Lucien Hoffmann

• PhD in Botany
• Managing Director at Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)

Geit.le'ri.a. N.L. fem. n. Geitleria , named in honor of Lothar Geitler (1899–1990), Austrian botanist and specialist in cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria / Subsection V / Hapalosiphonaceae / Geitleria Geitleria is a filamentous cyanobacterium, with true branching of trichomes. Trichomes are embedded in gelatinous sheaths of extracellular polysaccharide...

Nos.toch.op'sis. N.L. neut. n. Nostoc , a cyanobacterial genus; suff. ‐opsis , similar to; from Gr. fem. n. opsis , aspect, appearance; N.L. fem. n. Nostochopsis , similar to Nostoc . Cyanobacteria / Subsection V / Nostochopsidaceae / Nostochopsis Nostochopsis is a filamentous cyanobacterium with true branching (Subsection. V. in Rippka et al., 197...

Gr. masc. n. stygeys , one who marks; Gr. neut. n. nema , thread; N.L. neut. n. Stigonema , segmented filament. Cyanobacteria / Subsection V / Stigonemataceae / Stigonema Stigonema is a filamentous heterocystous cyanobacterium with true branching (Subsection. V) that exemplifies the structural and functional complexity of multicellular filamentous...

Whiteflies are sap-sucking insects responsible for high economic losses. They colonize hundreds of plant species and cause direct feeding damage and indirect damage through transmission of devastating viruses. Modern agriculture has seen a history of invasive whitefly species and populations that expand to novel regions, bringing along fierce virus...

Chlo.ro.gloe.op'sis. Gr. masc. adj. chloros , green; Gr. masc. n. gloios , sticky substance; Gr. fem. n. opsis , appearance; N.L. fem. n. Chlorogloeopsis , resembling Chlorogloea (Mitra 1950). Cyanobacteria / Subsection V / Chlorogloeopsidaceae / Chlorogloeopsis The genus Chlorogloeopsis Mitra et Pandey 1967 is a coccoid‐appearing, filamentous cyan...

I.yen.da.ri.el'la. N.L. fem. n. Iyengariella , named in honor of MOP Iyengar, Indian phycologist. Cyanobacteria / Subsection V / Symphyonemataceae / Iyengariella The genus Iyengariella is characterized by true and false branching. It is a filamentous cyanobacterium, with true branching dichotomous, lateral, and less commonly pseudodichotomous and i...

In integrated pest management (IPM), pests are controlled when the costs of control correspond with the damage caused by a pest on a monetary scale, implying that low pest levels are left uncontrolled. Several forecast models have been developed in plant pathology to warn farmers before an epidemic occurs to allow timely control. Most of these mode...

In precision agriculture, pesticides and other inputs shall be used precisely when (and where) they are needed. European Directive 2009/128/EC calls for respecting the principles of integrated pest management (IPM) in the member states. To clarify the question, when, for instance, fungicide use is needed, the well-established economic principle of...

Fragilaria construens var. subsalina is a common diatom found in a wide variety of aquatic systems worldwide. It was described by Hustedt (1925) from brackish waters in Oldesloe, Germany; a lectotype specimen was established by Simonsen (1987). We analysed the ultrastructure of specimens from the lectotype material by means of light (LM) and scanni...

The aim of the present investigations was to simulate the annual risk of bunch rot (Botrytis cinerea) on Vitis vinifera L. cv. Riesling grapes based on three long-term (n = 3 × 7 = 21 cases) assessment data sets originating from three Central European grape-growing regions. Periods when meteorological parameters were significantly (p < 0.01) correl...

The low-input viticultural training system ‘Semi-minimal pruned hedge’ (SMPH) is progressively being more widely applied in the Central European grapegrowing regions. The present study examined the influence of (i) the training system (SMPH versus the vertical shoot position (VSP) system), (ii) the timing of shoot topping in SMPH, and (iii) the eff...

