Erik van den Bergh

Erik van den Bergh is a researcher at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) specializing in plant evolutionary genomics and research data infrastructure. His work bridges genomic analysis of plant families Cleomaceae and Brassicaceae with practical data management solutions, focusing on genome duplications, C4 photosynthesis evolution, and FAIR data principles implementation.

He completed his PhD at WUR in 2017 with research titled "Plant Genome archeology: ancestral genomic reconstruction and comperative analysis of polyploidy, gene loss and chromosomal rearrangements in the sister families Brassicaceae and Cleomaceae". This foundational work established his expertise in comparative plant genomics.

Dr. van den Bergh's research spans two interconnected domains: First, evolutionary plant genomics where he investigates whole-genome duplications and photosynthetic pathway evolution using Cleomaceae as a model system. Second, research data management where he develops infrastructure for storage, accessibility, and reuse of scientific data. His fingerprint analysis confirms deep engagement with Photosystem, Cleomaceae, Genome Duplication, and Data Management topics.

His publication trends reveal a strategic integration of biological discovery with data science. The 2023 Plant Cell article demonstrates how genomic analysis of Gynandropsis gynandra provides evolutionary insights, while his concurrent data management work addresses critical infrastructure gaps in modern research workflows. This dual focus positions him at the intersection of biological discovery and computational research support.

Professionally, he actively contributes to WUR's data strategy through presentations on FAIR RDM, iRODS, and Yoda systems, and has developed data architectures for agricultural applications like methane monitoring in dairy farms. His media contributions emphasize how streamlined data management directly enhances research productivity.