Saskia Hogenhout

BIOGRAPHY

CURRENT POSITION:
Group Leader

EDUCATION:
• 1999 PhD, Plant Sciences, Wageningen University and Research Centre, The Netherlands
• 1994 MSc, Biology, de Vrije University Amsterdam, The Netherlands

MEMBERSHIPS:
• 2008-current UK Aphid Research Special Interest Group (Aphid SIG)
• 2007-current British Society for Plant Pathology (BSPP)
• 2006-current International Phytoplasma Workgroup
• 2005-current International Society of Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions (IS-MPMI)
• 2002-current International Organization for Mycoplasmology (IOM)

RESEARCH INTERESTS:
My overall research objectives are to gain a better understanding of the molecular basis of the interactions between sap-feeding insects of the order Hemiptera (aphids, leafhoppers and planthoppers) and plants, and how microbial pathogens/symbionts may influence these interactions. Hemipteran insects transmit a variety of economically important plant pathogens, including bacteria such as phytoplasmas and more than 300 different plant viruses. These pathogens often manipulate their plant and insect hosts to their own benefit in order to increase likelihood of dissemination in nature. My research group uses genomics and bioinformatics approaches to identify pathogen and insect virulence proteins (effectors) and functional genomics to further functionally characterize the effectors. So far, our efforts have provided new insights into how phytoplasmas and insects interfere with plant defense responses and development, and contributed new knowledge to several other research areas.

HOME PAGE
http://www.jic.ac.uk/staff/saskia-hogenhout/index.htm