Opening of the Academic Year 2021 - 2022

Ernst van den Ende (1962) studied Plant Pathology at Wageningen University and took his PhD at the Phytopathology Chair Group. He then worked as scientist at several research stations in the fields of fruit cultivation and horticulture. Research by the WUR research stations has a strong regional focus. When the Greenports were established in the Netherlands, Ernst participated in several advisory councils where he contributed to the shaping of regional innovation.

Since 1 September 2009 he is Managing Director of the Plant Sciences Group (PSG) of Wageningen University & Research.

Since February 2011 Ernst is a member of the Topteam Horticulture and Starting materials.

Nikita Sajeev obtained her MSc. degree in Plant Biotechnology at Wageningen University and Research (WUR). For her MSc. thesis, She worked under the supervision of Dr. Yanxia Zhang at the department of plant physiology. Here, she studied the role of Strigolactones in promoting the germination of  root parasitic plant Striga. Nikita’s studied the molecular mechanism by which Striga seeds are able to sense and germinate in the presence of strigolactones, a hormone released by the host plant. Knowledge from this project could help mitigate the devastating yield losses caused by Striga to major food crops like rice and sorghum.

Currently, Nikita is a PhD candidate working under the supervision of Prof. Leonie Bentsink at the department of Plant Physiology, WUR. Her research focuses on the role of RNA binding proteins (RBPs) in the translational control of seed germination. Seeds are a unique system to study translational control, as they provide an exclusive ON/OFF switch for protein production when they transition from a dry state to a completely hydrated state during germination. Nikita aims to understand the molecular mechanism by which specific RBPs help the seeds sense their environment and make the crucial decision - whether to germinate or not. This is extremely important to ensure seedling establishment. RBPs could hence be used as tools to fine-tune germination in agriculture and under challenging environmental conditions.

Apart from research, Nikita is passionate about open and honest science communication. She wants to bridge the gap between science and society. This led her to co-start the GeneSprout Initiative- A young researcher initiative for open dialogue on New plant breeding techniques.

Maximilian Kardung is a Ph.D. candidate at the Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy Group, Wageningen University. Before this, he received his MSc degree in Urban Environmental Management with a specialization in Environmental Economics. For his MSc thesis, he worked with Wageningen Economic Research on the governance of natural areas in the Netherlands.

Currently, he is working under the supervision of Prof. Justus Wesseler (Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy Group) and Dr. Dusan Drabik (Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy group). His research focuses on measuring and monitoring the bioeconomy. The research employs quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the economic, social, and environmental impacts of transitioning from a fossil-based economy to a bio-based economy. This transition towards a bioeconomy is driven by trends in Technology and Innovation, Market Organization, Climate Change, Resource Availability, Consumer Demand, and Policy and Legislation. Maximilian aims to understand the influence of these driving forces, which is vital for measuring and monitoring the development of the bioeconomy.

He is working in the EU Horizon 2020 project BioMonitor, which aims to establish a sustainable statistics and modelling framework for the bioeconomy.