At the department of Plant & Animal Biology (part of the Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences) we aim to understand the interactions between environmental change and developmental and physiological processes, in plants and in animals. We employ experimental and modelling methods to study processes at the levels of cells, tissues, organs, and organisms. Our ambition is to develop innovative strategies and technologies to tackle challenges around food security, sustainable food production, species resilience to climate change, and improvement of human health.
Plant & Animal Biology
Department
Research
Our research is organised in four themes: Plant Systems Physiology, Plant Stress Responses, Crop Biotechnology and Animal Physiology. Within RIBES, our research falls largely within Theme II: Physical Conditions: understanding responses and adaptation mechanism to stressors.
Plant Systems Physiology (PSP)
In the Plant Systems Physiology theme, we study how plant cells develop and interact to form a functional organism. We use experimental and theoretical methods, focusing on single-cell genomic analyses, bioinformatics, and mathematical modelling. We develop innovative tools to aid the plant science community in leveraging single-cell data, particularly in the process of root regeneration.
Plant Stress Responses (PSR)
In the Plant Stress Responses theme, we investigate how plants perceive and respond to environmental challenges like heat, cold, drought, and flooding, with the goal to improve plant stress tolerance. We use molecular, physiological, and genetic approaches, and closely collaborate with agricultural stakeholders.
Crop Biotechnology (CB)
In the Crop Biotechnology theme, we make use of fundamental knowledge in the development of novel biotechnological approaches to expedite plant breeding. As a major topic, we explore how plants reproduce, including by sex (in cultivated tomato) and by clonal reproduction (in dandelion). We are especially interested how chromosomes recombine during meiosis to generate genetically diverse cells. This research transcends cell biology, genetics, genomics and agricultural sciences.
Animal Physiology (AP)
In the AP theme, we study how fish adapt to environmental stressors such as temperature changes, hypoxia, and ammonia toxicity. We use an integrated approach to understand how genetics, development, hormonal signalling and behaviour are connected. We aspire to provide applications for sustainable aquaculture and treatment strategies for (inherited) human diseases. We accommodate the Radboud Zebrafish Facility and collaborate in multidisciplinary research lines with the goal to improve the impact of the zebrafish model.
Internships
Would you like to do your internship at the Department of Plant & Animal Biology? We offer internship projects for BSc and MSc students with an interest in plant or animal physiology, developmental biology, and computational biology. Please get in touch with our staff or our internship coordinator dr. Janny Peters for more information.
Academic staff
Below are the professors, associate professors and assistant professors of Plant & Animal Biology.
Contact information
Please contact the department via Yus Sa'diyah-Broersma, who is available on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
Location
Visiting address
Heyendaalseweg 1356525AJ Nijmegen
Postal address
Postbus 90106500GL NIJMEGEN
Contact person
K. Sa'diyah-Broersma (Yus)