Jos Ruytinx

Jos Ruytinx is a faculty member in the Department of Bio-engineering Sciences at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium. His research focuses on plant-fungal interactions, particularly ectomycorrhizal symbiosis and metal homeostasis mechanisms. He actively supervises graduate students and serves on PhD committees, contributing significantly to the academic community at VUB.

Dr. Ruytinx's research interests span several interconnected fields:

• Mycorrhizal symbiosis between plants and fungi
• Zinc and heavy metal homeostasis in ectomycorrhizal systems
• Molecular mechanisms of fungal adaptation to metal stress
• Transport physiology in plant-fungal symbiotic relationships
• Evolutionary aspects of ectomycorrhizal fungi
• Responses to ionizing radiation in plant-microbe systems

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on understanding how ectomycorrhizal fungi like Laccaria bicolor and Suillus luteus interact with their plant hosts under metal stress conditions, particularly zinc. Through comparative transcriptomics and functional characterization of transporters, his work reveals genetic determinants of symbiotic compatibility and mechanisms of metal tolerance. This research has implications for phytoremediation and sustainable agriculture in contaminated soils.

Dr. Ruytinx has received recognition for his work with an h-index of 17 and over 2151 citations. His research is supported by multiple grants including:

• FWOAL1080: Zinc homeostasis in ectomycorrhizal symbiosis: nutrition and beyond (2023-2026)
• FWOTM1079: Reactive oxygen species in ectomycorrhizal fungi: damage, signaling or both? (2021-2025)
• OZR4191: Bilateral cooperation for joint PhD VUB-UHasselt (2023-2027)
• HERC66: 3D-CELLMAP project (2024-2028)

As an academic advisor, Dr. Ruytinx has supervised 7 students through their theses, including Master's and Doctoral candidates. His laboratory focuses on fungal genetics and plant-microbe interactions, with particular expertise in zinc transport mechanisms in ectomycorrhizal systems. He actively participates in public engagement activities, including field samplings and expert commentary on fungi as biofertilizers.