Understanding an exotic disease: Initiation of sex and infection by the sugarcane smut Ustilago scitaminea. Australian sugar exports generate almost $2 billion in annual sales, making the sugar industry a critical facet of the Australian economy. In 2006, Australia's primary sugar producing region came under threat when an outbreak of sugarcane smut caused by the fungus Ustilago scitaminea first appeared in Queensland. Management of this potentially devastating disease has focused on breeding pr ....Understanding an exotic disease: Initiation of sex and infection by the sugarcane smut Ustilago scitaminea. Australian sugar exports generate almost $2 billion in annual sales, making the sugar industry a critical facet of the Australian economy. In 2006, Australia's primary sugar producing region came under threat when an outbreak of sugarcane smut caused by the fungus Ustilago scitaminea first appeared in Queensland. Management of this potentially devastating disease has focused on breeding programmes aimed at developing resistant sugarcane cultivars, a complex process hampered by a lack of information about the mechanisms of smut resistance. Our research will provide key insight into the mechanisms by which U. scitaminea infects sugarcane, directing future breeding efforts and protecting this valuable industry against further outbreaks.Read moreRead less
Biogenesis of secretory organelles and the function of adhesins secreted during the establishment of plant disease. Many agriculturally important crops and Australian native plants are susceptible to diseases caused by species of Phytophthora, a fungus-like organism that lives in the soil. Economic losses due to Phytophthora diseases are estimated to exceed $200 million per annum and the scale of environmental damage in natural ecosystems is huge. Currently, control of Phytophthora diseases la ....Biogenesis of secretory organelles and the function of adhesins secreted during the establishment of plant disease. Many agriculturally important crops and Australian native plants are susceptible to diseases caused by species of Phytophthora, a fungus-like organism that lives in the soil. Economic losses due to Phytophthora diseases are estimated to exceed $200 million per annum and the scale of environmental damage in natural ecosystems is huge. Currently, control of Phytophthora diseases largely depends on a very small number of effective chemicals and there is an imminent risk of the development of pathogen resistance. This research will increase our understanding of how Phytophthora spores infect host plants and will identify suitable targets for the development of novel, environmentally safe chemicals that inhibit disease development.Read moreRead less
The effects of damage and repair of fungal DNA on animal and plant diseases. DNA damage and its repair are implicated in enhancing the ability of fungi to cause disease. These processes enable genomic changes that generate fungal strains better adapted to host colonisation. This project will identify factors that influence mutation, virulence and host adaptation in two model fungi that cause devastating diseases - a human pathogen, Cryptococcus neoformans, and a plant pathogen, Leptosphaeria mac ....The effects of damage and repair of fungal DNA on animal and plant diseases. DNA damage and its repair are implicated in enhancing the ability of fungi to cause disease. These processes enable genomic changes that generate fungal strains better adapted to host colonisation. This project will identify factors that influence mutation, virulence and host adaptation in two model fungi that cause devastating diseases - a human pathogen, Cryptococcus neoformans, and a plant pathogen, Leptosphaeria maculans. Since increases in global temperatures are expected to lead to emerging fungal diseases, understanding effects of damage and repair of fungal DNA on animal and plant diseases is key to designing disease control approaches.Read moreRead less