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}},
Keeping my update short and sweet this week, but I’m happy to say that spring is officially in full swing here in Sydney!
Working at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, I’m incredibly lucky to enjoy the blooming flowers at this time of year.
In Australia, the change of season often brings a surge in myrtle rust infections among some of our Myrtaceae species.
Melaleuca quinquenervia is a common street tree in Sydney, and also a major weed species in the Florida Everglades. This season, we’re seeing very severe myrtle rust infections. Below is an image I took on my walk home from the train station last week, which shows one of many trees with such heavy infection.
I have a couple of exciting updates to share in next week’s edition, for now…
… straight into this week’s edition:
I share some recent publications on plant viruses, including one from our Research Student of the Week
I introduce a PhD student from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
I list several new PhD scholarships, 5 new jobs, and new upcoming events
Let’s dive in!
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Progress on fungi
Kimathi Harun Ringeera et al., Characterization of a novel recombinant begomovirus and tomato leaf curl Kunene virus infecting bottle gourd in Kenya
Weijie Jin et al., Multi-Omics Analysis of the Response of Angelica sinensis to Alfalfa Mosaic Virus Infection
Juliana Uzan et al., Groundnut Ringspot Orthotospovirus: An Emerging Problem for Soybean Production in São Paulo State
RESEARCH STUDENT OF THE WEEK
Meet Harun Kimathi Ringeera
This week, I’m happy to introduce Harun Kimathi Ringeera, a PhD student at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.
Agriculture is the backbone of food security, yet plant diseases continue to threaten global food production. With an understanding of the growing challenges of food insecurity due to conflicts, inequities, and environmental factors, Harun was inspired to contribute his expertise to maximise agricultural productivity, and he is passionate about ensuring "food for everyone" through sustainable agriculture.
With his bachelor’s and master’s studies fully funded by a football scholarship, Harun had the chance to study his Master’s in plant pathology at Utsunomiya University in Japan.
Now completing his PhD in Tokyo, Harun’s research focuses on the spatial analysis of potato viruses in Pakistan's major potato-growing regions. By mapping virus prevalence and distribution, he aims to develop better management strategies to minimise crop losses and improve yield sustainability.
Harun aims to present his research at leading international conferences and is eager to collaborate with top researchers to develop innovative solutions for agriculture. In the long run, he hopes to revolutionise plant pathology with high-quality, innovative research that transforms farming practices, promoting higher yields and global food security.
Set ambitious goals and chase them relentlessly
His advice for fellow plant pathologists: “Set ambitious goals and chase them relentlessly. Plant pathology is a field with the power to shape global food security. Keep learning, and never underestimate the impact of your work.”
Aside from plant pathology, Harun loves travelling and spending most of his time in the field. His enthusiasm for fieldwork stems from the fact that it brings him closer to the challenges farmers face and allows him to find practical solutions firsthand.
You can connect with Harun on LinkedIn to keep up with his research!
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
PhD position on Fungal Effector Biology, University of Cologne, Closes 30th October
John Innes Foundation Rotation PhD Programme, various locations, closes 13th November
New Jobs
Postdoctoral Fellow, Australian National University, Canberra, Closes 26th October
Technical Officer, Australian National University, Canberra, Closes 26th October
Research Group Leader - Pests and Diseases, CSIRO, Canberra, Closes 26th October
Plant Health Diagnostic Lab Intern, Bayer, Chesterfield, United States, no close date listed
Plant Health Intern, Bayer, Chesterfield, United States, no close date listed
New Events/Seminars
The cellular mechanics of symbiosis: sensing friend from foe. This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. Happening 17 - 20 Mar 2026
October 2025 AMS virtual seminar: Dr. Yi Ding, on fungal plant pathogens! Thursday, 30 October 2025, 12pm (AEST) / 2pm (NZST)
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
Whenever someone asks "How is the writing going?"
Me:— #The Struggling Scientists Podcast (#@TheStrugglingS4)
2:02 PM • Oct 9, 2025
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: