dr. MA (Marta) Streminska

My fascination with beneficial microbes started during MSc studies in environmental science, when I used denitrifying bacteria to biodegrade phenolic compounds during biological wastewater treatment.

I continued my adventure with microbiology during my PhD in Biology (Environmental Microbiology) at the University of Warsaw (Poland), where I researched the role of microbes in the nitrogen cycle in the soils of pine forests during mass occurrences of insect pest Lymatria monacha. 
After obtaining my PhD I continued the research on nitrogen cycle as a postdoctoral associate at University of Aberdeen, Scotland.
In 2010 I joined Wageningen University & Research Centre (Business Unit Greenhouse Horticulture) as a researcher in microbial ecology. My research focusses on application of beneficial microbes, bacteria and fungi, to combat plant diseases and improve plant growth, in different growing systems for cultivation of vegetables and ornamental plants. 

At the Business Unit Greenhouse Horticulture and Flowers Bulbs we study the natural microbiomes of rhizosphere of different plants (e.g. tomato, cucumber, lisianthus or chrysanthemum), but also the microbes present in different soil(less) growing media, used in greenhouse horticulture and in the greenhouse watersystem. Currently we are trying to understand how we can steer these natural microbiomes to make the growing systems disease suppressive.

In recent years I also took part in a number of projects focusing on prevention and biological control of fungal and bacterial plant diseases.

For example, together with colleagues from BU Biointeractions and Plant Health, we studied the possibilities for prevention of root infections caused by Fusarium fungi, in different ornamental plants (among others: lisianthus, chrysanthemum, gerbera and Phalaenopsis orchids). 

My research interests also include alternative startegies for prevention of bacterial plant diseases. Together with colleagues we succesfully applied quorum quenching, with lactonase producing Bacillus, to prevent hairy roots disease (crazy roots), caused by Agrobacterium rhizogenes, in tomatoes and cucumbers.

We also were able to isolate predatory bacteria Bdellovibrio and Bacteriovorax from rockwool mats during cultivation of tomato. These bacteria can selectively infect and kill cells of plant pathogenic Agrobacterium rhizogenes.

My goal is to help the growers utilise the beneficial microorganisms, present in their cultivation systems, to improve plant health and production, instead of only focussing on microbial plant pathogens.