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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Jarenlang in de ban van de vrouwtjesmug
Nefarma & (2015), Volume: 8, Issue: 7 - ISSN 2405-7665 - p. 3-3. -
Vertical transmission of Bartonella schoenbuchensis in Lipoptena cervi
Parasites & Vectors (2015), Volume: 8 - ISSN 1756-3305 -
West Nile Virus: High Transmission Rate in North-Western European Mosquitoes Indicates Its Epidemic Potential and Warrants Increased Surveillance
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases (2015), Volume: 9, Issue: 7 - ISSN 1935-2727 -
Effects of fungal infection on feeding and survival of Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) on plant sugars
Parasites & Vectors (2015), Volume: 8 - ISSN 1756-3305 -
Comparative Usutu and West Nile virus transmission potential by local Culex pipiens mosquitoes in north-western Europe
One Health (2015), Volume: 1 - ISSN 2352-7714 - p. 31-36. -
The presence of Borrelia miyamotoi, a relapsing fever spirochaete, in questing Ixodes ricinus in Belgium and in The Netherlands
Zoonoses and Public Health (2015), Volume: 62, Issue: 5 - ISSN 1863-1959 - p. 331-333. -
Mosquito attraction: crucial role of carbon dioxide in formulation of a five-component blend of human-derived volatiles
Journal of Chemical Ecology (2015), Volume: 41, Issue: 6 - ISSN 0098-0331 - p. 567-573. -
Nieuwe infecties en ook meer van de oude infecties
Cahiers bio-wetenschappen en maatschappij (2015), Volume: 34, Issue: 3 - ISSN 0921-3457 - p. 61-65. -
Mosquito host preferences affect their response to synthetic and natural odour blends
Malaria Journal (2015), Volume: 14 - ISSN 1475-2875 -
Assessing the efficacy of candidate mosquito repellents against the background of an attractive source that mimics a human host
Medical and Veterinary Entomology (2014), Volume: 28, Issue: 4 - ISSN 0269-283X - p. 407-413.