Robigalia Roundup #7

Hello Robigalia Reader and welcome back to another week of Robigalia, delivering the latest research, tools, and opportunities in plant pathology.

This week we learn about recent progress in understanding resistance to myrtle rust in critically endangered rainforest species. We also have five new exciting post-doc opportunities available to ECRs. As always, Robigalia subscribers can access my online database with summaries of Robigalia featured articles.

Keep reading for the latest updates!

Plant pathology research

Genomics and resistance assays inform the management of two tree species being devastated by the invasive myrtle rust pathogen

A few months ago, I wrote about the impact of the myrtle rust causing fungus Austropuccinia psidii, and highlighted recent research on the topic. As someone working on host resistance to this pathogen, I was excited to see a new preprint released this week, which focuses on conservation strategies for the critically endangered Rhodamnia rubescens and Rhodomyrtus psidioides.

These two Australian rainforest Myrtaceae species have been severely affected by A. psidii and show little natural resistance in the wild. In their study, Chen et al. used a combination of reduced representation (DArTseq) and whole-genome sequencing to assess the genetic diversity of these species. They found that genetic diversity in both species follows a latitudinal gradient along Australia’s east coast, with little differentiation between populations.

Although reduced population sizes raise the risk of inbreeding, the low differentiation across populations means genetic connectivity remains high. This supports the feasibility of ex situ conservation and selective breeding strategies without disrupting local genetic integrity.

The authors also conducted A. psidii resistance assays, identifying some R. rubescens individuals with potential rust resistance. Unfortunately, field trials showed that susceptibility remained high, suggesting that resistance may not be consistently durable. This outcome underscores the challenges of artificial inoculations and the importance of field trials to confirm resistance in natural settings. You can read the full article on bioRxiv.

Research tools you’re loving

Goodnotes

When I first started my PhD, I was looking for a digital note-taking app, and Goodnotes delivered! Available on iPad, Mac, Microsoft, and Android, the Goodnotes app allows you to create and organise notes, documents, and presentations.

It offers a variety of features, including handwriting recognition that can automatically convert handwriting to text, collaboration tools for sharing notes with others to view, edit, and comment, and customisable organisation options such as custom notebooks, nested folders, and personalised paper types and tools. Goodnotes 6* also includes AI-assisted handwriting that corrects errors, learns writing style, and can finish sentences.

_{*It sounds fancy but I say save your money by sticking to Goodnotes 5 for free} 😉 

Research student of the week

COMING SOON!

🌟 Want to highlight your research to plant pathologists from across the globe? Fill out the EOI and I will feature you and your research in Robigalia 🌟

PhD Scholarships and Jobs

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

PhD Scholarships

• ** If you are interested in plant-microbe metagenomics this PhD opportunity is for you. Study at the University of Lyon with an Eiffel PhD scholarship

• Several PhD Positions are available in Plant and Microbial Sciences at the John Innes Centre and The Sainsbury Laboratory, UK

• Graduate Student Position in Smart Plant Pathology Lab, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

• The Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research (MPIPZ) and the University of Cologne are recruiting 7 PhD students with a keen interest in experimental, mathematical & computational plant biology

• Predicting fungicide resistance evolution: combining theoretical and experimental approaches, University of Cambridge

• Be sure to regularly check out the CSIRO Industry PhD Program website which includes all of the current PhD Scholarship opportunities in Australia

Jobs

• ** FABI (Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute) are on the lookout for a senior researcher in bioinformatics. CLOSING 7th November

• ** The Saunders group are looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher to decipher the role of epigenetic switching in supporting virulence gains for wheat rust fungi

• ** Head to the University of Bologna to explore fungal genetics, pathogenicity, and host adaptation in plant pathogenic fungi

• ** CSIRO are advertising for a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Quantitative Genetics for Plant Breeding using ML and AI

• ** The Centre for the Public Awareness of Science is looking for a Postdoctoral Fellow to undertake independent research in the area of misinformation and plant biosecurity

• The DAFF Plant Innovation Centre is hiring for two positions in plant biosecurity research based in Mickleham

• Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Plant Virology & Vector Biology at Macquarie University. CLOSING THIS WEEK

Other News and Opportunities

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

• Join the Plant-Microbiome Interaction Symposium at the John Innes Centre, 10-11 February 2025

• Save the date for the Congress of the Mediterranean Phytopathological Union happening July 6 - 10th in Italy

• Register your interest for the 17th Australasian Plant Breeding Conference in Sydney in June 2025

• Save the date for the 25th Australasian Plant Pathology Society conference in Sydney in May 2025

Meme of the week

Before you go…

• Like or didn’t like this new newsletter format? Let me know if the comments!

• Think a friend (or two) could benefit from reading? I’d love it if you could share this link with them.

Until next week,

Alyssa