Pesticide residues (112 compounds) were quantified by GC-MS/MS or LC-MS/MS in 85 bee bread samples and 154 pollen samples obtained from five apiaries each with three or four colonies (genotype Buckfast) in Luxembourg over the period 2011–2013. Thiacloprid, chlorfenvinphos, tebuconazole, and methiocarb were found most frequently in bee bread while t...

The effects of different plant seed mucilage (PSM) extracts, namely chia seed (CSM) and flaxseed (FSM), on the kinetics of δ-glucono-lactone induced acidification and gelation phenomena of whey proteins (5% w/w WPI) were investigated. The rheological and microstructural properties of mixed whey protein-PSM (0.05–0.75% w/w) cold-set gels produced at...

Grape bunch rot caused by Botrytis cinerea is one of the major fungal diseases of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) worldwide. Besides crop cultural measures, botryticides are used on a regular basis for controlling bunch rot. To investigate the impact of (i) the time of application and (ii) the meteorological conditions on the efficacy of a single bot...

Sets of treatments that were applied against varroa mites in the Luxembourgish beekeeper community were surveyed annually with a questionnaire between the winters 2010/11 and 2014/15. The average temperature and the precipitation sum of the month, when the respective varroa control method was applied were considered as co-variables when evaluating...

The demand for sustainable, eco-green and minimally processed food ingredients of innate technological (structuring, texturising, stabilising) and functional potential is on the growth. Plant seed mucilage (PSM) constitutes a polysaccharide hydrocolloid of particular physicochemical and structure conformational diversity which endows a broad range...

Botrytis bunch rot is a major fungal disease of grapevines , and causes severe economic damage worldwide. Under humid climatic conditions, the development of bunch rot on grapes cannot be suppressed completely. Selection of planting material with lower bunch rot susceptibility represents one of the most efficient long-term tools in the complex bunc...

Aims: The present analyses aimed at evaluating the performance of two models for estimating the overall effect of combining two or more measures (leaf removal, cluster division, late shoot topping, botryticide application, bioregulator application) for controlling grape bunch rot based on the efficacy of the individual measures. Methods and results...

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) allows high image resolution, based on slight differences in surface height and on imaging transparent structures, thus is an excellent type of microscopy for imaging nano-sized objects, such as diatoms. Currently and since 1992, the number of publications applying AFM on diatom studies has increased significantly. Our...

The use of silver nanomaterials in everyday products, such as cosmetics, textiles, certain types of packaging, etc. is increasing, leading to their release into the environment, including aquatic ecosystems. This last point initiated this investigation on the toxicological effects of Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) in the aquatic model organism Danio rer...

Magnesium may reduce carotenoid bioavailability by forming insoluble complexes with bile salts/fatty acids, inhibiting micelle formation. Here, we investigated whether altering bile/pancreatin concentration influenced potential negative effects of magnesium on carotenoid bioaccessibility. Spinach (4g) was digested in vitro with added magnesium (0,...

In the present paper ionotropically structured κ-carrageenan based oil-in-gel (o/g) emulsions were tested as potential carrier systems for the delivery of β-carotene. In situ ionic gelation was induced by Na+, K+ or Ca2+ added at the level of 0.2-0.6% (w/w). All o/g emulsions exerted a true gel like behaviour with storage modulus (G´) being reduced...

In the present work oil-in-gel (o/g) emulsions comprising 0.4 to 1% w/w κ-carrageenan in the absence and presence of Ca²⁺ (20 mM) were investigated for their ability to hamper the oxidative degradation under isothermal (5, 20 and 37 °C) ambient air storage conditions and promote the in vitro bioaccessibility of β-carotene. The mechanical and struct...

Carotenoid intake and tissue levels have been frequently associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases. However, their bioavailability is low and influenced by many dietary related parameters. Divalent mineral cations have been suggested to interfere with carotenoid digestion and to hamper micellarization, a prerequisite for their uptake, via co...

