Investigating a new paradigm for plant-pathogen interactions; Identification of host-selective toxin proteins in the wheat pathogen Stagonospora nodorum. Stagonospora nodorum is a fungus that causes leaf and glume blotch disease on wheat. This disease alone causes $55 million dollars in yield losses per annum. Traditional breeding methods have yielded crops that are only mildly resistant leaving control of the disease to be worryingly reliant on fungicides. This project aims to identify and char ....Investigating a new paradigm for plant-pathogen interactions; Identification of host-selective toxin proteins in the wheat pathogen Stagonospora nodorum. Stagonospora nodorum is a fungus that causes leaf and glume blotch disease on wheat. This disease alone causes $55 million dollars in yield losses per annum. Traditional breeding methods have yielded crops that are only mildly resistant leaving control of the disease to be worryingly reliant on fungicides. This project aims to identify and characterise proteins that the fungus secretes to cause disease on wheat. By identifying these proteins, it is anticipated that strategies, both traditional and modern, could be employed to enable better control of the disease. This in turn would help provide a long term and secure supply of wheat and wheat based products to the community.Read moreRead less
Functional characterisation of the necrotrophic effector proteins Tox1 and Tox3 from the wheat pathogen Stagonospora nodorum. Fungal pathogens cost the Australian agricultural industry over one billion dollars per year. This project will build upon recent key advances to provide a fundamental basis on how fungal pathogens cause disease. The results from this study will promote future advances in disease management with the aim of securing Australian wheat supplies.
Isolation and functional characterisation of a pathogen meta effector able to inhibit detection of multiple disease effectors by resistant plants. The rust fungi are a major economic threat to crop production in Australia. This project will investigate the molecular mechanism used by a rust fungus to prevent detection of multiple disease-inducing proteins by resistant plants and generate knowledge that will lead to the development of new and more effective disease control strategies.
The identification of Mycosphaerella graminicola effectors that promote pathogenicity on wheat. Fungal diseases are one of the greatest challenges to sustainable wheat production in the 21st century. Septoria tritici blotch is one such disease as it inflicts millions of tonnes in yield losses per annum. This project will identify the molecular basis of Septoria tritici blotch and assess its potential as an Australian biosecurity threat.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101292
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Plant immune receptors: what are the first steps that trigger defence signalling? Plant immune receptors that confer resistance to infectious disease will be investigated at a molecular level. The outcomes of this study will influence the development of new strategies to protect Australian crops from destructive disease and reduce the use of pesticides.
ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology. We propose a novel approach to improve sustainable yield by optimising the overall efficiency of energy capture, conversion and use by plants. Efficiency gains in metabolism, transport, and development will be more effective than optimising single nutrient inputs or product outputs. Improving multiple parameters simultaneously is a necessary solution to the increasing demand for more crop yield from finite land, water, and nutrient resources. Unp ....ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology. We propose a novel approach to improve sustainable yield by optimising the overall efficiency of energy capture, conversion and use by plants. Efficiency gains in metabolism, transport, and development will be more effective than optimising single nutrient inputs or product outputs. Improving multiple parameters simultaneously is a necessary solution to the increasing demand for more crop yield from finite land, water, and nutrient resources. Unpredictable environmental challenges adversely affect plant growth and further perturb plant energy balance, limiting yield. The epigenetic controls, gene variants and signals discovered will provide a new basis for sustainable productivity of crops and will future-proof plants in changing climates.Read moreRead less
Molecular basis of rust infection and host plant resistance. Plant diseases threaten agricultural productivity in Australia, with rust fungi being a major problem for cereal grain production. This project will investigate molecular processes underlying the infection of plants by rust fungi and will provide basic knowledge for development of novel and durable disease resistance strategies.
Unlocking secrets of fertility restoration for hybrid breeding in crops. Hybrid varieties give higher and more stable yields than conventional lines, but a cost-effective system to make hybrid seed on a commercial scale is still missing for economically important crops like wheat or barley. By elucidating the mode of action of a new type of restorer gene plus exploiting ancient or exotic wheat and barley collections this project will reveal aspects of largely understudied mechanisms underlying f ....Unlocking secrets of fertility restoration for hybrid breeding in crops. Hybrid varieties give higher and more stable yields than conventional lines, but a cost-effective system to make hybrid seed on a commercial scale is still missing for economically important crops like wheat or barley. By elucidating the mode of action of a new type of restorer gene plus exploiting ancient or exotic wheat and barley collections this project will reveal aspects of largely understudied mechanisms underlying fertility restoration in wheat and barley. The expected outcomes of the proposed research have the potential to deliver new tools for hybrid seed production programs in wheat and barley. Higher and more stable yields from hybrids will ensure food security in the face of an uncertain climate and growing human population.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100893
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$364,000.00
Summary
How do effector proteins from necrotrophic fungi cause disease in plants? This project aims to develop new knowledge to support the development of strategies to protect wheat from necrotrophic fungi. Crop losses caused by plant diseases are a significant economic, environmental and social challenge in a world facing increased demands on food, fibre and biofuels. Parastagonospora nodorum is an economically important necrotrophic fungal pathogen of wheat. During infection, P. nodorum uses effector ....How do effector proteins from necrotrophic fungi cause disease in plants? This project aims to develop new knowledge to support the development of strategies to protect wheat from necrotrophic fungi. Crop losses caused by plant diseases are a significant economic, environmental and social challenge in a world facing increased demands on food, fibre and biofuels. Parastagonospora nodorum is an economically important necrotrophic fungal pathogen of wheat. During infection, P. nodorum uses effector proteins to target sensitivity gene products in wheat. This process, known as necrotrophic effector-triggered susceptibility, results in plant cell death and disease. This project aims to investigate the structural basis of necrotrophic effector-triggered susceptibility in the P. nodorum – wheat pathosystem.Read moreRead less
What is the function of gamma-aminobutyric acid-gated anion channels in plants? The project will identify the molecular basis of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) signalling in plants. This is significant because GABA regulates proteins that release molecules involved in root-soil interactions, growth, and fertilisation. The project's discoveries will allow improvement of these agronomic traits that ultimately determine crop yield.