MINAGRIS - 01-Wageningen University (Partner Description)

Partner 01: Wageningen University

Partner description

Wageningen University, part of Wageningen University & Research (WUR), is the only university in the Netherlands that specifically focuses on the theme ‘healthy food and living environment’. WU works closely together with governments and the business community. Wageningen University's researchers are active around the globe, and the university hosts over 12.000 students from over 100 countries and employs around 2,500 staff. WU’s mission is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life.” Both WU's research and education are highly acclaimed. In 2019 students ranked Wageningen University as the best university in the Reference Guide for Higher Education in the Netherlands for the fifteenth year in a row. Involved in the project are WUs Department of Environmental Sciences, chair group Soil Physics & Land Management.

Website: http://www.wur.nl

Role in the project

WU will be the coordinator and main responsible for the project. WU will interact directly with the different stakeholders and will coordinate soil invertebrates and chemical risk assessment tasks, as well microplastics transportation and beyond effects (WP4, WP5, WP6). The project Web-page dissemination will be also done by WU.

Persons involved

	Prof. dr Violette Geissen - Overall project coordinator She is a personal professor in Soil Physics and Land Management group with with >20 years of experience in soil sciences and agronomy. She has published >80 articles in international scientific journals (H-index: 29, cited 3284 times). Other relevant experiences include the coordination of large international projects, such as EU H2020 project SPRINT and EU-projects CariWatNet and CASCADE.
	Prof. dr. Coen Ritsema - Deputy project coordinator He is chair holder of the Soil Physics and Land Management group with >30 years of experience in fundamental and applied research in the area of land, soil and hydrology interactions, and in coordinating large (inter)national multidisciplinary research projects (last decades successfully coordinated 14 EU-funded projects) and programs (H-index: 50, cited 8211 times).
	Dr. Nicolas Beriot He is post-doc at Soil Physics and Land Management group on the synergetic effects of plastic debris and pesticides residues on soil fertility in farms. His work ranges from adapting methods for microplastic extraction to analyzing soil microbiome. He was coordinating expert for the EIP-Agri focus group about plastic footprint in agriculture.
	Dr. Harkes is Researcher at the Soil Physics and Land Management group with expertise in the area of soil microbiology and micro-ecology in natural- and agricultural soils. Special interest in sustainable soil management practices and the effect on soil life. Ample experience in developing tools to extract soil micro-organismal DNA and RNA.
	Dr. Esperanza Huerta Lwanga is Senior Researcher, with > 18 years of experience on soil ecology, focusing on soil health assessment in natural and managed areas. She has published > than 50 articles in international scientific journals (H-index 22, cited 1589 times). Other relevant experiences include participation in international projects, such as EU H2020 Diverfarming project, and projects related with microplastics in soils and in invertebrates.
	Dr. Fanrong Meng - is a post-doc at the Soil Physics and Land Management group of WUR. His expertise in the area of the effects of microplastics on soil-plant system, e.g. carbon and nitrogen dynamics, microbial communities and plant growth.
	Dr. Xiaomei Yang Lecturer on Soil Physics and Land Management group with wide experience on soil chemical processes. She has published >30 articles in international scientific journals (H-index 17, cited 791 times). Expert on the interaction of pesticides and soil properties and microplastics.
	Dr. Stefan Geisen Assistant Professor at the Laboratory of Nematology, Department of Plant Sciences is a renowned expert on soil biodiversity specially on protists and nematodes interactions with the soil microbiome. He applies diverse methods including deep-sequencing and complex bioinformatics in study systems ranging from natural to agricultural settings. He has published 60 papers in scientific journals (H-index 21, cited 1356 times).

	Dr. Mahrooz Rezaei is researcher at Soil Physics and Land Management Group of WUR. She is an expert in soil wind erosion and dust emission and is working on transport of microplastics in the interface between soil and atmosphere. She has ample experience in studying airborne microplastics and their potential effect on human health.
	Rozita Soltani is currently pursuing her PhD in Soil Physics and Land Management group, where her focus centers on unraveling the complexities of solute and contaminant transport within the soil. Her expertise shines in the field of soil physics, showcasing a deep-rooted comprehension of these critical environmental dynamics.