Steven Zwartkruis
About
Steven is a plant scientist working as a PhD student in the groups of Martijn Vandegehuchte and Thorsten Hamann.
The aim of his research is to identify and characterize genes involved in cell wall integrity in the woodland strawberry model. This plant species grows in a range of climates and in association with different herbivore and pathogen communities. It is therefore quickly gaining popularity as a model for plant adaptation. We hope to learn if and how the cell wall integrity maintenance system evolves to allow adaptation to different stresses. Ultimately, our work can provide novel leads for the knowledge-based improvement of plant varieties for agriculture and lead to new insights on the effects of climate change on plant fitness.
Background
2019-2021 MSc Plant Biotechnology at Wageningen University. MSc thesis at the Laboratory of Plant Breeding on phylogenomics of lignin biosynthesis genes. Internship in plant-microbe interactions at the University of Zurich.
Outreach
2025
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Conference posterZwartkruis, Stephanus Theodorus Wilhelmus; Häger, Wiebke; Ticha, Tereza; Klein, Vivien Jessica; Braun, Nelly Kristin; Ziegler, Christine; Madej, Gregor; Vandegehuchte, Martijn L.; Hamann, Thorsten Klaus. (2025) Characteristics and function of the intracellular region of THESEUS1. Plant Peptide and Receptor Meeting 2025
2024
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Conference posterZwartkruis, Stephanus Theodorus Wilhelmus; Häger, Wiebke; Ticha, Tereza; Klein, Vivien Jessica; Madej, Gregor; Ziegler, Christine; Vandegehuchte, Martijn L.; Hamann, Thorsten Klaus. (2024) New constructs for functional characterization of THESEUS1. The Plant Peptides and Receptors Meeting 2024
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Conference posterZwartkruis, Stephanus Theodorus Wilhelmus; Hamann, Thorsten Klaus; Vandegehuchte, Martijn L.. (2024) The role of cell wall integrity maintenance in the responses of Fragaria vesca to biotic and abiotic stress. Norwegian Plant Biology 2024
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Conference posterZwartkruis, Stephanus Theodorus Wilhelmus; Ticha, Tereza; Häger, Wiebke; Soni, Nancy; Alterås, Bjørnar; Ticha, Michaela; Amanda, Dhika; Hamann, Thorsten Klaus. (2024) Agrobacterium: Naturens genetiske ingeniør. Researchers' night 2024
2023
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LectureZwartkruis, Stephanus Theodorus Wilhelmus; Ticha, Tereza; Ticha, Michaela; Soni, Nancy; Sueldo, Daniela Jorgelina; Gachao, Leah Wanja; Ivanova, Anastasiia; Klemetsen, Marius Dobbe; Amanda, Dhika; Hamann, Thorsten Klaus. (2023) Planter: Mat og Bioenergi. Forskningstorget
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LectureAlonso Baez, Luis; Ticha, Michaela; Zwartkruis, Stephanus Theodorus Wilhelmus. (2023) Photosynthesis in Plants/Energy production. Researchers night 2023
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Conference posterZwartkruis, Stephanus Theodorus Wilhelmus; Hamann, Thorsten Klaus; Vandegehuchte, Martijn L.. (2023) The role of cell wall integrity maintenance in the responses of Fragaria vesca to biotic and abiotic stress. 12TH SPPS PhD Student Conference 2023
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Conference posterIvanova, Anastasiia; Hamann, Thorsten Klaus; Ticha, Tereza; Zwartkruis, Stephanus Theodorus Wilhelmus; Alonso Baez, Luis. (2023) Characterization of the mode of action of the plant cell wall integrity maintenance mechanism. The 24th International conference on Plant Growth Substances
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Conference posterIvanova, Anastasiia; Ticha, Tereza; Hamann, Thorsten Klaus; Zwartkruis, Stephanus Theodorus Wilhelmus; Alonso Baez, Luis. (2023) Characterizing the mode of action of the plant cell wall integrity maintenance mechanism. the 12th SPPS PhD student conference
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Conference posterZwartkruis, Stephanus Theodorus Wilhelmus; Vandegehuchte, Martijn L.; Hamann, Thorsten Klaus. (2023) The role of cell wall integrity maintenance in the responses of Fragaria vesca to biotic and abiotic stress. Translational Research in Crops