Astrid Bryon

Astrid Bryon is an Assistant Professor in the Virology department (VIR) within the Plant Sciences Group (PE&RC) at Wageningen University & Research. Her research focuses on viral and molecular mechanisms in insects, particularly in the context of pest control and evolutionary biology. She leads and collaborates on projects exploring insect-virus interactions, resistance mechanisms, and biocontrol strategies.

Key research areas include viral pathogenesis in insects, genome-wide expression profiling of resistance traits, and the evolutionary dynamics of detoxification pathways. Bryon has contributed to studies on the fall armyworm, house cricket, and Anopheles mosquitoes, addressing topics like densovirus prevalence, cytochrome P450 evolution, and insecticide resistance.

Her projects involve international collaborations and span from fundamental virology to applied entomology. Bryon supervises multiple PhD candidates and co-leads initiatives like the 'Hidden Treasures or Burdens?' project investigating covert viruses in insects. She has published extensively in journals such as Journal of General Virology, Insects, and Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Bryon's work integrates genomic, molecular, and ecological approaches to understand and mitigate pest challenges in agriculture and public health.