New bioinformatics tools for novel fungicide target discovery

The world's population is ever-expanding and it is estimated that the global population will reach 9 billion by the year 2050. As a consequence, global food production needs to increase year on year in order to meet rising demand. So far, we are matching global food demand with more efficient farming techniques, high yield crops and modern pesticides. However, there are a number of significant threats to global food security that include: water crises, political instability, climate change and, the focus of this project, plant pathogens.

Pests and pathogens are one of the greatest threats to food security, with fungi responsible for the loss of more than 125 million tons of crops each year. One particular fungus, the blast fungus, is responsible for significant losses of rice and wheat. Given the fungus' ability to cause massive losses, infect multiple crops and rapidly switch hosts, it is widely regarded as the most important fungal plant pathogen and a major focus for scientific research. To protect crops, we need to understand how this pathogen causes disease and identify the key genes that will act as targets for new fungicides that will protect crops and improve global food security.

Recent advances in the collection of biological data mean that we have an abundance of gene sequences and information about when genes are turned on and off for the blast fungus. However, we lack the computational tools needed to analyse these data and enable greater understanding of how the fungus causes disease. In my research, I will develop new computational tools to take advantage of the abundance of biological data, understand how the blast fungus causes disease and identify genes that may act as targets for new fungicides. Importantly, this proposal will leave a legacy of new computational tools that can be applied to many pathogens that impact food security, human health and the economy.

My research has the potential to benefit and impact upon a diverse range of both scientific and non-scientific audiences over the short (1-3 years), medium (3-6 years) and long-term (>6 years). This impact summary contains the details of who will benefit from my Interface Innovation Fellowship and how they will do so.

In the short-term (1-3 years):
(i) Training and skills. My research team will benefit through the launch of my new interdisciplinary research laboratory, which will integrate computational techniques with experimental methods. These young scientists will receive training in computational and experimental techniques that will ensure they are employable in both academia and industry.

(ii) Increasing research power of developing countries. The international scientific community, particularly in developing countries, will benefit from this work. By sharing methods, data and results these researchers will be able to increase their computational research capacity to study agriculture and food security challenges in low and/or middle-income countries affected by a variety of fungal plant pathogens. This increased research capacity may lead to quicker identification of plant pathogens and new solutions to food security challenges that will ultimately impact the populations of these countries through increased food security.

(iii) Industry collaboration. From day one of the fellowship I will work with Dr Mike Csukai, Senior Technical Expert at Syngenta. This close collaboration with an industry partner will ensure that I am able to produce tools that will fit the industry R&D environment and will be useful for Syngenta to identify potential targets for new fungicides.

(iv) Translating research on fungal plant pathogens. The broader plant pathology community in both academia and industry, studying a variety of pathogens, will benefit from my fellowship through the release of software, my results and through the organisation of 'hot-topic' workshops. These workshops, which will include talks from both industry and academia, will aim to (1) disseminate computational methods, (2) discuss and develop the upcoming and important themes in the area and (3) initiate new collaborations between academia and industry.

(v) Public engagement and food security. The public will benefit from my project with the opportunity to attend events with the theme of 'Cereal Killers: understanding plant pathogens and global food security'. The event will contribute to the public awareness and understanding of science and in particular my pioneering computational approach to the study of plant pathogens. Additionally, this work will increase the public's awareness of threats to global food security.

In the medium-term (3-6 years):
My work will have benefits to agrochemical companies interested in developing new fungicides. These companies, including my current industry collaborator Syngenta, will be able to use the methods developed in my fellowship to identify pathways and genes that may act as new fungicide targets for other fungal pathogen species resulting in new products. The work, therefore, has the potential to attract R&D investment as well as the commercialisation and exploitation of scientific knowledge generated during my fellowship. Ultimately, new products will enable economic impact to UK industry and increased food security will lead to societal impact for populations benefitting from better safeguarding of crops.

Long-term (>8 years):
My work will produce tools for pathway and target identification that will be used to study a wide range of pathogenic systems including fungal and bacterial pathogens of plants, animals and humans. As such my work will impact wider industry collaborators such as pharmaceutical companies. These companies will be able to use the methods developed during my fellowship to identify targets that may lead to new drug treatments for diseases that threaten our health and economy.