Kari Saikkonen
karisaik@utu.fi +358 40 668 3468 Vesilinnantie 5 Turku ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5203-9984 |
Education
Ph.D., University
of Turku, Finland, 1994
Previous work experience
Research professor, Natural Resources
Institute Finland, Luke, 2009 – 2018
Station Manager, Kevo Subarctic Research
Institute, University of Turku, 2007 – 2009
Research professor, MTT Agrifood Research
Finland, 2005 - 2007
Academy Research Fellow Post, Academy of
Finland, 2000 - 2005
Senior Researcher, University of Turku (funded
by Academy of Finland) 1997 – 2000
Post-doctoral research fellow, Department of Zoology,
Arizona State University, USA (funded by Maytag Foundation and Academy of
Finland), 1995 - 1997
My current research involves three main themes: (1) ecological
and evolutionary implications of genetic variation, species richness and
functional diversity of plants and associated
micro-fungi (incl. mycorrhizae, endophytes and pathogens) and herbivores, (2)
climate change -driven species’ range shifts, and (3) new solutions to
circumvent the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides in man-made environments.
- Endophytic Fungus Negatively Affects Salt Tolerance of Tall Fescue (2023)
- Journal of Fungi
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Epichloë Endophytes Shape the Foliar Endophytic Fungal Microbiome and Alter the Auxin and Salicylic Acid Phytohormone Levels in Two Meadow Fescue Cultivars (2023)
- Journal of Fungi
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Field-realistic acute exposure to glyphosate-based herbicide impairs fine-color discrimination in bumblebees (2023)
- Science of the Total Environment
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Glyphosate and a glyphosate-based herbicide affect bumblebee gut microbiota (2023)
- FEMS Microbiology Ecology
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Glyphosate-based herbicide use affects individual microbial taxa in strawberry endosphere but not the microbial community composition (2023)
- Journal of Applied Microbiology
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Herbicide residues in soil decrease microbe-mediated plant protection (2023)
- Plant Biology
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - A Glyphosate-Based Herbicide in Soil Differentially Affects Hormonal Homeostasis and Performance of Non-target Crop Plants (2022)
- Frontiers in Plant Science
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Dark septate endophytes: mutualism from by-products? (2022)
- Trends in Plant Science
(B1 Non-refereed article in a scientific journal) - Does Glyphosate Affect the Human Microbiota? (2022)
- Life
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Epichloë Endophyte-Promoted Seed Pathogen Increases Host Grass Resistance Against Insect Herbivory (2022)
- Frontiers in microbiology
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)



