Jun 17, 2026
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.