University of Amsterdam

UvA is responsible for investigating the chemical communication between host crops sorghum, millet and rice and the parasitic weed Striga. UvA will identify germination stimulants and haustorium inducing factors exuded by these host species into the rhizosphere. These compounds guide the infection cycle of Striga and thus are promising targets for microbial degradation as that will interfere with Striga infection.
From the University of Amsterdam the following people are involved:

Harro Bouwmeester - Principal Investigator
Harro is professor of Plant Hormone Biology at UvA.

Pornkanok Pongpamorn - PostDoc
Pornkanok will develop and use metabolomics, triple-quad LC-MS analysis and fractionation LC-MS methods to identify and quantitatively analyse germination stimulants and haustorium inducing factors of Striga in the root exudate of sorghum, millet and rice.

Michelle Zwart - Technician
Michelle is involved in Promise 2 for 0.3 fte and will support Pornkanok with plant cultivation, root exudate collection, sample prep and in vitro Striga germination and haustorium formation bioassays.