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}},
Last Monday, Felix James and I made our way out to the University of Sydney Plant Breeding Institute to carry out some scoring of our Austropuccinia psidii infected Myrtaceae plants.
I have been working on testing Lenwebbia sp. Main Range for susceptibility to A. psidii, while Felix’s PhD project focuses on understanding the severe population decline in the tree species Melaleuca nodosa driven by the A. psidii.
We both observed high levels of susceptibility in our species, which provided ample material for investigation under the microscope.
Along with an abundance of uredinospores, we also saw teliospores, which are part of the sexual life cycle of rusts and serve as the resting spores that germinate to initiate sexual reproduction.
Left: Lenwebbia sp. Main Range displaying myrtle rust disease symptoms
Right: Austropuccinia psidii urediniospores and teliospores
For any of my Sydney readers interested in learning more about Melaleuca nodosa, Felix will be presenting at the Australian Plant Society NSW November Quarterly Meeting on 22 November 2025 at the Mount Annan Botanic Gardens.
Now, onto this week’s edition:
I share updates on Rhizoctonia solani
I introduce a Master’s student from Bangladesh Agricultural University
I list 6 new jobs and 5 upcoming events
Let’s dive in!
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Progress on Rhizoctonia solani
*Md Arraf Hasan Reedoy et al., Harnessing bacterial bioagents to control sheath blight of rice
Xiaojie Ding et al., A novel self-assembled nanocarrier-mediated dsRNA fungicide for broad-spectrum management of Rhizoctonia solani
Dumpapenchala Vijayreddy et al., Dual role of zinc oxide nanoparticles in antifungal action against Rhizoctonia solani, biosafety and phytotoxicity concerns in crop plants
*Co-authored by this week’s Research Student of the Week
RESEARCH STUDENT OF THE WEEK
Meet Mangal Shahi
This week, I’m happy to introduce you to Mangal Shahi, a master’s student at Bangladesh Agricultural University.
From Bude, a remote village in the verdant hills of Sudurpaschim Pradesh, Nepal, Mangal grew up in a rural farming community. After witnessing crop losses from diseases and pests, he became interested in plant health and biology.
After completing his Bachelor of Science and Honours in Agricultural Science, he began pursuing a Master’s in Plant Pathology at Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, where he is currently in his final semester.
Mangal’s current research focuses on the identification of Transcription Activator Like Effectors (TALEs) in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), the causative agent of bacterial blight (BB) in rice. He is especially proud of his efforts in generating a whole genome sequence of a virulent Xoo strain using Illumina NovaSeq technology, and identifying candidate TALE genes that may be driving the resurgence of BLB in Bangladesh.
After completing his Master’s, Mangal hopes to pursue a PhD in molecular plant-microbe interactions, with a focus on genome editing and pathogen co-evolution driven by climate change and agrochemical pressure. His goal is to develop durable disease resistance in crops by integrating functional genomics with evolutionary plant pathology to support sustainable agriculture.
Set your purpose to be rooted in the needs of farmers and sustainable agriculture
Mangal’s advice to other pathologists: “Set your purpose to be rooted in the needs of farmers and sustainable agriculture. That will keep you grounded and motivated through every step.”
Connect with Mangal on LinkedIn to continue learning about his work 👇
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
Nothing new here today, lots of opportunities in the scholarships board 👇
You can also check out some interesting plant science PhD opportunities currently open in collaboration with Kew Gardens
New Jobs
Technicien(ne) de laboratoire de phytopathologie, Rijk Zwaan, Aramon, France, apply ASAP
Team Lead Molecular Phytopathology, Rijk Zwaan, De Lier, Netherlands, apply ASAP
Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology, University of California Davis, California, Closes 1st December
Agronomist: Climate & Plant Pathology, Winfield United SA, Western Cape, South Africa, apply ASAP
Pathology Testing - 6 Month contract, Bayer, El Ejido, Spain, apply ASAP
Biological Formulation Scientist, Corteva, Sao Paolo, Brazil, apply ASAP
New Events/Seminars
Plant-Parasitic Nematode Identification Course, Clemson, South Carolina, December 12, 2025 → December 19, 2025
8th International Bacterial Wilt Symposium (IBWS), Wageningen, Netherlands, March 22, 2026 → March 26, 2026
Soilborne Plant Pathogens, Parlier, California, March 24, 2026 → March 26, 2026
Reinhardsbrunn-Symposium, Friedrichroda, Germany, April 19, 2026 → April 23, 2026
European Society of Nematologists 2026, Egmond aan Zee, Netherlands, June 1, 2026 → June 5, 2026
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: