Chemical ecology studies interactions between organisms and their environments that are mediated by naturally-produced chemicals. These chemical cues or signals (semio-chemicals) can modulate insect behaviour or affect the growth of plants and microorganisms.
I study the emission and perception of semio-chemicals in pest and beneficial insects, and their multitrophic interactions with plants and microbes in horticultural systems. I am especially interested on combining fundamental and applied aspects of Chemical Ecology, from understanding the insect olfactory system and odour-mediated behaviours to develop innovative tools for plant protection and promotion of ecosystem services.
Overall, my investigations are in accordance with societal needs, nationally and internationally, to provide scientific background for effective and sustainable technologies in agro-ecosystems
At SLU, I am part of the associate group of the SLU Center for Biological Control (CBC).
I am councillor of Latin American Association of Chemical Ecology (ALAEQ).
At SLU, I am involved in teaching in seven courses where I participate as a lecturer or project supervisor.
I lecture in the following courses:
. PhD course Insect Chemical Ecology (PLS0038, SLU)
. PhD course Analytical Methods in Chemical Ecology (PLS0030, SLU)
. PhD course on Integrated pest and pollinator management (P000098, SLU)
. BSc course in Ecology - Horticultural Management (BI1394, SLU)
I act as a project supervisor in the:
. MSc course in Horticultural Systems and Future Challenges (Bl1309, SLU)
. MSc course in Insect Chemical Ecology (Code: BI0914, SLU)
. MSc course in Practical research training (BI1347, SLU)
Together with our partner institutions Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology (Germany), Penn-State University (EE.UU) and the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Kenya), I am co-organizer of the PhD course in Insect Chemical Ecology at SLU Alnarp (PLS0038, SLU).
In addition, I serve as a mentor for high school students in practical research training and expert at the SLU Youth Institute.
My teaching experience from outside SLU relates to Universidad de la República, Uruguay, where I am associated teacher in two courses:
. BSc course Chemical Ecology (ORG 311, Faculty of Chemistry)
. MSc course Chemistry of biological interactions between organisms (ORG 313, Faculty of Chemistry)
I have received pedagogical training in the courses Teaching in Higher Education, Active e-learning and Grading and Assessment.
My research concerns semio-chemicals that mediate communication between insects, and between insects, micro-organisms and plants in horticultural systems.
I focus on pest and beneficial organisms. My current research is on an invasive fruit fly pest, the spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, and the fascinating hover fly Eupeodes corrollae, which provides flower pollination and biological control of herbivores such as aphids.
The overall goal of my research is to advance in the understanding of the ecological processes, and combine strategies for managing pests with high specificity, while promoting and applying beneficial biological control agents such as natural enemies or micro-organisms.
My investigation has been supported by SLU, stipend from an EU Regional Development fund (ERDF), the Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development (FORMAS, granted to Paul G. Becher), The Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry (KLSA), fellowship from The National Agency for Research and Innovation (ANII), Uruguay.
I obtained my MSc degree in Biological Sciences - Ecology and Evolution at Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de la República (UdelaR, Uruguay) in 2016. After 2 years as a teacher assistant at the Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Chemistry (UdelaR), I joined the Unit of Chemical Ecology at the Department of Plant Protection Biology (SLU) to perform my doctoral studies. In 2022, I obtained my PhD in Biological Sciences – Chemical Ecology. Since 2022, I am a post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Plant Protection Biology, SLU.
My expertise is on Chemical Ecology, with an emphasis on insect sensory physiology and behavior, analytical chemistry, experimental design and statistical validation. I also have qualifications in microbiology and biological control.
I have co-supervised 3 master thesis to completion and I currently supervise one master student.
. Christine Petig (2021-2022), MSc Biology-Horticultural Science, SLU, Sweden - Erasmus exchange Uni-Hannover, Germany.
