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}},
This Friday, I will bring you the final Robigalia conversation stydle interview of 2025!
I sat down several weeks ago with my wonderful PhD supervisor, Peri Tobias, to discuss her career journey.
I’ve been fortunate to have had many of these conversations with Peri over the 4 years that we’ve known one another, and her career journey has always inspired me.
From the start of my PhD with Peri, she gave me considerable freedom to shape my research project while offering guidance and support.
This approach is also one Peri took throughout her Honours and PhD, as we discussed in this recorded conversation.
We also discussed Peri’s decision to return to her studies after raising her two sons, her experience returning to university, and the challenges of securing postdoc-level employment and funding.
Keep an eye out in your inboxes this Friday for a summary of the conversation!
Now, onto this week’s edition:
I share updates on Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae
I introduce a PhD student from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
I highlight a new Master’s Scholarship and a new event
Let’s dive in!
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Progress on Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae
Funeng Lu et al., Interfering Transposable Elements: ISXoo15 Transposase as a First-in-Class Antibacterial Target Against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae
Shuodan Hu et al., A Small Molecule Inhibits Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae by Targeting MenG
Gokulan C. G et al., Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae Type III Effector Tal9b Targets a Broadly Conserved Disease Susceptibility Locus to Promote Pathogenesis in Rice
RESEARCHER OF THE WEEK
Meet Muhammad Faizan Anwar Khan
This week, I’m happy to introduce Muhammad Faizan Anwar Khan, who has recently begun his PhD at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
Growing up in a rural area, Faizan was exposed to plant pathology from a young age and witnessed the impact of plant diseases on farmers’ crops and livelihoods. His interest deepened during his undergraduate studies, when he realised that understanding pathogens could directly help improve food security.
This interest led Faizan to pursue a Master’s in Plant Pathology at PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, during which he characterised the genetic diversity among brown leaf spot pathogens of rice in Pakistan.
After completing his Master’s, Faizan spent more than 5 years as a Research Assistant at the Crop Disease Research Institute (CDRI), researching Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), the causal agent of bacterial blight of rice. His research examined the distribution patterns, race identification, and TALE-based genetic diversity of Xoo isolates in Pakistan. He conducted pathotyping by screening Xoo isolates against a set of near-isogenic rice lines carrying known resistance genes, and evaluated the efficacy of different chemical treatments under field conditions to identify effective management strategies for bacterial blight. Now in his PhD, Faizan is excited to be continuing his research on bacterial blight of rice.
Outside of the lab, Faizan is a passionate cricket player! Some of his best experimental ideas have actually come while fielding during long matches!
If you’d like to learn more about Faizan’s research, be sure to connect with him on LinkedIn 👇
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 Scholarships
MSc in Global Plant Health, The Sainsbury Laboratory, Apply ASAP
New Jobs
No new jobs listed this week, head to the job board for open opportunities 👇
New Events/Seminars
DIG Conference 2026 - Dieback Working Group, Perth, Western Australia, Happening September 8, 2026 → September 9, 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: