Archives: People

Born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1958, Miguel graduated in Genetics in 1980 at the University of Oviedo, Spain. During his PhD he worked on the transmission and the effects of Drosophila viruses at the Laboratoire de Pathologie Comparée in Saint Christol les Alès (France).
After one an a half years at the CNRS Virus Genetics Laboratory at Gif sur Yvette, near Paris, he joined the team of Bob Possee at the NERC Institute of Virology in Oxford (UK), where he started working with baculoviruses.
In 1992, he joined the INRA as a senior scientist to study baculovirus-insect relationships and the development of biological control agents, and he returned to Saint Christol les Alès. In 2005 he resigned from INRA to become the Head of the LGEI, Laboratory at the Ecole des Mines d’Alès in Alès, France (EMA, https://www.ema.fr), member of the French “Groupe des Ecoles des Mines (https://www.gemtech.fr).
His research interests are focused on the adaptation of viruses to their hosts. From an analysis of the caracterisation of baculovirus genes some years ago, he now works on the variability of baculoviruses: how variability is maintained in the population and what is its relevance to ensure adaptation to hosts.
He teaches environmental impact, biological control and baculovirus-based biotechnology at the Ecole des Mines d’Alès, and at the Universidad Publica de Navarra. He contributed to other specialised courses at the Université de Montpellier and the Université de Pau et Pays de l’Adour.

Since 2007, he is the responsible of the Viruses subgroup at the IOBC-WPRS WG Insect Pathogens and Insect Parasitic nematodes.

Gosia Jedryczka (full name: Malgorzata Jedryczka) is a professor of genetics and plant pathology at the Department of Pathogen Genetics and Plant Resistance, at the Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland and the leader of Plant Pathology Team. The aim of her research is to elaborate the methods of early detection and identification of plant pathogenic fungi in the air, soil, water and in host-plant tissues. Her research activities aim at developing strategies of crop protection based on integrated pest management. Since 2004 her Team has been managing the Decision Support System for Forecasting Disease Epidemics SPEC (http://spec.edu.pl) – the world’s third biggest system based on aerobiological monitoring of the primary inoculum of plant pathogens of crops. Research concerns also mycological and molecular characterisation of pathogens aiming at the recognition of the structure and changes in fungal populations, what allows to determine proper strategies of breeding for resistance. She is also involved in the search for sources of genetic resistance of plants to pathogens and its transfer to susceptible plants. Her etiological and epidemiological studies are mainly focused on pathogens originating from the kingdom of fungi (Fungi), both necrotrophs and biotrophs. At present the studies also concern Plasmodiophora brassicae – the representative of the kingdom of protists (Protista). All these studies aim at integrated protection of crop plants.

Gosia has attended all meetings of the Working Group “Integrated Control in Oilseed Crops” since the 5th meeting in Paderborn, in 1990. She was elected as a Convenor of the ICOC WG in 2013, during the 15th IOBC-ICOC WG meeting in Belvaux, Luxembourg. She was one of the editors of the most recent IOBC-WPRS Bulletin Vol. 116, published in 2016 (preceedings of the meeting in Tartu, Estonia).

Josep A. Jaques has been involved in different IOBC Working Groups, including “Pesticides and Beneficial Organisms”, “Integrated Control in Citrus Fruit Crops” and “Plant Feeding Mites”, starting in 1991. In 2004, he joined the Commission on Harmonization of Regulation of Invertebrate Biological Control Organisms (CHIBCA), and since 2008 he has been one of the IOBC representatives at the EPPO-IOBC Joint Panel “Safe use of biological control agents”. In 2012, he joined the Executive Committee of IOBC Global as treasurer.

He is currently Professor at Universitat Jaume I de Castelló (Spain). His research interests are focused on the biology, ecology and population dynamics of insects and mites of economic importance and their management with emphasis in biological control.

