dr. Jaka Razinger

PhD, B.A. in biology Research fellow Plant Protection Department Entomology Researchers +386 (0)1 280 51 97 jaka.razinger@kis.si

Work experiences

2010-2011, 2013-today Agricultural institute of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia

2012-2013 Zurich University of Applied Sciences (post-doctoral project)

2005-2010 Institute of physical biology ltd., Ljubljana, Slovenia

Professional training

  • 2017 I attended Better Training for Safer Food workshop, Munich, Germany, 5 days, where I familiarized myself with EU containment and eradication protocols of quarantine pests.
  • 2015 I visited the James Hutton Institute, Dundee, Scotland for 14 days of hands-on training on microsatellite analysis for insect population genetics studies.
  • 2015 I visited the Julius Kühn Institute of Biological Control in Darmstadt, Germany for 14 days of training on the use of entomopathogenic fungi for biological pest control.
  • 2015 I visited the DSMZ-Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH for 6 days of training on microsatellite analysis for insect population genetics studies.
  • 2014 I attended Agricultural Omics course, organized by KIS and EBI, where the world’s top scientists from various ‘omics’ fields shared their knowledge in an intensive five day training course on genomics and metagenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics.
  • 2014 I visited the James Hutton Institute, Dundee, Scotland for 7 days of intensive training on the aphid-plant interactions, the rearing of various insects and the undertaking of ethological experiments.
  • 2014 I visited the Julius Kühn Institute of Biological Control in Darmstadt, Germany for 10 days of intensive training on the use of beneficial insects for pest control.
  • 2013 I attended Molecular Phylogenetics workshop, organized by the European Bioinformatics Institute and the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia; an intensive three day training course on molecular phylogenetics.
  • 2012-2013: Postdoctoral research project RHIZOSHIELD –Engineering of advantageous biofilms on the surfaces of roots, carried out at Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland.
  • 2003-2008: Postgraduate study of Biological and biotechnical studies at the Biotechnical faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Doctoral dissertation’s title: Biochemical and physiological responses of duckweed (Lemna minor L.) to heavy metal induced oxidative stress.
  • 2007 Eurobiobiz Bio BOOT CAMP Training Workshop. Three day business entrepreneur workshop sponsored by EU Eurobiobiz and the European Commission Research Directorate.
  • 1997-2003 Biotechnical faculty, Department of biology. Graduation thesis: Accumulation of Pb, Cd and Zn in tissues of three plant species from the valley Dolina smrti.

 

Collaboration on projects

a) scientific research projects

  • Use of low risk plant protection methods in vegetable production (ARRS/MKGP CRP V4―1602). 2016―2019, project leader: research in the field of applied entomology, IPM, biological control. Development and evaluation of low risk plant protection methods.
  • Assessment of the state of pesticide resistance in Slovenia (ARRS/MKGP V4―1601). 2016―2019, researcher: research in the field of applied entomology, IPM, biological control, insecticide resistance management.
  • Using three-way interactions between plants, microbes and arthropods to enhance crop protection and production (COST Action FA1405). 2015-2019, Management Committee member of the COST action; coordinator of the project at KIS.
  • The use of aegerolysin proteins for pest control and detection (ARRS J4-7162). 2016-2018, coordinator of the project at KIS: research in the field of applied entomology, IPM, biological control.
  • The practical value of common bean genetic resources for the sustainable improvement of crops and healthy food (ARRS L4-7520). 2016-2018, researcher: research in the field of plant physiology
  • Genomic / transcriptomic approaches to fungus-pest interactions and biological control (ARRS J4―5527). 2013-2016, researcher: model insect rearing; assessment of the pathogenicity and virulence, rhizosphere competence and potential biostimulating effects of entomopathogenic fungi.
  • Program group Agrobiodiversity (ARRS P4―0072). 2013-2017, researcher: research in the field of entomology, IPM, biological control, plant physiology, drought stress.
  • Pesticide Use-and-risk Reduction in European farming systems with Integrated Pest Management – acronym PURE (Grant # 265865, EU call identifier FP7-KBBE-2010-4). 2011-2015, researcher: research in the fields of biological control, integrated pest management and agricultural entomology.
  • Response to water stress in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.): proteomic analysis and QTL mapping (ARRS J4-4126). 2011-2014, researcher: research in plant physiology (prompt chlorophyll a fluorescence; reflectance).

b) Expert work

  • National survey of spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) in Slovenia. 2013-2018, coordinator of the survey of this important invasive pest within KIS;
  • Anoplophora chinensis and A. glabripennis survey in Slovenia. 2011-2018, co-coordinator of the national survey of this quarantine pest.
  • Diabrotica virgifera virgifera survey in Slovenia. 2011-2013, national coordinator of the survey of this important pest.

Short CV

My research at the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia (2011-still work there) is focused on biological and integrated pest management. My long-term goal is to contribute to greater self-sufficiency with high quality food in Slovenia, whilst decreasing the deleterious impact of agriculture on the environment.

My education is interdisciplinary to say the least. I obtained a university diploma in botany and plant physiology, PhD in plant physiology and biochemistry whereas my postdoctoral education was mainly in the fields of applicative entomology, microbiology and molecular biology. My current career path demonstrates my capacities to acquire new skills and competencies, and to adapt to new situations. As a rule, I finish the scientific or applicative industrial projects entrusted to me ahead of schedule. During the extremely dynamic and flexible work I collaborated with public research institutions as well as the industrial sector.

