Show Notes

In this episode Ed interviews Dr. Sebastian Eves-van den Akker of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. They discuss how Sebastian and his lab are using tech such a machine learning and 3d printing to gather data regarding plant parasitic nematodes. Additional Resources List of Contributors: Siyuan Wei, Jie Zhou, Olaf Prosper Kranse, Unnati Sonawala, Gang Sun, Ziyang He, Beatrice Senatori, Clement Pellegrin, Andrea Díaz-Tendero Bravo, Roberta Healey, Victor Hugo Moura de Souza, Vincent C.T. Hanlon, George Harpum, Tithira Wijayathilake, Adela Gaja Jezierska-Suwinska, Anika Damm, Kerry VerMeulen, Thomas Baum, Lida Derevnina, Ji Zhou, Sebastian Eves-van den Akker. Time Stamps 00:00 Introduction and Background of the Speaker 02:45 Sebastian's Journey into Plant Sciences 05:43 Exploring Nematodes and Their Impact 08:54 Research Focus: Cyst Nematodes and Their Mechanisms 11:40 Drivers of Nematode Research in the UK 14:34 Innovative Methods in Nematode Research 17:47 High-Throughput Imaging and AI in Research 20:31 Logistics of Large-Scale Experiments 24:28 The Greenhouse Imaging Project 26:48 The Challenges of Lab Work 29:57 Designing the Imaging Machine 33:14 Collaborative Engineering in the Lab 36:23 AI and Nematode Detection 42:08 Building Growth Curves from Data 43:51 Nematode Interactions: Cooperation or Competition? 45:47 Genetic Screening for Nematode Traits 49:29 Future Directions: AI and Nematode Research 51:54 Innovations in Screening Technology 55:36 Communication Between Plants and Animals 56:28 Advancements in Nematode Management 01:00:26 Understanding Nematodes as Orphan Diseases 01:07:50 outro with logo.mp4 Zaworski, E. (Host) and Eves-van den Akker, S. (Interviewee). S5:E12 (Podcast). Seeing the Unseen: New Technologies for Studying Plant-Parasitic Nematodes. 6/17/2026. In I See Dead Plants. Crop Protection Network. Transcript