab’s external services, and provides support with internal lab operations when needed.

Nerea Castineira Rial

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Nerea obtained her master’s degree in Molecular Biology with a specialization in Microbiology at Lund University in 2024. She is currently working as a PhD researcher on a project focused on the identification of yet undiscovered bioactive fungal metabolites. This work involves the characterization of plant–pathogen interactions and the integration of various molecular biology approaches, including genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics. The project is carried out in collaboration with the VIB and the MEMO group (Metabolic Engineering of Microorganisms) at Ghent University.

Simon Vermeulen

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Simon obtained his master’s degree in Biochemical Engineering Technology at Ghent University in 2025. As a PhD researcher, he will focus on the control of phytopathogenic fungi by uniting RNA interference technology, performance-enhancing polymers, and antifungal enzymes. With his research, Simon hopes to provide farmers with an environmentally safe and spray-based (non-GMO) alternative to synthetic fungicides, paving the way to a more sustainable agricultural sector. This project, for which LAMP collaborates with the Lab of Agrozoology and the Polymer Chemistry and Biomaterials Group, is submitted for FWO funding. Kris Audenaert and Kristof De Schutter are his supervisors.

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