Understanding disease resistance gene evolution across the Brassicaceae. Pan genomes represent the diversity of a species, including structural and sequence variation, which cannot be provided by a reference genome alone. In this project we will characterise resistance gene diversity across the Brassicaceae pan genomes. Through comparison with resistance gene diversity in cultivated Brassica species we will understand selection underlying resistance gene evolution in wild species and subsequent ....Understanding disease resistance gene evolution across the Brassicaceae. Pan genomes represent the diversity of a species, including structural and sequence variation, which cannot be provided by a reference genome alone. In this project we will characterise resistance gene diversity across the Brassicaceae pan genomes. Through comparison with resistance gene diversity in cultivated Brassica species we will understand selection underlying resistance gene evolution in wild species and subsequent domestication and breeding. Knowledge on how variation affects disease susceptibility, especially to the devastating fungal pathogen blackleg, and contributes to phenotypic variation, will lead to improved plant protection strategies and increased crop resilience.Read moreRead less
The roles of pathogen effectors in promoting rust diseases of plants. Rust diseases threaten global food security. This cross-institutional project aims to discover how proteins secreted by rust fungi promote disease following their translocation into plant cells. It will use the interaction between flax and the flax rust fungus as a powerful model system to test the hypothesis that manipulation of host RNA metabolism is a fundamental mechanism underpinning rust pathogenesis. This research is in ....The roles of pathogen effectors in promoting rust diseases of plants. Rust diseases threaten global food security. This cross-institutional project aims to discover how proteins secreted by rust fungi promote disease following their translocation into plant cells. It will use the interaction between flax and the flax rust fungus as a powerful model system to test the hypothesis that manipulation of host RNA metabolism is a fundamental mechanism underpinning rust pathogenesis. This research is intended to dramatically improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms used by rust fungi to establish infection. The knowledge gained is expected to facilitate the development of new strategies for rust disease management in food crops by identifying pathogenic processes that can be targeted for intervention.Read moreRead less
Molecular basis for susceptibility and immunity to Fusarium wilt disease. Fusarium wilt is a devastating disease of many important crop plants, including banana, cotton and tomato. There are significant gaps in our understanding of this disease that need to be addressed to enable better disease management. This project aims to identify and analyse tomato proteins targeted by Fusarium effector proteins (virulence factors), determine how corresponding tomato receptors (resistance proteins) recogni ....Molecular basis for susceptibility and immunity to Fusarium wilt disease. Fusarium wilt is a devastating disease of many important crop plants, including banana, cotton and tomato. There are significant gaps in our understanding of this disease that need to be addressed to enable better disease management. This project aims to identify and analyse tomato proteins targeted by Fusarium effector proteins (virulence factors), determine how corresponding tomato receptors (resistance proteins) recognise these effectors, and identify the signalling pathways and critical defence responses activated by these receptors. The intention is to close the gaps in our understanding and use the knowledge gained to develop new strategies for disease control by interfering with fungal pathogenicity and enhancing plant resistance.Read moreRead less
Fungal Ribosomally Synthesised and Post-translationally Modified Peptides. Fungi produce an array of molecules called secondary metabolites (SMs) that impact on everyday life (e.g. penicillin). This project aims to investigate a new class of fungal peptide SMs called RiPPs which are structurally unique from existing molecules and offer the exciting prospect of harbouring new and novel biological activities. This project expects to discover the mechanisms of RiPP synthesis and their biological ro ....Fungal Ribosomally Synthesised and Post-translationally Modified Peptides. Fungi produce an array of molecules called secondary metabolites (SMs) that impact on everyday life (e.g. penicillin). This project aims to investigate a new class of fungal peptide SMs called RiPPs which are structurally unique from existing molecules and offer the exciting prospect of harbouring new and novel biological activities. This project expects to discover the mechanisms of RiPP synthesis and their biological roles in plant pathogenic fungi, and uncover and engineer novel RiPPs with desired bioactivities. The expected outcome from this project will be a seminal advance in fungal SM biology which should provide significant benefits through the generation of exciting new lead molecules for the agricultural and medical industries.Read moreRead less
Cereals and rusts: molecular interactions for plant defence, food security. This project aims to discover the fundamental molecular interactions between proteases and protease inhibitors that occur in the ongoing conflict between cereals and their rust fungal pathogens. The research combines plant pathology, genomics and functional proteomics, and is enabled by a rapidly developing experimental approach known as activity-based protein profiling. The knowledge and outcomes potentially benefit pl ....Cereals and rusts: molecular interactions for plant defence, food security. This project aims to discover the fundamental molecular interactions between proteases and protease inhibitors that occur in the ongoing conflict between cereals and their rust fungal pathogens. The research combines plant pathology, genomics and functional proteomics, and is enabled by a rapidly developing experimental approach known as activity-based protein profiling. The knowledge and outcomes potentially benefit plant breeders through significantly improved resistance of cereals to rust diseases in Australia and overseas, thereby enhancing global food security.Read moreRead less
My enemy’s enemy is my friend: The genetics of major plant pathogen killers. Fungi are devastating agents of crop diseases. These plant pathogens, in turn, are often parasitized by other fungi in the field. The project will focus on such interactions between powdery mildews, important pathogens of many crops and wild plants, and their common fungal parasites (Ampelomyces spp.) that have already been utilised as
biocontrol agents in crop protection. Genetic and genomic tools will be used to deter ....My enemy’s enemy is my friend: The genetics of major plant pathogen killers. Fungi are devastating agents of crop diseases. These plant pathogens, in turn, are often parasitized by other fungi in the field. The project will focus on such interactions between powdery mildews, important pathogens of many crops and wild plants, and their common fungal parasites (Ampelomyces spp.) that have already been utilised as
biocontrol agents in crop protection. Genetic and genomic tools will be used to determine if these parasites evolved by switching host from plants to plant pathogens. The project has the potential to make a ground-breaking discovery in this field, and also establish the starting point for new innovative methods to protect a wide diversity
of crops using these fungi or specific compounds derived from them.Read moreRead less
Control of sucrose source/sink status by the plant immune system. This project aims to investigate the roles of plant malectin receptor kinases in pathogen recognition and response. The project will utilise molecular and cell biological tools to detect complex formation and changes in sugar import into cells. Expected outcomes of this project include a better understanding of how pathogens manipulate plant cells to their benefit, and greater knowledge of which host molecules participate in this ....Control of sucrose source/sink status by the plant immune system. This project aims to investigate the roles of plant malectin receptor kinases in pathogen recognition and response. The project will utilise molecular and cell biological tools to detect complex formation and changes in sugar import into cells. Expected outcomes of this project include a better understanding of how pathogens manipulate plant cells to their benefit, and greater knowledge of which host molecules participate in this process. This should provide significant benefits such as a new theoretical basis to engineer crop plants for resistance against devastating diseases.Read moreRead less