Rens van Essen
Fitzroy North,VIC
Summary
Researcher with diverse work experience at leading international Agricultural Research Institutes, including Wageningen University (The Netherlands), University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands), and Agriculture Victoria Research (Australia).
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
9
9
years of post-secondary education
Work History
PhD Candidate
La Trobe University & Agriculture Victoria Research
11.2021 - Current
- Aim: discovering, characterising and applying beneficial microbes from commercially available warm season pasture grasses, focusing on nitrogen fixing bacteria.
- Work: microbiome profiling and microbe isolations, sequencing utilising different platforms, data analysis (Qiime 2, R, Geneious and Origin Pro), and various nitrogen based plant assays.
- Outcomes: uncovered the behaviour of microbial communities present in warm season pasture grasses, isolated three nitrogen fixing bacteria and promoted plant growth by utilising the isolated microbes.
- Writing: thesis with three research chapters for publication and a filed patent for three nitrogen fixing bacteria.
Research Scientist
Agriculture Victoria Research
10.2019 - 11.2021
- Aim: investigating the seed microbiome of perennial ryegrass to enhance nutrient use efficiency (nitrogen and phosphorus).
- Work: utilising in vitro and in planta bioassays and molecular work.
- Writing: contribution to a patent on seed-associated nitrogen fixing bacteria.
Intern
University of Amsterdam
10.2018 - 04.2019
- Aim: identifying Nicotiana benthamiana host factors used by Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) for plant infection.
- Work: designing vectors for protein knock-out and expression, transgenic experiments, bioassays using Viral Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS), protein-protein interaction assays, and confocal microscopy.
- Outcomes: identification of N. benthamiana host factors utilised by TSWV for plant infection.
- Writing: thesis in English.
Intern
Wageningen University
09.2016 - 01.2017
- Aim: finding Capsicum volatiles which attract predatory mites post spider mite infestations.
- Work: maintaining spider mite populations, performing volatile trapping, GC-MS, and predatory mite tracking.
- Outcomes: identification of volatiles from glandular trichomes which attracted predatory mites.
- Writing: scientific report in Dutch.
Education
Bachelor of Life Science - Genome Science, Informatics, Genetics and Fermentation, Business and Laboratory Organization, Protein Technology, Plant Biology, Green Business
Inholland University of Applied Sciences
09.2013 - 06.2019
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Plant Pathology
LaTrobe University
11.2021 - Current
Overview
Researcher with diverse work experience at leading international Agricultural Research Institutes, including Wageningen University (The Netherlands), University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands), and Agriculture Victoria Research (Australia)., Wageningen University, Intern, 09/01/16, 01/31/17, Finding Capsicum volatiles which attract predatory mites post spider mite infestations., Maintaining spider mite populations, performing volatile trapping, GC-MS, and predatory mite tracking., Identification of volatiles from glandular trichomes which attracted predatory mites., Scientific report in Dutch., University of Amsterdam, Intern, 10/01/18, 04/30/19, Identifying Nicotiana benthamiana host factors used by Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) for plant infection., Designing vectors for protein knock-out and expression, transgenic experiments, bioassays using Viral Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS), protein-protein interaction assays, and confocal microscopy., Identification of N. benthamiana host factors utilised by TSWV for plant infection., Thesis in English., Agriculture Victoria Research, Research Scientist, 10/01/19, 11/30/21, Investigating the seed microbiome of perennial ryegrass to enhance nutrient use efficiency (nitrogen and phosphorus)., Utilising in vitro and in planta bioassays and molecular work., Contribution to a patent on seed-associated nitrogen fixing bacteria., La Trobe University & Agriculture Victoria Research, PhD Candidate, 11/01/21, Present, Discovering, characterising and applying beneficial microbes from commercially available warm season pasture grasses, focusing on nitrogen fixing bacteria., Microbiome profiling and microbe isolations, sequencing utilising different platforms, data analysis (Qiime 2, R, Geneious and Origin Pro), and various nitrogen based plant assays., Uncovered the behaviour of microbial communities present in warm season pasture grasses, isolated three nitrogen fixing bacteria and promoted plant growth by utilising the isolated microbes., Thesis with three research chapters for publication and a filed patent for three nitrogen fixing bacteria.
Scientific Writing
- Profiling the bacterial and fungal communities of warm season pasture grass seeds, Submitted with Frontiers in Microbiology, Rens R. T. van Essen, Jatinder K. Kaur, Tongda Li, Ross C. Mann, Tim I. Sawbridge
- Evaluating the effects of nitrogen on the bacterial communities present in Cenchrus clandestinus, Draft, final review with co-authors, Rens R. T. van Essen, Jatinder K. Kaur, Tongda Li, Tim I. Sawbridge
- Application of N-fixing bacteria in barley seeds, Draft, final review with co-authors, Rens R. T. van Essen, Jatinder K. Kaur, Tongda Li, Tim I. Sawbridge
Patents
- Nitrogen fixing bacteria to aid plant growth, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Rens van Essen, Tongda Li, Jatinder Kaur, Timothy Sawbridge
- Bacteria conferring bioprotection and/or biofertilizer properties, Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, Tongda Li, Jatinder Kaur, Holly Hone, Rens van Essen, Ross Mann, Timothy Sawbridge, German Spangenberg
Academic Referees
- Dr. Tim Sawbridge, Principal Research Scientist, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, +61 4 0898 2450, tim.sawbridge@agriculture.vic.gov.au
- Dr. Jatinder Kaur, Research Scientist, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, +61 3 9032 7045, jatinder.kaur@agriculture.vic.gov.au
- Dr. Tongda Li, Research Scientist, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, +316 2271 3818, tongda.li@agriculture.vic.gov.au
Publications
- Profiling the bacterial and fungal communities of warm season pasture grass seeds
- Evaluating the effects of nitrogen on the bacterial communities present in Cenchrus clandestinus
- Application of N-fixing bacteria in barley seeds
Training
- Three seminars during each of the three years of PhD
- Presentation at an international conference in Vienna
- Poster presentation at a conference in Kingcliff, NSW
Research
Identification of Nicotiana benthamiana host factors used by Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), Bachelor's 4th year, 7.4/10, University of Amsterdam
Timeline
PhD Candidate
La Trobe University & Agriculture Victoria Research
11.2021 - Current
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Plant Pathology
LaTrobe University
11.2021 - Current
Research Scientist
Agriculture Victoria Research
10.2019 - 11.2021
Intern
University of Amsterdam
10.2018 - 04.2019
Intern
Wageningen University
09.2016 - 01.2017
Bachelor of Life Science - Genome Science, Informatics, Genetics and Fermentation, Business and Laboratory Organization, Protein Technology, Plant Biology, Green Business
Inholland University of Applied Sciences
09.2013 - 06.2019
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