Carotenoid dietary intake, especially from fruits and vegetables, has been associated with a reduced incidence of several chronic diseases. However, bioavailability can vary, depending on the food matrix and host factors. Recently, it has been suggested that divalent minerals negatively impinge on carotenoid bioavailability, by reducing bile-salt l...

Aims: Under Central European climatic conditions, bunch rot caused by Botrytis cinerea occurs virtually every season on Vitis vinifera L. cv. Riesling grapes. Statistical investigations based on at least three annual disease severity assessments in 7 seasons (2007-2013) aimed at (i) simulating the disease progress and (ii) identifying meteorologica...

Canopy and aerodynamic conductances (gC and gA) are two of the key land surface biophysical variables that control the land surface response of land surface schemes in climate models. Their representation is crucial for predicting transpiration (λET) and evaporation (λEE) flux components of the terrestrial latent heat flux (λE), which has important...

p style="text-align: justify;"> Aims : Under Central European climatic conditions, bunch rot caused by Botrytis cinerea occurs virtually every season on Vitis vinifera L. cv. Riesling grapes. Statistical investigations based on at least three annual disease severity assessments in 7 seasons (2007-2013) aimed at (i) simulating the disease progress a...

Due to their anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory potential, polyphenol and carotenoid-rich plant foods have been suggested as promising phytochemicals in the prevention of/or as adjuvants regarding inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). In the present study, we investigated whether plum (Italian Plum, Prunus cocomilla), or cabbage (Kale, Brassica olerac...

In the present work, sodium alginate (SA), low methoxyl pectin (PEC) and κ-carrageenan (κ-CAR) were evaluated for their intragastric structuring ability by means of light microscopy and dynamic oscillatory rheology. SA and PEC solutions, their Ca2+ complexed gel analogues as well as their binary blends with ionically or thermally set sheared κ-CAR...

Fusarium graminearum sampled during 6 years in Luxembourg. Every year, at least 15 fields were sampled in different geographic locations in the country. Depending on the year, the species was more or less present. The NIV chemotype disappeared in the last 4 years of sampling in this species.

(A) Fusarium graminearum and (B) Fusarium culmorum chemotype distribution within each participating country in % of all samples analyzed (n). 3-ADON, 3-acetyldeoxyniavlenol; 15-ADON, 15-acetyldeoxyniavlenol; NIV, nivalenol.

Instruction to upload new dataset on the database and an output example for a given strain.

Template for participants of the original initiative.

Fusarium species, particularly Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum, are the main cause of trichothecene type B contamination in cereals. Data on the distribution of Fusarium trichothecene genotypes in cereals in Europe are scattered in time and space. Furthermore, a common core set of related variables (sampling method, host cultivar, previous cro...

Scope: Plums/cabbages represent fruits/vegetables rich in carotenoids and polyphenols, and have been associated with anti-inflammatory properties. Methods and results: We tested 4 plum (Italian Plum, Plum 620, Ersinger, and Cherry Plum) and cabbage varieties (Duchy, Kalorama, Kale, Scots Kale) with contrasting carotenoid/polyphenol content for t...

The increased incorporation of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) into consumer products makes the characterization of potential risk for humans and other organisms essential. The oral route is an important uptake route for NPs, therefore the study of the gastrointestinal tract in respect to NP uptake and toxicity is very timely. The aim of the present...

Agmatine and other putrescines are known for being strong inducers of deoxynivalenol (DON) production in Fusarium graminearum . Other important species produce DON and/or other trichothecene type B toxins (3 acetylated DON, 15 acetylated DON, Fusarenon-X, Nivalenol), such as F. culmorum and F. poae . In order to verify whether the mechanism of the...

Raw data Toxins values and mass values recorded for each biological replicates used in this study.

Average values with standard deviation of FusarenonX, Nivalenol, 3 Acetylated deoxynivalenol, 15 Acetylated deoxynivalenol, Deoxynivalenol and Zearalenone measured for each strain Toxin values are expressed in ng of toxin per ml of liquid medium per mg of mycelium In yellow the cases where major toxin produced did not corresponded to the genetic ch...

