Evaluating the potential of Phialophora spp. for the control of take-all disease in wheat
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Nottingham
Department Name: Sch of Biosciences
Abstract
Take-all disease, caused by the soil-borne ascomycete fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici (Ggt), is the most damaging root disease of wheat in the UK and worldwide. The fungus invades the roots and destroys the vascular tissue, hindering the plants ability to uptake water and nutrients from the soil. Closely related Phialophora fungal species occur naturally in arable and grassland soils and have considerable potential to suppress take-all disease and to help understand the response of wheat to non-pathogenic / endophytic and pathogenic root invading fungi. The main objective of this project is to understand and characterise the Phialophora-wheat interaction. The infection biology and molecular aspects occurring during root colonisation will be explored using in depth bioimaging analyses and comparative transcriptomic experiments while field trials and controlled environment experiments will be developed to characterise the ability of wheat varieties to sustain Phialophora populations.
Organisations
Description | BSPP Undergraduate Vacation Bursary Fund |
Amount | £3,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | The British Society of Plant Pathology |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 07/2019 |
End | 09/2019 |
Description | Rothamsted Festival of Ideas |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Rothamsted "Festival of Ideas" took place in June to celebrate the institute's 175th anniversary. This weekend was free and open to all, attracting over 8000 visitors over the course of the weekend. I was involved in the "Cereal Killers" stand, carrying out educational games for children and talking to members of the public about crop health. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.rothamsted.ac.uk/events/rothamsted-festival-ideas |
Description | Scientific talk at Cafe Scientifique, Harpenden |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | I gave a 10-minute presentation related to my project titled "The battle below ground: can we choose our winners?" at a Café Scientifique event in Harpenden. This event was open to the public and was attended by around 30 people from the local area. A question and answer session was very successful, with many audience members asking questions related to sustainable farming practices. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | http://cafescientifique.org/uk/harpenden |
Description | Women of the future event at JIC (Norwich) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Around 150 school-age girls attended an event at JIC (Norwich) aimed at inspiring the next generation of women to pursue a career in STEMM. I was involved in a speed-meet event where I was able to speak to students about my path into science. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.jic.ac.uk/training-careers/work-experience/women-of-the-future/ |