Plant nematode-interactions: parasitism and defence
Discover how parasitic nematodes affect cereal plant roots and exactly which genes help the plants fight back.
Migratory nematodes, like this root lesion nematode, tunnel through cells in the root cortex
Plant parasitic nematodes cause significant yield losses in agriculture.
We have mapped barley and wheat genes for nematode resistance and developed new ways to look inside infected roots. Now we want to discover exactly how the nematodes affect the roots and exactly which genes help the plants fight back.
Depending on your interests (e.g., genetics, biotechnology and/or plant pathology) we can work with you to design a project in which you can help solve some of the remaining mysteries about an important host-parasite system.
You will learn to formulate hypotheses and design experiments to test them and you will gain experience in the research methods used in plant genetics, biotechnology and pathology.
In our lab, students can learn to use robots to analyse plant DNA.
Key references
- Levin, K.A., Tucker, M.R., Bird, D.M., & Mather, D.E. (2020) Infection by cyst nematodes induces rapid remodelling of developing xylem vessels in wheat roots. Scientific Reports
- Van Gansbeke, B, Khoo, K.H.P., Lewis, J.G., Chalmers, K.J., & Mather, D.E. (2019) Fine mapping of Rha2 in barley reveals candidate genes for resistance against cereal cyst nematode. Theoretical and Applied Genetics
- Levin, K. A., Tucker, M. R., Strock, C. F., Lynch, J. P., & Mather, D. E. (2021). Three-dimensional imaging reveals that positions of cyst nematode feeding sites relative to xylem vessels differ between susceptible and resistant wheat. Plant Cell Reports, 40(2), 393-403.
Supervisor
Research area: plant genetics, genomics and breeding.
Recommended honours enrolment: Honours in Plant Science.