Hilfred Huiting works as a research entomologist at Wageningen UR Field Crops in The Netherlands since 1997. In this institute practical implementation of scientific knowledge is the centre point, over the years leaving him with a broad range of pest insects to work on, in an equally broad range of arable and horticultural crops. Reoccurring topics within this are thrips, aphids, soil insects, and slugs. Key in his work is design and development of control tools and strategies. This ranges from insecticide seed treatment solutions to replace frequent spraying to development of application strategies of biological control agents. His current focus is on the possibilities to implement agrobiodiversity and technology into (cost-)effective pest control strategies.

Christoph Hoffmann works as a scientist at the Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture in Siebeldingen/Germany, where he is heading the laboratory of “Zoology and integrated production in viticulture”. Christoph received his Diploma in Biology and his Dr. rer. nat. at the Karlsruhe University (now: KIT) in Germany. The title of his diploma thesis was: “The Fauna of Tropical Glasshouses with regard to Biological Control”, with part of the practical work accomplished at the State Viticultural Institute in Freiburg/Breisgau between 1998 and 2002 (“Scale Insects in viticulture and their natural enemies”). During his post-doc time in Freiburg, he worked with holistic approach on a more sustainable growing system for viticulture by using mildew resistent cultivars. In 2004 he moved to the BBA (now: JKI)-Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture located in Bernkastel-Kues/Moselle. Since 2009 the institute is located in the palatinate winegrowing region of Siebeldingen.

Christoph´s job is to cover all actual aspects of pest related plant protection and functional biodiversity in vineyards both in research and governmental consulting. He is also involved in the registration process for pesticides for viticulture in the European central zone. His research is problem-oriented with a distinct multi-method approach. Together with his team and in collaboration with colleagues he actually focuses on the development and establishment of tools for the integrated- and organic protection in viticulture that finally might lead to a more sustainable viticulture.

He joined the IOBC in 2004 in the Working Group of Integrated Protection in Viticulture. Since then he has become an active member of the IOBC in all the meetings and activities of this group. Since 2015 he is deputy convenor of this working group. Due to the resignation of the Convenor of the working group, he succeeded as such in 2021.

Jürgen Gross is a Senior researcher and Head of the Applied Chemical Ecology lab at the Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture, Dossenheim, Germany. He obtained his PhD at the Free University of Berlin in 2001 on research targeting the evolution of volatile chemical defense compounds (allomones) of leaf beetles.

Jürgen and his team investigate interactions between cultivated plants, plant pathogenic microorganisms, insects and their natural enemies mediated by semiochemicals. They work on pests in fruit crops and viticulture, studying both insect pests and phytopathogenic microbes. The current emphasis is on phytoplasma diseases and their interactions with vectoring insects and host plants. The results of his research are used for targeted manipulations in the context of sustainable control of pest organisms. Moreover, he works on natural compounds produced by insects which bear a potential for the development of new natural pesticides. His work comprises both, fundamental and applied aspects, including laboratory, greenhouse and field trials, behavioral and analytical studies on active compounds and their modes of action.

Since 2017, Jürgen is the acting president of the German Entomological Society (DGaaE). Furthermore, since 2016, he is the President of the International Society for Pest Information (ISPI). He is Editor for the Journal of Pest Science (Editor-in-Chief from 2005-2007), Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Plants, and ZooKeys (Scientific Panel Chrysomelidae). Jürgen is Associate Professor at the Technical University Darmstadt, Germany, teaching “Applied Chemical Ecology”.

He joined the IOBC-WPRS WG “Pheromones and other semio-chemicals in integrated production” in 2004 in Baselga de Pine, Italy and became convenor of this WG in 2012.

Bärbel Gerowitt is Professor for Crop Health at the University of Rostock in Germany since 2004. She is specialised in weed research and interdisciplinary concepts to evaluate plant health strategies in arable crops. In Rostock, she teaches all aspects of plant health and plant protection in arable crops. In her research, she focuses the relationship between agrobiodiversity and healthy crops. Both planned and unplanned agrobiodiversity is investigated. Within unplanned agrobiodiversity weeds receive the major interest. Experiments on population dynamics and on the influence of cropping practices on weeds are carried out to develop and support integrated weed management concepts as well as land use concepts to enhance biodiversity. On-farm research and transdisciplinary projects are undertaken to further integrate biodiversity goals into farming practice. Imbedding research on plant protection strategies into a landscape context completes the focus.

