Robigalia Roundup #20

Hello Robigalia Reader and welcome to another week of Robigalia! If you’re new here, Robigalia is your weekly roundup of the latest research, researchers, scholarships, and opportunities in plant pathology globally.

This week, we learn about foliar pathogens from different kingdoms which have common effectors, and we introduce a recent PhD graduate working on plant viruses. We also have four new jobs listed, and other opportunities. As always, Robigalia subscribers can access my online database with summaries of Robigalia featured articles.

Keep reading for the latest updates!

Weekly Plant Pathology Highlights

• Boosting disease resistance in Solanum melongena L. (eggplant) against Alternaria solani: the synergistic effect of biocontrol Acinetobacter sp. and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)
  

• CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing reveals that the Pgs gene of Fusarium circinatum is involved in pathogenicity, growth and sporulation
  

• Foliar Pine Pathogens From Different Kingdoms Share Defence-Eliciting Effector Proteins
  

• Brown Spot of Rice: Worldwide Disease Impact, Phenotypic and Genetic Diversity of the Causal Pathogen Bipolaris oryzae, and Management of the Disease

Research Student of the Week

⭐ Meet Marzieh Shamshiri ⭐

Marzieh (Asal) Shamshiri is a PhD graduate from Tarbiat Modares University. Her academic journey began with her master's degree research on viruses from the Geminiviridae family, which are characterised by their DNA genomes. As part of her doctoral studies, she investigated the effects of plant viruses on the secondary metabolites of medicinal plants, such as saffron. Her work also included exploring the saffron transcriptome to uncover its virome.

Marzieh's current research examines the diversity of plant pathogens and their mechanisms of pathogenicity. This study aims to enhance our understanding of how pathogens interact with their hosts and to develop effective strategies for disease management.

Marzieh has already accomplished significant milestones during her academic career. She successfully created an infectious clone of a Geminiviridae virus and identified new viruses in medicinal plants. Her research has explored how viruses influence these plants' morphology, physiology, and vital metabolites. Additionally, she has made promising advancements in plant tissue culture, with exciting developments on the horizon.

A source of motivation for Marzieh is her six-year-old son, Homayoun, who has been a huge supporter throughout her journey. A particularly memorable moment occurred after her doctoral defence when Homayoun presented her with a flower and proudly declared, "Mum, I am proud of you." This touching gesture continues to inspire her both personally and professionally.

Marzieh encourages fellow students in plant pathology to actively participate in conferences and workshops. She highlights these opportunities as invaluable for networking and learning from others' experiences in the field.

If you want to find out more about Marzieh’s research, you can reach her via LinkedIn.

🌟 Want to feature your research? Fill out the EOI to feature in Robigalia 🌟 

PhD Scholarships and Jobs

New opportunities below are indicated by two asterisks at the start of the entry **

PhD/Masters Scholarships

• ** Apply for a scholarship at The Sainsbury Laboratory for a one-year taught MSc in Global Plant Health

• PhD in plant virology with the Mehta lab

• Bidirectional mobile sRNA signalling in pea-downy mildew interactions, University of Worcester (Open year-round)

• Chemical warfare in the rhizosphere: unpicking the defensive role of plant root exudates against the bacterial pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum, University of York (Closing 14th March)

• Primed for Protection: Cell Wall Modifications in Plant Defense and Long-Term Immunity, University of Sheffield (Closes 14th March)

Jobs

• ** The CCDM at Curtin University are seeking a Research Associate/Fellow to help tackle powdery mildew in wheat (closes 27th March)

• ** 2-year postdoc position in fruit pathology, with a mixture of field trials and basic molecular mycology in Windsor, CT (no close date listed)

• ** Short term postdoctoral position in epidemiological modelling of plant disease at INRAE (Open until filled)

• ** Predoctoral Internship Nobori Lab, UK focussing on plant immunity research at single-cell & spatial resolution (Closing from 25th April)

• The Eskalen lab is seeking a qualified (junior) candidate to assist with field fungicide spray trials across California

• Postdoctoral Researcher Position at UC Davis in the Melotto Lab

• Assistant or Associate Professor and Extension Specialist - Ornamental Plant Pathology (No closing date listed)

• Coming soon: Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Molecular diagnostics at University of Canberra

• Research Assistant in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

• Research Assistant Professor in mycotoxin fungal biology in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana (Open until position is filled)

• The Plant Pathology Department at the University of Florida is advertising for a Assistant or Associate Professor in Plant Pathology (Open until position filled)

Other News and Opportunities

New opportunities below are indicated by two asterisks at the start of the entry **

• ** Register for Plant Pathology 2025 and Early Careers Plant Pathology 2025, the main annual meetings of the British Society for Plant Pathology.

• ** Register for the 20th Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions at the Confex Conference and Exhibition Centre at Koelnmesse, in Cologne, Germany​

• ** Save the date for the Australasian myrtle rust conference happening 16th - 17th June 2025 in Auckland, NZ

• Submit your abstract and be part of the EMBO | EMBL Symposium "Infection: pathogens, hosts, and microbiomes. You have until 3 March!

• 40 travel awards will be awarded to eligible APS Student Members to support their attendance to present their research at Plant Health 2025 in Hawaii (Closing 28th March)

•  The Art in Phytopathology competition is BACK! This is your chance to showcase your passion for plant diseases through your artistic talents (Closes 1st April)

• Fungal Pathogens: Emerging Threats and Future Challenges, Jan 12–15, 2026, Breckenridge, CO, United States

• Apply to attend the 17th International Cereal Rusts and Powdery Mildews Conference in Vancouver which offers opportunities for early-career researchers to share their research with the agricultural community

• Register for the 8th International Workshop on Resistance Mechanisms and Breeding in forest trees in Canada, June 1-6, 2025

• Abstracts are open for the 25th Australasian Plant Pathology Society conference in Sydney in May 2025. They are also offering bursaries for ECRs!

• Submit your abstracts by 31st March for the Congress of the Mediterranean Phytopathological Union happening July 6 - 10th in Italy

• Register your interest for the 17th Australasian Plant Breeding Conference in Sydney in June 2025

Meme of the week

Before you go…

• Like or didn’t like this newsletter format? Let me know if the comments!

• Think a friend (or two) could benefit from reading? I’d love it if you could share this link with them.

Until next week,

Alyssa