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De Storme Lab
LABORATORY FOR PLANT GENETICS AND CROP IMPROVEMENT
Meet the Members of the PGCI Lab
Nico De Storme
Principal Investigator
Research Interests:
Meiosis
Plant reproduction
Pome fruit genetics
Crop breeding
Plant biotechnology
2013
Ghent University, Belgium
Cell and Gene Biotechnology
PhD
2006
Ghent University, Belgium
Bioscience Engineering
MSc
Tine Verhoeven
Laboratory Manager
Eva Vanden Broeck
Secretary
Aybars Koç
Postdoctoral Researcher
Hanne Claessen
Postdoctoral Researcher
Gwen Swinnen
Postdoctoral Researcher
Goytom Berihun
PhD Student
Research Interests:
Polyplodization
Plant abiotic stress resistance
Plant-pathogen interactions
2017
Wageningen University, Netherlands
MSc
2011
Aksum University, Ethiopia
BSc
Research Interests:
Bud dormancy
Plant abiotic stress resistance
Pome fruit breeding
2018
Hawassa University, Ethiopia
MSc
2005
Mekele University, Ethiopia
BSc
Seifu Fetena Fela
PhD Student
Rohit Sangwan
PhD Student
Research Interests:
Plant Genetics
Crop Improvement
Haploid Induction
Plant Molecular Biology
2022
University of Potsdam, Germany
MSc
2018
Kurukshetra University, India
BTech
Lucas Philips
PhD Student
Research Interests:
Meiotic recombination
Pome fruit breeding
Plant gene editing
2023
University of Leuven, Belgium
MSc
2020
UCLL, Belgium
BSc
Bjorn Arickx
PhD Student
Research Interests:
Crop improvement through gene editing
CRISPR
Developing new techniques for gene editing
and plant breeding
2025
University of Leuven, Belgium
MSc
2023
University of Leuven, Belgium
BSc
Yu Gu
PhD Student
Research Interests:
Meiotic recombination
Molecular genetics
Plant biotechnology
Plant reproductive development
2025
Shandong University, China
MSc
2022
Huazhong Agricultural University, China
BAg
Mounika Thigulla
PhD Student
Research Interests:
Plant molecular biology
Plant nanotechnology
Plant meiotic gene regulation
2024
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
MSc
2021
PJTAU, India
BSc
Ynske Peeters
PhD Student
Research Interests:
Plant molecular biology
Breeding and crop improvement
Plant gene editing
2025
University of Leuven, Belgium
MSc
2023
University of Leuven, Belgium
BSc
Sebastiaan Sommereyns
PhD Student
Research Interests:
Meiotic recombination
Meiotic restitution
Musa breeding
Plant biotechnology
2022
University of Leuven, Belgium
MSc
2019
University of Leuven, Belgium
BSc
Morena Gasparini
PhD Student
Research Interests:
Meiotic restitution
Plant molecular biology
Crop genetics
Musa breeding
2025
University of Leuven, Belgium
MSc
2023
University of Leuven, Belgium
BSc
Daan Hannes
PhD Student
Research Interests:
Plant genetics
Bud dormancy
Plant physiology
2026
University of Leuven, Belgium
MSc
2024
University of Leuven, Belgium
BSc
Former Members
Maoni Chao - March 2026
Han Palmers - February 2026
Astrid Severyns - November 2025
Jarne Sels - October 2025
German Vighi - March 2025
Pollien Aert - October 2024
Mireia Uranga Ruiz De Eguino - August 2024
Marie Sarens - January 2024
Evelien Waegneer - December 2023
Sergej Pracek – June 2022
Anze Svara – June 2022
Jolien Smessaert – March 2022
Eline Lemmens – November 2021
Sanne Torfs – March 2021
Amelie Grammen – July 2020
Stijn Vanderzande – July 2019
Nick Hias – August 2019
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