Recent advances on aphid alarm pheromone biosynthetic pathway

Conference (2013, June)

La mortalité de l'abeille domestique : entre communication médiatique et scientifique

Conference given outside the academic context (2013)

A l’heure actuelle, plus personne n’ignore que nos populations d’abeilles domestiques subissent de lourdes pertes, chez nous comme dans de nombreux autres pays. Les médias ont axés leur communication sur ... [more ▼]

A l’heure actuelle, plus personne n’ignore que nos populations d’abeilles domestiques subissent de lourdes pertes, chez nous comme dans de nombreux autres pays. Les médias ont axés leur communication sur des messages très simples. On en retient surtout que les pesticides tuent nos abeilles. La conclusion au problème est dès lors évidente : il faut interdire les pesticides. Mais cette problématique est-elle si simple ? Ce message est-il le même que celui communiqué par les scientifiques ? Cette conférence permettra de faire le point sur les pertes en colonies d’abeilles domestiques. On s’intéressera plus particulièrement aux pertes de ces dernières années en Belgique, cartes et chiffres à l’appui. On y verra aussi comment chacun, qu’il soit citoyen, apiculteur, agriculteur,… peut aider à enrayer cette mortalité effrayante. [less ▲]

Evaluation de la diversité de l’entomofaune en cultures maraîchères dans l’est de la Chine

in Entomologie Faunistique = Faunistic Entomology (2013), 66

Within the framework of research aimed at developing biological control in vegetable crops in Shandong province in China, a pest and associated auxiliary entomophagous insects monitoring was conducted to ... [more ▼]

Within the framework of research aimed at developing biological control in vegetable crops in Shandong province in China, a pest and associated auxiliary entomophagous insects monitoring was conducted to determine entomological groups of agricultural interest and compare them to the situation in Belgium. The diversity and abundance of the entomofauna were assessed in potato and zucchini fields between May 9th and June 13th, 2011, using yellow traps and in situ observations on host plants. A total of 36 466 and 34 806 insects were trapped or observed on the plants in zucchini and potato fields, respectively. Ten orders and more than sixty families in each crop were identified. Aphids widely predominated in the traps and exerted a strong pressure on both crops early in the season. Other families of pests have been identified but no specific pest of these two crops and the investigated region is among the collections. [less ▲]

Development of a test to assess the Banana Bunchy Top Virus transmissibility through direct analysis of its aphid vector Pentalonia nigronervosa

in Communications in Agricultural and Applied Biological Sciences (2013, February), 78(1), 49-54

Direct and indirect use of GFP whole cell biosensors for the assessment of bioprocess performances: design of milliliter scale-down bioreactors

in Biotechnology Progress (2013), 29(1), 48-59

Substrate limitation responsive biosensors have been used for the development of a mini-bioreactor platform that can be used as a scale-down tool. Three green fluorescent protein (GFP) transcriptional ... [more ▼]

Substrate limitation responsive biosensors have been used for the development of a mini-bioreactor platform that can be used as a scale-down tool. Three green fluorescent protein (GFP) transcriptional reporters have been chosen in Escherichia coli, i.e., uspA::gfp, csiE::gfp and yciG::gfp. Our previous studies have shown that these kinds of promoters are induced in response to substrate limitation and are significantly repressed when cultures are carried out in heterogeneous bioreactors. This sensitivity to substrate limitation has been confirmed in the case of the csiE and yciG biosensors. A mini-scale-down platform is proposed as a high throughput tool to rapidly investigate the usefulness of a given microbial biosensor. This platform is composed of shake flasks able to operate in fed-batch mode either using the slow release or the intermittent feeding principle. Local heterogeneities were reproduced at the level of these mini-bioreactors (operating under the intermittent feeding principle) and caused a decrease in GFP expression as in conventional scale-down reactors. The presence of GFP in supernatants was also noted and seems to be correlated with the substrate limitation signal for the three cultivation systems considered in this work (i.e., chemostat, conventional and mini-bioreactors) and with membrane permeability. [less ▲]

Comparative analyses of salivary proteins from three aphid species

in Insect Molecular Biology (2013), Accepted pending revision

Breeding sites of main Bluetongue virus vectors in Belgian cowshed

Poster (2012, December 07)

Termites as a tool to improve lignocellulose biomass valorization : study of enzymatic complex in termites and its common symbionts by comprehensive metabolite profiling

Conference (2012, November 16)

Utilisation des termites comme source de microorganismes dans la filière de production du bioéthanol de seconde génération

Poster (2012, November 14)

Les termites abritent une microflore symbiotique qui intervient dans la dégradation des fibres constitutives du bois, synthétisant des enzymes capables d’hydrolyser ses composants. Les sucres ... [more ▼]

Les termites abritent une microflore symbiotique qui intervient dans la dégradation des fibres constitutives du bois, synthétisant des enzymes capables d’hydrolyser ses composants. Les sucres fermentescibles libérés suite à cette hydrolyse sont utilisables dans le cadre de la production du bioéthanol de seconde génération. [less ▲]

Diversity and breeding sites of mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae) potentially vectors of arboviruses in Belgian equestrian farms

Poster (2012, October 08)

This study aims to determine the potential importance of the livestock farms, especially equestrian, to welcome and favor the proliferation of certain species of mosquito responsible for transmission of ... [more ▼]

This study aims to determine the potential importance of the livestock farms, especially equestrian, to welcome and favor the proliferation of certain species of mosquito responsible for transmission of arboviruses. The study of biodiversity of Culicidae in the horse farms in Belgium is carried out on species sampled at 64 biotopes in six stations study. Five surveys were realized during 2011 (June, July, August and October) and one in 2012 (June). The morphotaxonomic and molecular study of mosquitoes collected showed the presence of ten species: Culisata annulata Schrank, 1776; Anopheles claviger s.s. Meigen, 1804; An. maculipennis s.s. Meigen, 1818; An. messae Falleroni, 1926; Culex pipiens molestus Forskal, 1775; Cx. pipiens pipiens Linné, 1758; Cx. torrentium Martini, 1925; Cx. hortensis hortensis Ficalbi, 1889; Cx. territans Walker, 1856 and Coquillettidia richardii Ficalbi, 1889. Among the 24893 individuals examined in 2011, Cx. pipiens sl and Cx. torrentium represent 68.00% and 22.38% respectively of total harvest. These last species with Cs. annulata, are dominants and ubiquitous in all the horse farms visited. The species of the genus Anopheles have strong ecological requirements and are therefore associated with some special habitats; other species however have a strong ability to adapt and therefore attend a wide variety of biotopes (Cx. pipiens, Cx. torrentium and Cs. annulata). At the horse farms, water troughs and ponds are the most favorable habitats for larval development of Culicidae. The species potentially vectors of arboviruses that can cause problems in epidemiological equestrian farms are Cx. pipiens sl, Cx. torrentium and Cs. annulata. [less ▲]