Data specific to 486 strains belonging to Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum were manually collected from Luxembourg field monitoring campaigns between the year 2007 ad 2013. It is of interest to store such data in a web-enabled advanced database to help in epidemiological studies. Hence, we describe the design and development of a Fusarium...

2D DIGE proteomics data obtained from three strains belonging to Fusarium graminearum s.s. species growing in a glutamic acid or agmatine containing medium are provided. A total of 381 protein species have been identified which do differ for abundance among the two treatments and among the strains (ANOVA±1.3). Data on the diversity of protein speci...

Canopy and aerodynamic conductances (gC and gA) are some of the key land surface variables determining the land surface response of climate models. Their representation is crucial for predicting transpiration (λET) and evaporation (λEE), which has important implications for global climate change and water resource management. Here, we present a nov...

Verbal vintage descriptions in a historical wine chronicle (809-1904) of the Luxembourgish winegrowing region were assigned to five wine quality and three wine quantity classes. To calibrate models describing the impact of the seasonal heat consumption on wine quality and quantity, instrumental records from Luxembourg-City in a reference period (18...

Black rot on grapevine is a fungal disease caused by Phyllosticta ampelicida (syn: Guignardia bidwellii) affecting grape leaves as well as clusters. A novel black rot decision support system termed VitiMeteo Black rot was assembled based on existing sub-models and incorporated into the established VitiMeteo forecast and decision support platform. B...

Agmatine and other putrescines are known strong inducers of deoxynivalenol (DON) production in Fusarium graminearum. Other important cereal species produce DON and/or other trichothecene type B toxins (3 acetylated DON, 15 Acetylated DON, Fusarenon-X, Nivalenol) such as F. culmorum and F. poae. In order to verify if the mechanism of regulation of t...

Agmatine and other putrescines are known strong inducers of deoxynivalenol (DON) production in Fusarium graminearum. Other important cereal species produce DON and/or other trichothecene type B toxins (3 acetylated DON, 15 Acetylated DON, Fusarenon-X, Nivalenol) such as F. culmorum and F. poae. In order to verify if the mechanism of regulation of t...

High levels of honey bee colony losses were recently reported from Canada, China, Europe, Israel, Turkey and the United States, raising concerns of a global pollinator decline and questioning current land use practices, in particular intense agricultural cropping systems. Sixty-seven crops (data from the years 2010-2012) and 66 mid-term stable land...

Geit.ler' i.a . M.L. fem. n. Geitleria Geitler, named after L. Geitler, Austrian botanist and specialist in cyanobacteria, 1899–1990. Cyanobacteria / Subsection V / Incertae Sedis / Form‐Geitleria Branching is pseudodichotomous, dichotomous, and lateral (Figure 1). The sheath becomes heavily calcified, and only cells near the tips of trichomes are...

Cyanobacteria / Subsection V / Incertae Sedis / Subsection V Genera of this subsection exhibit the highest degree of morphological complexity and differentiation within the cyanobacteria; the few available 16S rDNA sequence data analyses suggest that it is a monophyletic group, arising from within an assemblage of filamentous heterocystous cyanobac...

Fisch.er.el' la . M.L. fem. n. Fischerella Fischer, probably named for B. Fischer, botanical bacteriologist, 1852–1915. Cyanobacteria / Subsection V / Incertae Sedis / Form‐Fischerella The true branches of these organisms are uniseriate and composed of cells, particularly those distal from the base, that are generally longer than broad. The axis (p...

Nost' och.op' sis . Old English n. Nost' hryl nostril; German n. Nasen'loch; Gr. n. opsis appearance, hence resemblance; M.L. fem. n. Nostochopsis (cyanobacterium) resembling Nostoc Vaucher, “excrement from the nostrils of some rheumatick planet” (Paracelsus 1493–1541) referring to the rapid appearance of Nostoc commune colonies after thundershower...

