Jan Colpaert

Prof. Dr. Jan Colpaert is a Full Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Sciences at Hasselt University. He holds a prominent position in the Department of Biology - Geology and leads the Environmental Biology Research Group within the Center for Environmental Sciences. His research focuses on soil and terrestrial ecology, mycology, and adaptation mechanisms in ectomycorrhizal fungi, particularly their tolerance to heavy metals and roles in phytoremediation. He has supervised 13 doctoral students, with notable works on zinc transporters in Suillus luteus and fungal adaptation to metal pollution.

• Current roles: Dean of Sciences, Full Professor
• Research areas: Heavy metal tolerance, mycorrhizal symbiosis, environmental adaptation
• Teaching: Coordinates courses like 'Biology of the Cell' and 'Environmental Science', leading fieldwork programs in ecology and nature management.

His projects include studying Fukushima's impact on rhizosphere microbiomes and optimizing phytostabilization strategies. Recent publications highlight transcriptomic insights into zinc tolerance mechanisms and fungal genetic adaptation to pollutants.