Thesis: ‘The Use of Hoverflies as Multi-Tool for Pollination and Biological Control of Aphids and Grey Mould’
. Karolina Sahle (2020-2021), MSc Biology-Horticultural Science, SLU, Sweden
Thesis: ‘The role of fruit and yeast volatiles in mating and oviposition of the invasive fly Drosophila suzukii’
. Isabella Kleman (2018), MSc Biology-Horticultural Science, SLU, Sweden
Thesis: ‘The behavioural response of Drosophila suzukii to fermentation products’
. Sandra Golobov (2023- to date), MSc Biology-Horticultural Science, SLU, Sweden
Project: Hoverflies for vectoring beneficial microbes and pest control’
In addition, I have co-supervised one PhD student, Zhongqiu Xie, as part of the Erasmus Student Mobility for Traineeships - University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
• Kwadha CA, Rehermann G, Tasso D, Fellous S, Bengtsson M, Wallin EA, Flöhr A, Witzgall P, Becher PG. (2024) Sex pheromone mediates resource partitioning between Drosophila melanogaster and D. suzukii. Evolutionary Applications, 17: e70042. https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.70042.
• Castellan I, Duménil C, Rehermann G, Eisenstecken D, Bianchi F, Robatscher P, Spitaler U, Favaro R, Schmidt S, Becher PG, Angeli S. (2024) Chemical and electrophysiological characterisation of headspace volatiles from yeasts attractive to Drosophila suzukii. Journal of Chemical Ecology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-024-01494-x.
• Chakraborty A, Mori B, Rehermann G, Garcia AH, Lemmen-Lechelt J, Hagman A, Khalil S, Håkansson S, Witzgall P, Becher PG. (2022) Yeast and fruit fly mutual niche construction and antagonism against mould. Functional Ecology, 36, 16391654. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14054.
• Kleman I*, Rehermann G*, Kwadha CA, Witzgall P, Becher PG. (2022) Hanseniaspora uvarum attracts Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) with high specificity. Journal of Economic Entomology, 115, 999–1007, https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toac029. *Shared first authorship.
• Rehermann G, Spitaler U, Sahle K, Cossu CS, Delle Donne L, Bianchi F, Eisenstecken D, Angeli S, Schmidt S, Becher PG. (2022) Behavioral manipulation of Drosophila suzukii for pest control: high attraction to yeast enhances insecticide efficacy when applied on leaves. Pest Management Science, 78, 896–904. https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.6699.
• Spitaler U, Cossu CS, Donne LD, Bianchi F, Rehermann G, Eisenstecken D, Castellan I, Duménil C, Angeli S, Robatscher P, Becher PG, Koschier EH, Schmidt S. (2022) Field and greenhouse application of an attract-and-kill formulation based on the yeast Hanseniaspora uvarum and the insecticide spinosad to control Drosophila suzukii in grapes. Pest Management Science, 78, 1287–1295. https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.6748.
• Kwadha CA, Okwaro LA, Kleman I, Rehermann G, Revadi S, Ndlela S, Khamis FM, Nderitu PW, Kasina M, George MK, Kithusi GG, Mohamed SA, Lattorff MG, Becher PG. (2021) Detection of the spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, in continental sub‐Saharan Africa. Journal of Pest Science, 94, 251–259, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-021-01330-1.
• Stenberg JA, Sundh I, Becher PG, Björkman C, Dubey M, Egan PA, Friberg H, Gil JF, Jensen DF, Jonsson M, Karlsson M, Khalil S, Ninkovic V, Rehermann G, Vetukuri RR, Viketoft M. (2021) When is it biological control? A framework of definitions, mechanisms, and classifications. Journal of Pest Science, 94, 665–676, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-021-01354-7.
• Mansourian S, Enjin A, Jirle EV, Ramesh V, Rehermann G, Becher PG, Pool JE, Stensmyr MC. (2018) Wild African Drosophila melanogaster Are Seasonal Specialists on Marula Fruit. Current Biology, 28, 3960–3968, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2018.10.033.
• Rehermann G, Altesor P, McNeil NJ, González A. (2016) Conspecific females promote calling behaviour in the noctuid moth, Pseudaletia adultera. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, 159: 362-369. https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.12448.
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=cZAh1lgAAAAJ&hl=es