I.yen.gar.iel' la . M.L. fem. n. Iyengariella Iyengar, named after M.O.P. Iyengar, Indian phycologist. Cyanobacteria / Subsection V / Incertae Sedis / Form‐Iyengariella Besides true and pseudodichotomous branchings, false branchings are also found; false branches occur after trichome breakage as a result of the formation of a necridium. True dichot...

Chlor ' ogloe . op ' sis . Gr. adj. chloros green; Gr. adj. gloios sticky; Gr. n. opsis appearance, hence resemblance; M.L. fem. n. Chlorogloeopsis (cyanobacterium) resembling Chlorogloea Mitra. Cyanobacteria / Subsection V / Incertae Sedis / Form‐Chlorogloeopsis The filamentous nature of this organism is often unclear, except in the hormogonia. Ho...

Sti.go.ne' ma . Gr. n. stigeus one who marks; Gr. n. nema thread; M.L. fem. n. Stigonema segmented filament. Cyanobacteria / Subsection V / Incertae Sedis / Form‐Stigonema Many species of this genus are extreme examples of multicellular complexity in the cyanobacteria. Main axes with numerous branches may reach thicknesses of 1 mm (Fig. B10.96). Ex...

Two new taxa similar to Achnanthidium minutissimum were common and abundant in samples collected during a survey of benthic diatoms in watercourses from mainland Portugal. They are described here as A. duriense, sp. nov. and A. lusitanicum, sp. nov. In addition, the recently described A. pseudolineare is reported from various localities and its eco...

Here we demonstrate a novel method to physically integrate radiometric surface temperature (T R) into the Penman-Monteith (PM) formulation for estimating the terrestrial sensible and latent heat fluxes (H and kE) in the framework of a modified Surface Temperature Initiated Closure (STIC). It combines T R data with standard energy balance closure mo...

Diatoms (Bacillariophyta) are one of the most common and diverse algal groups (ca. 200 000 species, ≈ 10–200 μm, unicellular, eukaryotic). Here we investigate the potential of aerial diatoms (i.e. diatoms nearly exclusively occurring outside water bodies, in wet, moist or temporarily dry places) to infer surface hydrological connectivity between hi...

Here we demonstrate a novel method to physically integrate the radiometric surface temperature (TR) into the Penman-Monteith (PM) formulation for estimating the terrestrial sensible and latent heat fluxes (H and λE) in the framework of a modified Surface Temperature Initiated Closure (STIC). It combines TR data with standard energy balance closure...

Field trials investigating the impact of removing flower debris (necrotic flower caps, filaments, anthers, aborted unfertilized ovaries, and aborted berries), which usually remain partly attached to grape clusters after bloom, on the epidemic of grape bunch rot caused by Botrytis cinerea were conducted in the white grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cv....

Recent work has shown that aerial diatoms are a useful ecological tracer of hydrological connectivity in the hillslope-riparian zone-stream (HRS) system. While such work has improved both our understanding of catchment functioning and aerial diatom taxonomy, assemblages and distribution, further work is hampered by lack of data on diatom population...

Field trials investigating the impact of the timing of first shoot topping in a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis system on (i) the cluster morphology, (ii) the canopy structure in the cluster-zone, and (iii) the progress of the bunch rot disease severity, were conducted in two white Vitis vinifera (Pinot gris, Riesling) cultivars in the yea...

Nupela troglophila sp. nov. is described from epilithic and epiphytic samples collected around the artificial lighting system in the Bossea cave, SW Alps (NW Italy). The morphological features of the new species are described and documented through light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy analysis. A comparison with morphologically similar...

Aims: The present investigation in a Luxembourgish vineyard aimed at evaluating the potential of multispectral, multi-angular UAS (unmanned aerial system) imagery to separate four soil management strategies, to predict physiological variables (chlorophyll, nitrogen, yield etc.) and to follow seasonal changes in grapevine physiology in relation to s...