These issues fit well into the IOBC working group “Landscape management for functional biodiversity”, she is co-convenor of the group. She is member of the IOBC-commission on Integrated Production. Currently (2016/2017) she is President of the European Weed Research Society. In Germany, she is chairperson of the Advisory Board on The National Action Plan to reduce the Reliance on Pesticides (NAP).

Rene Fuchs studied biology with plant pathology as major at RWTH Aachen University (Germany). After he received his diploma he worked at the Sainsbury Laboratory in the John Innes Centre in Norwich (UK) for two years studying nonhost resistance in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Rene continued his work in the field of plant-microbe-interaction at the Georg-August-University Göttingen (Germany) and obtained his PhD in molecular biology in 2011. As a postdoc he started working on resistance induction in grapevine plants at the State Institute of Viticulture and Oenology in Freiburg (WBI), Germany. Since 2015, he is the head of the section of Plant Pathology and Diagnosis at the State Institute of Viticulture and Oenology in Freiburg. His research interests are focused on the biology of the biotrophic grapevine pathogen Plasmopara viticola and its control especially in organic viticulture. In addition his team is also working on other grapevine diseases such as viruses, powdery mildew and Esca. Rene first joined the IOBC-WPRS “Integrated Protection in Viticulture” in 2016.

Victor Flors was graduated in Biochemistry by the University of Valencia (Spain) and and Dr in Chemistry by the Universitat Jaume I (Spain). He specialized in chemicals inducing resistance in plants against diseases. He started working in the synthesis of chemicals activating the plant immune responses. After a postdoc at the university of Neuchatel (Switzerland) he focused his research career in induced resistance and defense priming. In 2011 he got a permanent position at the Universitat Jaume I and in 2015 he became PI of the research group Metabolic Integration and Cell Signaling (www.nitropriming.wordpress.com). His recent research interest is focused in deciphering starch and sugars mobilization during priming against Plectosphaerella cucumerina and Botrytis cinerea diseases and also in characterizing the citrus immune responses against the two spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae. His group has currently an associated research unit with the Estación Experimental del Zaidín (CSIC, Granada, Spain) with the focus in the mycorrhiza-induced resistance against insects and fungal diseases. His technical focues is based in hormonal and metabolomic analysis of secondary and primary metabolites participating in immune responses.

He joined the IOBC in 2004 in the Working Group of Induced resistance in plants against insects and diseases. IN 2009 he coorganized the meeting of this working group in Granada and since then he has become an active member of the IOBC in all its meetings and activities.

Dr. Petros Damos was born in Berlin, where he received his primary education and has a degree in Agronomy [Plant Protection Dep., Aristotle University of Thessaloniki –AUTh, Greece), degree in Pharmacy [Natural Plant Products and Organic pharmaceutical Chemistry Dep., (AUTh)] and degree in Crop Production [Tech.Edu.Inst of Crete, Greece].

Petros received his PhD in ‘Agricultural Entomology’ after studying the bioecology of peach microlepidoptera and their management according to the principles of IFP [Scholar of the Greek State Scholarship Foundation, AUTh]. He holds two M.Sc. degrees, one in ‘Plant Protection’ [studying the bioactivity of terpenoids on pest biology (AUTh)] and one in ”Web Science” [modeling pest population ecological networks and development of information systems], (Mathematics Department, AUTh)]. Additionally, he holds a Postgraduate Diploma Supplementary (D.S.) in Pedagogics and education Science [School of Pedagogical and Technological Education, Greece] and a D.S. in ‘Enology and Viticulture’ [Food Science and Technology Department, AUTh].

