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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Profile: The Rusinga health and demographic surveillance system, Western Kenya
International Journal of Epidemiology (2016), Volume: 45, Issue: 3 - ISSN 0300-5771 - p. 718-727. -
The fine-scale genetic structure of the malaria vectors Anopheles funestus and Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) in the north-eastern part of Tanzania
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science (2016), Volume: 36, Issue: 4 - ISSN 1742-7584 - p. 161-170. -
Decrease in tick bite consultations and stabilization of early Lyme borreliosis in the Netherlands in 2014 after 15 years of continuous increase
BMC Public Health (2016), Volume: 16 - ISSN 1471-2458 -
Few vertebrate species dominate the Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. Life cycle
Environmental Research Letters (2016), Volume: 11, Issue: 4 - ISSN 1748-9326 -
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 -
Insect repellent compositions and methods of use
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Understanding the long-lasting attraction of malaria mosquitoes to odor baits
PLoS ONE (2015), Volume: 10, Issue: 3 - ISSN 1932-6203 -
Combining malaria control with house electrification: adherence to recommended behaviours for proper deployment of solar-powered mosquito trapping systems, Rusinga Island, western Kenya
Tropical Medicine and International Health (2015), Volume: 20, Issue: 8 - ISSN 1360-2276 - p. 1048-1056. -
Effects of fungal infection on feeding and survival of Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) on plant sugars
Parasites & Vectors (2015), Volume: 8 - ISSN 1756-3305 -
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.