As more and more people move into cities, more and more questions arise regarding nature, livability, provision of food, water and energy. Knowledge is needed to keep growing cities livable worldwide. Therefore, our education and research is focused on these issues.
Research in Almere
How do we create an urban environment that challenges us to lead a healthy life with a healthy diet? The research programme at Aeres University of Applied Sciences Almere focuses on factors that influence our lifestyle and our nutrition, and the question of how these factors can contribute to this in a sustainable manner.
Resilient plants
The professorship is engaged in practice-based research on sustainable crop protection and resilience of plants and ecosystems. To protect plants from pests we use crop protection products. However, many chemicals are harmful to the environment and have been or are being banned by the EU. It is therefore important to also be able to protect plants in a sustainable, natural way and make them resistant to diseases and pests. This can be done using mechanisms from or based on nature itself. In addition to resilience to diseases and pests, with climate change, resilience to abiotic stresses such as drought will also become increasingly important
We carry out this research together with students from the study programs Applied Biology, Nutrition & Healthy Living, and Earth & Climate.
Mirka Macel
Mirka Macel has been associated with Aeres University of Applied Sciences as Lecturer in Resilient Plants since April 1, 2021. Mirka holds a PhD from Leiden University and did research on plant - insect interactions and plant defenses in natural systems and crops.
