Robigalia Roundup XXX

Hello Robigalia Readers,

Welcome back to another week of Robigalia, and a big welcome to the over 100 new members since last week’s edition!

If you’re new here, Robigalia is your weekly roundup of the latest research, researchers, scholarships, and opportunities in plant pathology globally.

This week I want to start off by saying…

… thank you!

Thank you to everyone who responded to my call out for completing the survey last week! The survey will stay open so please let me know your thoughts on the newsletter content if you haven’t already.

I read through all of the survey results, and it will go directly toward shaping the future content of the newsletter.

Now onto this week’s newsletter…

This week, I highlight several studies on the bacterial leaf pathogen causing bacterial spot of tomato, one of which is led by our very own Robigalia member, Ketsira Pierre.

I also introduce José E. Solórzano, a PhD student from the University of Minnesota researching the biology of the causal agent of tar spot on corn.

There are several new job opportunities listed, so make sure you’re a subscriber access the latest opportunities and events.

Weekly Plant Pathology Highlights

• Potential of the Small Molecules Piperidine and Pyrrolidine Against Copper-Resistant Xanthomonas perforans, Causal Agent of Bacterial Spot of Tomato
  

• Diversification of an emerging bacterial plant pathogen; insights into the global spread of Xanthomonas euvesicatoria pv. perforans
  

• Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci 6605 Requires Seven Type III Effectors to Infect Nicotiana benthamiana
  

• Mating Type Gene Divergence is Associated with Life Cycle Differentiation in Scots Pine Blister Rust

Research Student of the Week

⭐ Meet José E. Solórzano ⭐

This week, I'm happy to introduce José E. Solórzano, a PhD student at the University of Minnesota researching Phyllachora maydis, the causal agent of tar spot on corn.

José's passion for plant pathology started during his childhood. Always curious, he wanted to understand things in detail, especially diseases that affected the corn he and his father cultivated. Learning more about plants and fungi over time, he took his first plant pathology class in college. At the time he didn't think plant pathology would be his future, but that changed in 2017 when he completed an internship at Louisiana State University. There, he was introduced to plant pathology through mycology and impressive scientists, which inspired him to pursue his career in the discipline.

In his PhD, José is investigating the biology of P. maydis and the environmental conditions that favour disease development. He is also investigating the interaction of the pathogen with various other plant species. His research has resulted in the development of a diagnostics and methods guide in English and Spanish to facilitate the study of tar spot of corn. He has also designed novel methods to study tar spot in controlled and field environments.

José's long-term goal is to become a global plant pathology leader. He believes a desire for continuous learning and mentoring are key to achieving this goal, along with an ability to explain and develop ideas to understand events that impact plant health.

For fellow plant pathology students, his advice is to practice your communication skills and ask for feedback. He also believes in dedicating time to learn those things that interest you and taking the time to teach them to others. This is something that José also practices outside of his research role by teaching people to play soccer who have never played before!

If you want to find out more about José’s research, you can reach him via LinkedIn or post your questions in the comments.

Scholarships and Jobs

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