Robigalia Roundup #9

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

This week, we discuss the concerning first report of Ceratobasidium theobromae on cassava in the Americas, and we have our first Research student of the week feature! We also have plenty of 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

First report of cassava witches’ broom disease and Ceratobasidium theobromae in the Americas 

Vascular streak dieback (VSD) is a disease of cocoa caused by the basidiomycete Ceratobasidium theobromae. First reported in the 1960s in cocoa plantings in Papua New Guinea and Malaysia, and later in Sulawesi, this near-obligate parasite had, until recently, not been observed outside this region or on hosts other than cocoa, with a single exception noted on avocado.

This host specificity has recently come under investigation, with reports of VSD-like symptoms on woody ornamental plants in the United States beginning in 2022. Then in August this year, researchers isolated C. theobromae from cassava plants displaying symptoms of cassava witches’ broom disease (CWBD), a devastating disease of this crop in South-East Asia.

When symptoms typical of CWBD, such as dwarfism, weak sprouts, and vascular necrosis, began appearing in cassava-growing communes in French Guiana, researchers sought to determine if C. theobromae had made its way to Latin America. After isolating the fungus from infected cassava tissue and sequencing the ITS region, they confirmed that the causative agent was indeed C. theobromae. This first official confirmation of the pathogen in Latin America is particularly concerning given the importance of cassava as a staple food in the region.

This host range expansion of C. theobromae represents a significant shift in our understanding of the pathogen's biology, and requires urgent investigation into several critical areas, including the genetic changes that may have enabled host jumping.

Research student of the week

Meet Aayushree Kharel

We're kicking off the first "Research Student of the Week" with Aayushree Kharel, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at ICPP in 2023. Aayushree began her journey into plant pathology in 2018, inspired by her professor (now PhD supervisor). After hearing about the exciting work in his lab, she joined a six-month Master's research project, and soon enough, she was hooked, deciding to dive deeper with a PhD in the same field.

Aayushree's PhD research focuses on Phytophthora cinnamomi, a remarkably resilient oomycete. Her project investigates what makes this pathogen so successful. A highlight of her work has been optimising a transformation protocol that paves the way for future gene-editing studies, alongside a deep dive into the pathogen's sterol requirements, revealing potential drug targets for better management strategies.

Currently, Aayushree is exploring job opportunities in plant pathology. Given the essential role of food and environmental health, her long-term goal is to contribute innovative, sustainable solutions for disease control in agriculture and native ecosystems.

For students entering plant pathology, Aayushree's advice is to stay curious and open to where research might lead you. It's the surprises that often yield the greatest breakthroughs.

You can get in touch with Aayushree via LinkedIn

🌟 This could be you! 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

• **Identification of novel virulence determinants in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae at TSL

• **The MoRE lab are looking for suitable candidates to apply for a INPhINIT fellowship for study of evolution of plant virus interactions and evolution of crosskingdom RNAi in plant-fungus symbiotic interactions

• **Use cutting-edge AI to improve crops! Women & underrepresented candidates encouraged. Search for Project 25E.

• Study plant-microbe metagenomics with PhD opportunity at the University of Lyon

• 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

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

Jobs

• **Postdoc role in quantitative biosecurity at ANU for a researcher seeking experience in ecology, biometry, stats or related areas

• 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

Other News and Opportunities

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

• **Apply for the UPSC Symposium for Early Career Plant Scientists and present your research in March 2025!

• 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