During my BSc Biology at Utrecht University I became fascinated with plant stress biology. In particular, I was intrigued by how plants respond at a molecular level to the combination of abiotic and biotic stress factors. I continued focusing on how plants dynamically respond to their ever changing environment during my MSc Plant Sciences in Wageningen.

Salinity stress can affect the root system as high salt levels severely limit water uptake and cause nutrient imbalance, leading to reduced plant growth and development. One intriguing response is the way in which plants appear to “sense” salt and grow away from this threat. Yet, the precise mechanisms by which plants sense salt remain unknown. My project objective is to unravel the intricacies of salt sensing mechanisms and early salt signaling pathways in plant roots. Through a combination of molecular and biochemical techniques, I aim to identify the salt sensing components, and investigate how they interact with phytohormone signaling pathways to shape the root system architecture.