A three-way dialogue with TSL's new group leader, Aileen Berasategui
Aileen Berasategui established her group at TSL in February 2026, marking the start of an exciting research endeavour with new questions about beetles, fungi and plants.
Originally from Spain, Aileen joined us from the Netherlands where she was an Assistant Professor in Ecology and Evolution at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Over these busy six months, her group has settled down in Norwich and their beetles are now happy in the insectary. The Aileen Berasategui group has also grown to welcome five members.
A three-way dialogue
Aileen is intrigued by how certain phytopathogenic fungi can also act as allies to insects, and she wants to uncover the molecular mechanisms that enable them to switch between these roles.
The new Berasategui group is mapping the molecular dialogue between fungi, insects, and plants and identify the genes, pathways, and metabolites that allow a fungal strain to support its insect host while retaining the ability to infect plant tissue.
They use a combination of comparative genomics, functional assays and metabolomics to link molecular traits to ecological outcomes and explore the evolutionary plasticity of symbioses. These insights will have broad relevance for sustainable pest and disease management.
An exciting new start
Aileen and her partner, Hassan Salem - who joined our neighbouring institute, the John Innes Centre, as a group leader - were featured as a case study for Work in Norwich, a non-profit that showcases people who choose to come live in our fine city.
We hope Aileen and Hassan feel right at home in Norwich, and also find time to explore our beautiful countryside and coast.