During graduate and postgraduate studies (1998-2004) I acquired plenty of experience from the field of environmental protection, environmental impact assessment and working with and leading groups of people.
 

Scientific area and expert work

Biological control; plant-microbe-pest interactions; integrated pest management; applied agricultural entomology; entomopathogenic fungi; plant physiology; applicative microbiology; rhizosphere competence; soil pests;

Achievements and awards

  • Best poster presentation award at the conference Microbe-assisted crop production – opportunities, challenges and needs (miCROPe). Schloss Schönbrunn, Vienna, Austria, 2015
  • Scholarship of Rector’s conference of the Swiss Universities, SCIEX Scientific Exchange Programme NMS-CH, 2012-2013
  • Young researcher from commercial sector scholarship, 2005-2008
  • Best poster presentation award at the conference Fate of pollutants in the plant/rhizosphere system: fundamental aspects and their significance for field applications - prospects and research needs. Vilnius, Gediminas Technical University, 2007
  • Scholarship of the Slovenian society of plant biology, 2007
  • Scholarship of the Municipality of Ljubljana, 2005
  • Scholarship of the National Institute of Chemistry, 1996-2003

Memberships

  • International Organization for Biological and Integrated Control (IOBC)
  • Slovenian society of plant biology
  • Botanical Society of Slovenia
  • Plant Protection Society of Slovenia

Selected publications

HERBST, Malaika, RAZINGER, Jaka, UGRINOVIĆ, Kristina, ŠKOF, Mojca, SCHROERS, Hans-Josef, HOMMES, Martin, POEHLING, Hans-Michael. Evaluation of low risk methods for managing Delia radicum, cabbage root fly, in broccoli production. Crop protection, 96, 273-280, doi: 10.1016/j.cropro.2017.02.023.

FURLAN, Lorenzo, LESKOVŠEK, Robert, RAZINGER, Jaka, UREK, Gregor, et al. Risk assessment of soil-pest damage to grain maize in Europe within the framework of Integrated Pest Management. Crop protection, 2017, str. 52-59. doi: 10.1016/j.cropro.2016.11.029.

RAZINGER, Jaka, ŽERJAV, Metka, URBANČIČ ZEMLJIČ, Meta, MODIC, Špela, LUTZ, Matthias, SCHROERS, Hans-Josef, GRUNDER, Jürg M., FELLOUS, Simon, UREK, Gregor. Comparison of cauliflower-insect-fungus interactions and pesticides for cabbage root fly control. Insect science, 2017, doi: 10.1111/1744-7917.12534.

RAZINGER, Jaka, VASILEIADIS, Vasileios P, GIRAUD, Marion, DIJK, Wim van, MODIC, Špela, SATTIN, Maurizio, UREK, Gregor. On-farm evaluation of inundative biological control of Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) by Trichogramma brassicae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) in three European maize-producing regions. Pest management science, 2016, vol. 72, str. 246-254, doi: 10.1002/ps.4054.

RAZINGER, Jaka, LUTZ, Matthias, SCHROERS, Hans-Josef, PALMISANO, Marilena, WOHLER, Christian, UREK, Gregor, GRUNDER, Jürg M. Direct plantlet inoculation with soil or insect-associated fungi may control cabbage root fly maggots. Journal of invertebrate pathology, 2014, vol. 120, 59-66, doi: 10.1016/j.jip.2014.05.006.

RAZINGER, Jaka, LUTZ, Matthias, SCHROERS, Hans-Josef, UREK, Gregor, GRUNDER, Jürg M. Evaluation of insect associated and plant growth promoting fungi in the control of cabbage root flies. Journal of economic entomology, 2014, vol. 107, no. 4, str. 1348-1354, kategorija: 1A1. doi: 10.1603/EC14004.

RAZINGER, Jaka, LUTZ, Matthias, SCHROERS, Hans-Josef, UREK, Gregor, GRUNDER, Jürg M. Laboratory testing of inect associated fungi for the control of wireworms (Agriotes sp. L.). In: JEHLE, Johannes A. (ur.). Proceedings of the Meeting "Biological control - its unique role in organic and integrated production", Zagreb (Croatia), 16-29 June 2013, (IOBC-WPRS Bulletin = Bulletin OILB-SROP, Vol. 90). Darmstadt: IOBC-WPRS, 2013, str. 103-107

PONGRAC, Paula, ZHAO, Fang-Jie, RAZINGER, Jaka, ZRIMEC, Alexis, REGVAR, Marjana. Physiological responses to Cd and Zn in two Cd/Zn hyperaccumulating Thlaspi species. Environ. exp. bot.. [Print ed.], 2009, vol. 66, no. 3, str. 479-486

RAZINGER, Jaka, DERMASTIA, Marina, DOLENC KOCE, Jasna, ZRIMEC, Alexis. Oxidative stress in duckweed (Lemna minor L.) caused by short-term cadmium exposure. Environ. pollut. (1987). [Print ed.], 2008, vol. 153, str. 687-694

RAZINGER, Jaka, DERMASTIA, Marina, DRINOVEC, Luka, DROBNE, Damjana, ZRIMEC, Alexis, DOLENC KOCE, Jasna. Antioxidative responses of duckweed (Lemna minor L.) to short-term copper exposure. Environ. sci. pollut. res. int.. [Print ed.], 2007, letn. 14, št. 3, str. 194-201

 

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