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Bart P.S. Nieuwenhuis
PhD Candidate
Contact information
Bart Nieuwenhuis - PhD student
Laboratory of Genetics
Droevendaalsesteeg 1, Radix W1 Aa.073,
6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
Tel: 31 (0) 317 482228
Bart.Nieuwenhuis@wur.nl |
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Research interests
I work on the evolution of conflicting traits and sexual strategies. Selection acts at many levels, ranging from groups of organisms via individuals to DNA sequences. What is beneficial at one level of selection might be disadvantageous at another and it is difficult to predict how these different effects influence each other.
Using the mushroom species Schizophyllum commune as a model organism, I investigate how different mating strategies can evolve. Fungal microorganisms have many practical advantages during research, but they are still complex enough to investigate our questions of interest.
A Basidiomycete fungus is during its first life stage hermaphroditic (it can fertilize and be fertilized), but after it has been fertilized it can only act as a male (fertilize). During each phase, different strategies are possible for an individual to maximize its contribution to the next generation. Together with Duur Aanen, I investigate the role of competition and mate selection during fertilization.
Advisors
Duur Aanen
Fons Debets
Rolf Hoekstra
Publications
Nieuwenhuis, BPS, AJM Debets & DK Aanen 2010. Sexual selection in mushroom-forming basidiomycetes. Proceedings of the Royal Society London: Series B. doi:10.1098/rspb.2010.1110
Hooftman, DAP, BPS Nieuwenhuis, KI Posthuma, JGB Oostermeijer, and JCM den Nijs. 2007. Introgression potential of Downy Mildew resistance from lettuce to Lactuca serriola and its relevance to plant fitness. Basic And Applied Ecology 8:135-146. doi:10.1016/j.baae.2006.03.008
Collaboration
Han Wösten and Luis Lugones – University Utrecht
Other
* WEES organisation - Together with other PhD students and Postdocs I started a seminar series that invites renowned researchers in the field of Evolution and Ecology from all over the world to present their work at Wageningen University and to give a master class for MSc and PhD students. See http://www.wageningen-evolution-ecology-seminars.nl/.
* Another fun thing I did was help out an the artist Dieuwertje Tromp, who was interested in having photo negatives of old building decayed by fungi. The results of this experiment can be seen on her website: http://www.dieuwertjetromp.nl/ in the section 'Aspergillus niger'
Thesis projects
Students interested in doing a thesis project on this subject are welcome to contact me (also look here: Thesis projects).