Willem Takken's research
After the Second World War much entomological research was undertaken from the concept that most pest problems caused by insects could be solved by application of insecticides.
Research
Chemical control was considered cheap, effective and safe. It is now realized that this approach was non-sustainable. Already in the early days of chemical control the Laboratory of Entomology choose a different approach for its research, with emphasis on alternative methods of control. Initially the research focused on insect physiology i.e. hormonal regulation of insect development and resulted in the discovery of insect growth regulators as modern and selective control agents. Subsequently much work was done (and continues to be done) on the physiology of insect/plant interactions and the ecology of parasite/host and predator/prey interactions. In the last decade research on arthropod vectors of human and animal diseases complemented the research at the Laboratory.
The Laboratory of Entomology conducts fundamental and applied research. Fundamental scientific research concerns 5 topics:
- Host plant selection by herbivorous insects and mites;
- Chemical communication between plants and carnivorous insects and mites;
- Foraging behaviour of predators and parasitoids;
- Population dynamics of parasitoids
- Evolutionary ecology of asexual reproduction in insects.
Applied research is narrowly associated with the fundamental research, and includes the following topics:
- Development of biological and integrated pest management in greenhouses, orchards and field crops;
- Mechanisms of host-plant resistance;
- Biological and integrated control of pests and vectors in the tropics
Publications
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Selection of mosquito life-histories: a hidden weapon against malaria?
Malaria Journal (2012), Volume: 11 - ISSN 1475-2875 -
Exploiting the behaviour of wild malaria vectors to achieve high infection with fungal biocontrol agents
Malaria Journal (2012), Volume: 11 - ISSN 1475-2875 -
Variation in malaria transmission dynamics in three different sites in Western Kenya
Journal of Tropical Medicine (2012), Volume: 2012 - ISSN 1687-9686 -
Identification of candidate volatiles that affect the behavioural response of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto to an active kairomone blend: laboratory and semi-field assays
Physiological Entomology (2012), Volume: 37, Issue: 1 - ISSN 0307-6962 - p. 60-71. -
Evaluation of low density polyethylene and nylon for delivery of synthetic mosquito attractants.
Parasites & Vectors (2012), Volume: 5 - ISSN 1756-3305 -
Integrated mosquito larval source management reduces larval numbers in two highland villages in western Kenya
BMC Public Health (2012), Volume: 12 - ISSN 1471-2458 -
Prevalence of Neoehrlichia mikurensis in ticks and rodents from North-west Europe
Parasites & Vectors (2012), Volume: 5 - ISSN 1756-3305 -
Feeding strategies of anthropophilic mosquitoes result in increased risk of pathogen transmission
Trends in Parasitology (2012), Volume: 28, Issue: 3 - ISSN 1471-4922 - p. 114-121. -
Geographic and Temporal Variations in Population Dynamics of Ixodes ricinus and Associated Borrelia Infections in The Netherlands
Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases (2011), Volume: 11, Issue: 5 - ISSN 1530-3667 - p. 523-532. -
Track3D: a new system for tracking, visualization and analysis of insect flight behaviour in 3D
In: The 6th Asia-Pacific Conference on Chemical Ecology, October 11-15, 2011, Beijing, China - p. 112-112.