Minding the gap: Fusarium graminearum navigation through restricted cellspace

Multiple factors, including climatic, environmental, legislative and societal changes, have led to the evolution of problematic plant pathogens that are collectively responsible for annual losses of ~15% of total crop yield globally and are a serious threat to global food security.  Major threats include Fusarium head blight (FHB)/scab disease of wheat caused by cereal-infecting Fusaria fungi including F. graminearum (Fg) (www.scabusa.org) (Fig.1(a)) and Zymoseptoria tritici (Zt) infection of foliar tissues (Figueroa et al.,2018). Understanding how these two filamentous ascomycete fungal pathogens colonise host tissue is essential for identifying effective control mechanisms. 

The main scientific aim of this PhD project is to investigate both the cellular and molecular signalling mechanisms required for the traversing of Fg hyphae through the plasmodesmata in plant cell walls (Fig. 1(b&c)), a crucial phase in the infection process (Brown et al.,2010; Brown et al.,2017; Armer et al.,2024). To achieve this the student will learn how to use a range of existing tools (fungal reporter and singe gene deletion strains), established techniques (dual wheat-Fg RNA-seq analyses, light/confocal microscopy) and emerging technologies (microfluidics chips; Yanagisawa et al.,2021).The student will also be trained to quantify and mathematically model the in vitro growth of Fg strains on a microfluidics chip and in vivo data from Fg-wheat image datasets acquired from detailed microscopy studies. 

The student will spend the 1st rotation at the University of Exeter (UoE) undertaking specific taught courses and initial research training in pathology using Zt and microfluidics. Subsequently, the student will transfer full time to Rothamsted Research (RRes). The advisory team includes Dr Deeks, Dr Eyles/nee Fones (UoE), Dr Richards (UoE), Dr Faulkner (John Innes Centre), Dr Kurup (RRes), and Dr Kim Hammond-Kosack (RRes; main supervisor). The student will have access to world class research facilities and will receive outstanding interdisciplinary training.  

The student will also receive training in how to give oral/poster presentations at laboratory meetings, workshops, national/international conferences, write a scientific paper for peer review and will take part in suitable public outreach events, for example The British Festival of Science. Currently, Rothamsted Research has ~40 full time PhD students registered at various UK universities and these participate and help to organise the annual PhD student symposium. Students are also encouraged to take part in the BBSRC Biotechnology YES competition and to both devise and supervise summer undergraduate research projects.