Marine Fungi & Seaweed Ecologies

My work focuses on marine fungi and North Sea seaweeds, exploring sustainable ways to produce alternative proteins. By studying their unique symbiotic systems, I aim to develop innovative, eco-friendly solutions that contribute to a more resilient future. At the intersection of art and science, I reimagine new possibilities for future ecologies.

pictures credit: Raquel Ledo & IMC (CSIC)

Using fluorescent markers, we uncover how marine fungi interact with various types of seaweed, helping us better understand their connections and roles in ocean ecosystems. This research shines light on an area that has been largely unexplored until now. .

Scientific Research

Marine fungi

Fungal networks have been shaping life on Earth for millions of years, forming vital symbioses with other organisms. My research explores how these fungi support marine ecologies and contribute to the health of our oceans. Conducted at the Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, which houses one of the largest fungal collections, we study the distribution of marine fungal species and their evolutionary patterns to better understand their role in marine ecosystems.

Expansion microscopy in enterovirus replication

Previous research has focused on improving Expansion Microscopy (ExM), a cutting-edge technique that helps us study how enteroviruses replicate and which transcription factors are involved. This powerful tool lets us zoom in on biological structures with incredible detail, and can be used in many areas of science to explore cells at a much higher resolution.

Marine bacteria: ocean bioremediators?

My work focused on the use of Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) to investigate how marine bacteria transform toxic mercury into non-toxic forms. By visualizing these detoxification processes at the molecular level, we gained insights into their role in bioremediation and their potential for reducing mercury pollution in marine ecosystems.