Welcome to another edition of the Robigalia Roundup!
If you’re new here, Robigalia is your weekly roundup of the latest research, researchers, scholarships, and opportunities in plant pathology globally. Make sure you’re a subscriber to have these opportunities and events delivered directly to your inbox every Monday.
NOTES FROM THE HOST
Hello {{first_name | Robigalia readers}},
I’m back this week with more updates from our recent trip to Europe.
During our time in Udine in northern Italy, we took the opportunity to hike to the top of Mount Matajur, a 1,641-meter mountain in the Julian Alps (Prealpi Giulie) on the border between Italy and Slovenia.
We were treated to eerie fog throughout most of the hike and stumbled across numerous poisonous plants, including the beautiful purple flowers of the deadly Aconitum.
Monte Matajur Highlights
No hike would be complete without a hunt for plant pathogens. Having recently completed my PhD on host resistance to Austropuccinia psidii, naturally, I was on the hunt for rust fungi!
Early in the hike, there were some telltale signs of raspberry rust (Phragmidium rubi-idaei) infection on Rubus idaeus, such as chlorotic lesions, but very few pustules.
Aside from the pathogens and plants, there were plenty of mushrooms emerging! I will share some fungi updates from our hike through the Val Grande National Park in the next edition.
Enough from me, onto this week’s edition:
I share some recent publications on rust fungi, including a paper from our Robigalia subscriber Jovarn Sullivan, who has been investigating effectors of A. psidii
I introduce a PhD student from the University of Georgia
I list 14 new jobs and a new event
Let’s dive in!
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RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Progress on rust fungi
Jovarn V. Sullivan et al., Expression and purification of Austropuccinia psidii effector proteins in Escherichia coli
Qinfang Zhang et al., Unveiling new species of Phragmidiaceae (Basidiomycota, Pucciniales) on rosaceous plants from Guizhou, China
Junchi Zhao et al., Antifungal activity and function mechanisms of chitooligosaccharide against Gymnosporangium pleoporum, the pathogen causing rust in Juniperus przewalskii
RESEARCH STUDENT OF THE WEEK
Meet Alexi Dong
This week, I’m very happy to introduce Alexi Dong, a PhD researcher from the University of Georgia in the Wild Peanut Lab.
Alexi’s passion for plant pathology was sparked by her experiences in science fairs, which began when she started competing in the 3rd grade. In high school, she worked in a research lab under a plant geneticist from the USDA-ARS during the district science fair. This was her first hands-on experience in a plant science lab and it solidified her decision to pursue a career in this field.
Alexi feeding birds at the Byodo-In Temple in Ahuimanu after the 2025 APS Plant Health conference
Now in her PhD, her research has two primary objectives: first, to identify novel sources of resistance to Early Leaf Spot (ELS) caused by Passalora arachidicola within wild peanut species, which could be introgressed into cultivated lines to create resistant cultivars; and second, to gain a deeper understanding of the pathogen itself. Specifically, she aims to investigate the population structure and diversity of P. arachidicola in the southern United States.
Looking ahead, Alexi’s career aspirations are focused on mentoring students and nurturing a passion for science. Alexi strives to communicate the importance of plant pathology and inspire an appreciation for its profound impact. Through her work, she hopes to motivate and empower the next generation of scientists.
Don’t be afraid to take on leadership roles during your program—it will foster personal and professional development and help you grow as both a scientist and an individual
Her advice to fellow students in plant pathology is: “to get involved—both at the university and at professional levels. I’ve had the privilege of serving on my department’s graduate student association for two terms, co-chairing a symposium series at the University of Georgia, and participating in several committees for the American Phytopathological Society (APS). These experiences have been instrumental in my growth as a leader and researcher, and they’ve allowed me to build invaluable connections. Don’t be afraid to take on leadership roles during your program—it will foster personal and professional development and help you grow as both a scientist and an individual.”
Beyond her studies, Alexi recently learned how to crochet! Graduate school can be overwhelming at times, so she decided to develop this creative skill as a way to take a break from her research. She’s absolutely fallen in love with it, especially crocheting stuffed animals—dinosaurs, in particular and has created an Instagram account (@threadsandmisses) to document her progress and showcase some of her favourite projects.
You can reach out to Alexi on LinkedIn to find out more about her research and creative adventures!
OPPORTUNITIES AND EVENTS
New plant pathology opportunities are listed below. For the full list of live opportunities and events, head to my Opportunities and Events Board using the buttons below.
New PhD/Master’s Scholarships
No new opportunities listed, open opportunities can be found on the scholarships board 👇
New Jobs
2 x Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Entomology (A/B), University of Adelaide, Closes 8th October
Associate Research Fellow -Plant Pathology, Deakin University, Closes 5th October
Plant Disease Testing Co-Op, Bayer, No close date listed
Assistant or Associate Professor - Fungal Biology/Mycology, University of Georgia, No close date listed
4 x Biosecurity Officer, Department of Primary Industries, Various locations in Queensland, Close 7th October. See the job board for details 👇
2 x Senior Biosecurity Officer, Department of Primary Industries, Various locations in Queensland, Close 7th October. See the job board for details 👇
3 x Principal Biosecurity Officer, Department of Primary Industries, Various locations in Queensland, Close 7th October. See the job board for details 👇
New Events
Register for the upcoming Plant Health Student Network meeting, happening 15th October at 18:00 AEDT
Other
The Italian Association for Plant Protection (AIPP) and Giornate Fitopatologiche (GF) are announcing a public selection process to award three €1,000 prizes for the best doctoral theses in the field of sustainable crop protection.
MEME OF THE WEEK
THAT’S A WRAP
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See you next Monday
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P.S. Why Robigalia? The name originates from the Ancient Roman festival dedicated to crop protection. You can read all about the history here: