Welcome
We unravel the molecular-genetic mechanisms of key traits within the broader fields of herbivory, endosymbiosis, pesticide resistance, and reproductive isolation. We use interdisciplinary approaches to dissect the mechanistic basis of these complex traits.
We leverage our love and fascination for arthropods to address these research questions. You can find us both in the field and in the molecular lab.
August 2026 Update
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- Written by: Nicky Wybouw
>> We were at ICA2026 some weeks ago and gave four (!) presentations of our work on spider mites. Emma was awarded with best student presentation! Other memorable moments include the swimming pool, the talks, and the party bus.
>> Gerben's side project on plumage colouration was recently published - SEE HERE
July 2026 Update
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- Written by: Nicky Wybouw
Last week at ECE Tours, we gave three presentations of our ongoing work on symbiosis in agricultural pests & social insects and the impact of horizontal gene transfer on herbivory. Importantly, Lennert and Jie gave their first presentations at an international conference. We celebrated with some Ricard.
Also, the FWO grant of Gerben and I has been accepted for funding! This is an exciting collaborative project with MISR (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology) and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.
June 2026 Update
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- Written by: Nicky Wybouw
>> Our annual StickyFest with Steven Van Belleghem’s group (KUL) brought everyone together to present and discuss our latest research developments. The topics ranged from pesticide resistance to symbiosis and polygenic traits that underpin wing development. We ended the day with bowling and a couple of drinks!
>> Happy that Aurélie's paper on the local spread of Aegeritella fungi in a single study site of over 40 red wood ant colonies is published! With Thomas Parmentier, we focused on a 100 hectare site and assessed over 1,200 workers for infection. Aegeritella was exceptionally widespread and worker size strongly influenced the observed infection dynamics at the study site. Histology and scanning electron microscopy confirmed that Aegeritella do not penetrate the ant cuticle. This discovery-driven field study underscores the importance of high-resolution sampling in localized areas to fully uncover how insect-associated symbionts spread through social insect colonies. CLICK HERE FOR MORE!