Soil is a home for an unbelievable diversity and abundance of microbial life that is essential for supporting life on our planet.

How soil microbial composition impacts structure and composition of the aboveground plant and animal communities?

In this thesis, the role of plant-mediated soil legacy effects in shaping aboveground plant-insect interactions was investigated.

Soil biodiversity is of great importance for the maintenance of multifunctionality in terrestrial ecosystems.

The main research question of this thesis was: Can nitrogen cycling on dairy farms on peat soil in the Dutch Green Heart area be improved by adapting management to the nitrogen supply from soil and by using other grassland species and crops without affecting milk production?

The soil ecosystem consists of the largest reservoir of biodiversity on Earth.

In this thesis, we will utilize embryonic zebrafish tumour models to understand the interaction between engrafted human cancer cells and macrophages from the host, test drug administration modalities and anti-cancer efficacies of newly-developed PDT and PACT compounds, and test a light-triggered liposomal…

Promotor: J.A. van Veen, Co-promotor: E.E. Kuramae

Promotores: Prof.dr. H. van Veen & Prof.dr. W. de Boer (Wageningen University)

Promotor: E. Bouwman, Co-promotor: S. Bonnet

Promotores: J. Jonkers, K.E. de Visser

By growing in a soil plants change the biotic and abiotic properties of the soil in which they grow.

How presence, abundance and enzymatic activities of AM and EM fungi differently affect soil carbon sequestration processes?

Promotores: J.A.van Veen, P.L.G.Klinkhamer. Co-promotor: E.E.Kuramae

Plants and soils from natural ecosystems harbor great diversity of soil microorganisms, which could potentially contribute to the sustainability of horticulture. The knowledge about using wild plant species and soil from natural ecosystem to improve the crop health will advance the application of ecological…

In this thesis, I focused on studying the above- and belowground interactions of J. vulgaris from a plant-soil feedback (hereafter, PSF) perspective. I investigated the temporal variation of negative PSF and examined the effects of root-associated bacteria on plant performance and aboveground herbiv…

In this PhD study, I aim to deepen our understanding of the influence of major mycorrhizal types, namely arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) and ectomycorrhizae (EM), on the global soil carbon cycle and their potential distribution changes under future environmental shifts.

The use of N fertilizers has increased worldwide in the past century. While this increased input of N has increased food productivity, it has also contributed to decreases in biodiversity, soil quality and environmental health, including increases in greenhouse gas emissions.

Vinasse is a major by-product generated by the sugarcane biofuel industry. It is a source of microbes, nutrients and organic matter and often it is recycled as fertilizer.

Striga hermonthica, commonly known as witchweed, infests major cereal crops in Sub-Saharan Africa causing severe yield losses and threatening the livelihood of millions of resource poor farmers.

Promotors: Prof.dr. G.R. de Snoo, Prof.dr. G.A. Persoon, Prof.dr.ir. H.H. de Iongh

Actinobacteria are well known for the production of bioactive natural products, many of which have applications in the fields of human, animal and plant health. Subject of this thesis are the anthracyclines, glycosylated aromatic polyketides with potent anticancer activity.

What are the global relationships between environmental conditions and abundance of distinct types of mycorrhizal fungi in soil and plant roots?

Promotor: Prof.dr. R. Verpoorte, Co-Promotor: Dr. Young Hae Choi

In photoactivated chemotherapy (PACT), a biologically active compound is caged by a light-cleavable protecting group.

Promotor: G.P. van Wezel, Co-promotor: D. Claessen

As leading cause of death worldwide, cancer is responsible for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020 according to World Health Organization (WHO). Cisplatin and its derivatives are commonly used chemotherapy agents for current cancer treatment in the clinics.

Jan Willem Erisman wilde als kind al dingen beter maken. Als hoogleraar Duurzaamheid en Milieu is hij daarom ook buiten de universiteit actief. Hij staat bekend als de stikstofprofessor: in de media, maar ookin de Tweede Kamer legt hij het stikstofprobleem uit. Recent trad hij toe tot de Europese Soil…

Promotores: Prof.dr. P.C.W. Hogendoorn & Prof.dr. H.P. Spaink Co-promotor: Dr. B.E. Snaar-Jagalska

Promotor: Prof.dr. W.J.G.M. Peijnenburg

The rapidly increasing commercial application of metallic nanoparticles within products will inevitably enhance the amount of NPs being released into soil.

One of the main challenges in the development of an effective anti-cancer vaccine is the generation of an adequate and directed cellular immune response.

1. To what extent do metallic NPs added to soil extractions change the activity, abundance, or community composition of microbes? 2. How do the effects of metallic NPs on soil microbes differ from the effects of the ions shedding from corresponding NPs?

How the global distribution of vegetation stands dominated by arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal plants relate to principle aspects of belowground carbon accumulation processes?

Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) is the principal enzyme responsible for hydrolysis of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). MAGL inhibition provides several potential therapeutic opportunities, including anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity.

Promotie

Microbiome composition of the spermosphere and the rhizosphere of wild and modern bean accessions grown in an agricultural and a native soil from Colombia was characterized by metagenomics and cultivation-dependent approaches.

Streptomyces are bacteria abundant in soil that participate in diverse and complex interactions. These bacteria are the main producers of the antibiotics we currently use in the clinic.

Promotor: E.F. Smets Co-promotor: J. Geml

Promotor: E.F. Smets, Co-promotor: J. Geml

The soil-dwelling, filamentous bacteria of the genus Streptomyces are renowned for their production of useful secondary metabolites including antibiotics. The work described in this thesis provides new insights on the role and regulation of antibiotic production and resistance in these bacteria.

Voormalig masterstudent Bio-Farmaceutische Wetenschappen Maddalena Centanni is dit jaar de winnaar van de Arenberg-Coimbragroep-Prijs voor Erasmusstudenten. Centanni bracht voor haar Erasmus-uitwisseling zes maanden door in Uppsala, Zweden. Hier onderzocht ze manieren om de dosering van anti-kankermedicijnen…

This thesis aimed to investigate the impact of exposure dynamics, relative contributions of ENPs(particle) and ENPs(ion), and dosing regimens on the toxicity of ENPs varying in different physico-chemical properties, on the composition and functioning of soil microbial communities.

Cytotoxic T-cells (CTLs) are involved in the clearance of viruses and killing of tumor cells.

Promotores: Prof.dr.G.R. de Snoo and Dr. R. Heijungs

The filamentous bacteria Streptomyces are widespread inhabitants of terrestrial soils.

Promotie