Petros, is currently working as a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Laboratory of Applied Zoology and Parasitlology (AUTh) and as a Scientific Associate at the Department of Agricultural Technology [Tech.Edu. Inst. of Western Macedonia, Greece]. He is Professing Economic Entomology and is supervising several graduate and undergraduate theses, and serves as reviewer in high ranked Journals. Petros has participated in several research projects, publishing a substantial number of scientific works and received numerous postdoctoral scholarships (2010) and awards (2011, 2012).
His latest research interests are focused in the multidisciplinary fields of stochastic modeling of bio-systems, including forecasting of pest phenology and the study of ecological networks.
Additionally, in order to expand the scope of his research on IFP and IPM, for wider and realistic applicability in Agro-Ecosystems, he is member of the Web Science Research Group of the Mathematics Department (AUTh) working on the fields of semantic knowledge representation and pest information systems engineering and precise farming towards Sustainable Agriculture.

Petros joint the IOBC WG “Integrated protection of fruit crops” on 2006 and was elected convenor of the SG “Stone fruit” on 2012. Petros speaks German, English, French and Greek and enjoying networking and collaborating with scientist throughout the world.

Samantha Cook is a senior research scientist working at Rothamsted Research (https://www.rothamsted.ac.uk) within the Biointeractions and Crop Protection Department. She is an invertebrate behavioural ecologist and has been working since 1996 on developing novel integrated pest management tactics for insect pests of arable crops with a focus on oilseed rape. She has particular interest in the pollen beetle (Brassicogethes aeneus) and the use of trap cropping and push-pull strategies to reduce the need for insecticides in the control of this pest. Her team are also involved in researching improved monitoring and decision support systems in oilseed rape crop management as well as methods to improve conservation biocontrol potential in the crop.

Sam was Associate Editor of the IOBC Journal “BioControl” from 2005-2008. She became the convenor of the entomology subsection of the IOBC-WPRS Working Group “Integrated Control in Oilseed Crops” in 2004. Malgorzata (Gosia) Jedryczka, Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland, is the overall convenor of the ICOC Working Group and the leader of the pathology subsection of this WG (http://wwwuser.gwdg.de/~iobc/index.html).

Arturo Cocco is a research entomologist currently working at the Department of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Sassari (Italy). He graduated in Agricultural Sciences with a major in Entomology in 2000, and was awarded a PhD degree in Monitoring and protection of forest ecosystems in the Mediterranean environment in 2006. In 2007, he was appointed a two-year visiting postdoctoral fellow at the University of Florida (USA). He was awarded an Honorary Fellowship in General and Applied Entomology by the University of Sassari in 2014. Since 2015, he is lecturer in Monitoring of pests and diseases of grapevine. In March 2017, he achieved the National Academic Qualification as Associate Professor. His research interests are focused on agricultural and forest pests and alien insects and mites. With regard to forest pests, he is involved in studies on biology, population dynamics and microbiological control of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar and bark beetles. He is also engaged in research on the biology, distribution and biological and pheromone-based control of horticultural and grape pests. Recently, he has been working on alien insects (introduction, establishment, and spread). From 2002 onwards, he has been involved in national and international projects on management of agricultural and forest pests and alien insects, and as technical advisor for the Regional agency for agricultural development in Sardinia.

Arturo Cocco first joined the IOBC-WPRS “Integrated Protection in Oaks Forests” group in 2010 in Tempio Pausania (Italy), and he has also been actively involved in the WG “Integrated Protection in Viticulture” by participating to the meetings of Staufen im Breisgau, Lacanau, Ascona, and Vienna.

Agnès Calonnec is a research scientist in Plant Pathology at the “Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique” (INRA) in the unit “Santé Végétale” in Bordeaux (France). She is an epidemiologist working since 1997 on spatio-temporal disease progression mostly on powdery mildew of grapevine. She is closely working with mathematicians to develop statistical and deterministic models to characterise disease progression and to grade factors favourable to it. Since 2003, her major research area concerns the use of host development and grapevine conduct to decrease the risk of disease invasion. Her unit is working mainly on grapevine diseases and pests with four main groups dealing with population genetics, epidemiology and insect dynamics, IPM, and extension products.

Agnès Calonnec joined the IOBC WG “Integrated Protection in Viticulture” in 1999 and participate to the “International Powdery and Downy mildew Workshop” since 1998.