Overview
Our research group is interested in the molecular biology, development and pathogenicity of filamentous fungi that infect plants. We are currently focussing our attention on Blumeria graminis, the fungus that causes powdery mildew on barley and wheat.
Barley powdery mildew
The BBSRC funded the whole genome sequencing of the barley pathogen B. graminis f sp hordei. In collaboration with colleagues world-wide, we published the first results in 2010 (Spanu et al, 2010) and a further, in-depth analysis, of the genes encoding effectors of pathogenicity (Pedersen, et al 2012).
Our group’s current focus is on the functional characterisation of powdery mildew effectors and the understanding of the how these effectors work in modulating the host’s immunity and metabolism (Bindschedler et al 2009, 2011; Pliego et al, 2013; Pennington etc al 2019; Przydacz et al 2020).
The most recent developments of our research has been in exploring the role of smallRNA in signalling between pathogenic fungi and their plant hosts. This work is currently ongoing.
Collaborators
Prof Roger P Wise, USDA, Ames, Iowa, Powdery Mildew Effector Biology
Prof Adam Bogdanove, USDA, Ames, Iowa, Powdery Mildew Effector Biology
Dr Donal O'Sullivan, National Insititute of Agriculture Botany (NIAB), Cambridge, Powdery Mildew Effector Biology
Prof Hans Thordal-Christensen, University of Copenhagen, Powdery Mildew Effector Biology
Prof MH Lebrun, Institute National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris, Powdery Mildew Genomics
Prof Beat Keller, University of Zurich, Powdery Mildew Genomics
Prof Patrick Schweizer, IPK- Gatersleben, Germany, Powdery Mildew Effector Biology
Prof Ralph Panstruga, RWTH Aachen University, Genomics of powdery mildews and powdery mildew effectors
Prof JK Brown, John Innes Centre, Norwich, Powdery Mildew Genomics
Prof Paul Schulze Lefert, Max-Planck Institute for Plant Breeding, Cologne, Powdery Mildew Genomics
Guest Lectures
RNAse-Like Proteins associated with Haustoria: Pathogen effectors central to plant immunomodulation, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany, 2013
The blumeria Genome: how a long and intimate association with a plant host moulded the mildew’s genes, XVI Congreso Nacional de la SEF September 2012, Malaga, Spanin, 2012
Messages from powdery mildew DNA: how interplay with the host moulds the pathogen genomes, 13th ICRPMC, Beijing, China, 2012
Messages from powdery mildew DNA: how interplay with the host moulds the pathogen genomes, IS-MPMI 2012 XV International Congress, Kyoto, Japan, 2012
Research Student Supervision
Bonciani,G, Population biology and microevolution of Powdery Mildew effectors
Pennington,H, The interactors of the powdery mildew effector BEC1054