Diatoms (Bacillariophyta) are one of the most common and diverse algal groups (ca. 200 000 species, ≈10–200 μm, unicellular, eukaryotic). Here we investigate the potential of terrestrial and aerophytic diatoms (i.e. diatoms nearly exclusively occurring outside water bodies, on wet, moist or temporarily dry places) to infer surface hydrological conn...

A b s t r a c t Twenty managed honey bee colonies, split between 5 apiaries with 4 hives each, were monitored between the summer of 2011 and spring of 2013. Living bees were sampled in July 2011, July 2012, and August 2012. Twenty-five, medium-aged bees, free of var-roa mites, were pooled per colony and date, to form one sample. Unlike in France an...

To advance human biomonitoring (HBM) for policy support in Europe, a harmonized approach was developed (COPHES project, FP7 2009- 2012) and evaluated in 17 countries (DEMOCOPHES project, Life+, 2010-2012). Cyprus (CY) and Luxembourg (LU) tested the hypothesis that the COPHES European Protocol is applicable to small countries.Materials and methods:...

Soy products are a main component of animal feed. Because mycotoxins may harm farm animals, undermining productivity and health, a mycological and toxigenic screening was carried out on 36 batches used in animal feed, collected in 2008, 2009 and 2010 in Italy. The investigated mycoflora of a subset of soy seed (n = 6) suggested that Aspergillus spp...

New threshold-based models to predict the start of invasion by the stem-boring pest, the rape stem weevil (Ceutorhynchus napi Gyll.) of winter oilseed rape (WOSR, Brassica napus L.) were developed and compared to published models using long-term datasets on weather and weevil phenology from experimental locations in Germany and Luxembourg. Threshol...

The potential importance of benthic diatoms in Mediterranean watercourses has received limited academic attention historically. This study sought to provide baseline information for this poorly studied group. Temporary and permanent watercourses in Portugal differ in catchment characteristics, climatic variables and water chemistry. The benthic dia...

Environmental conditions in Sardinia (Tyrrhenian Islands) are conductive to Fusarium Root Rot (FRR) and Fusarium Head Blight (FHB). A monitoring survey on wheat was carried out during the years 2001-2013, investigating relations among these diseases and their incitants. FHB was more frequently encountered in the most recent years while FRR was cons...

Complex crop growth models (CGM) require a large number of input parameters, which can cause large errors if they are uncertain. Furthermore, they often lack spatial information. The coupling of a CGM with a radiative transfer model offers the possibility to assimilate remote sensing data while taking into account uncertainties in input parameters....

Background and aims – Planothidium haynaldii (Schaarschm.) Lange-Bert. (≡Achnanthes haynaldii Schaarschm.) is a widely reported species from temperate and cold zones of southern and northern hemispheres despite being originally described from a high altitude stratovolcano (Antisana, 4100 m a.s.l.) in Ecuador (tropical climatic zone). Although widel...

The cabbage stem weevil Ceutorhynchus pallidactylus (Mrsh.) (Col.: Curculionidae) is a common pest in oilseed rape Brassica napus L. throughout Europe. The abundance of the cabbage stem weevil was monitored in field surveys by using yellow water traps between 2007 and 2012 at five locations in Luxembourg. We forecast the abundance of the cabbage st...

Species determination by sequencing and PCR genetic chemotyping, used to determine the toxigenic potential of Fusarium strains, is fundamental for developing preventive strategies in food safety. Here we propose and statistically validate a quick protocol for standardizing the procedure of species determination by sequencing of the elongation facto...

Two new raphid diatoms from the Bolivian Altiplano and Brazilian Panta nal, Craticula strelnikoviana E.Morales, S.F.Rivera & C.E.Wetzel sp. nov. and C. guaykuruorum C.E.Wetzel, E.Morales & Ector sp. nov., respectively, are described based on light (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Craticula strelnikoviana was present as a small populatio...