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Jones Group - Disease resistance

We investigate the molecular basis of disease and disease resistance in tomato (leaf mould and Fusarium wilt resistance) and flax (flax rust resistance).​

About

Research in the Jones Group investigates the molecular basis of disease and disease resistance in tomato (leaf mould and Fusarium wilt resistance) and flax (flax rust resistance).​

Awards

Publications

Selected publications

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Projects

The soil-borne vascular-wilt fungus Fusarium oxysporum is one of the world’s most notorious fungal pathogens of crop plants because it is a species complex that combines the ability to cause severe yield losses with a wide host range overall, affecting diverse crops.

Theme

Plant-microbe interactions, Host-microbe biology

Student intake

Open for Honours, Master, PhD students

Status

Current

Rust diseases are a serious threat to cereals and other crops throughout the world. Significant advances in understanding the molecular basis of rust fungus pathogenicity and rust disease resistance in plants have been achieved using the flax/flax rust pathosystem.

Theme

Host-microbe biology, Plant-microbe interactions

Student intake

Open for PhD students

Status

Current

Plant pathogens produce secreted proteins during infection of their hosts and these proteins, known as effectors, aid in the infection process. In turn, plants have evolved disease resistance genes encoding receptor proteins that can trigger a highly effective defence response upon recognition of these effectors.

Theme

Bioinformatics and bio-mathematical modelling, Host-microbe biology, Plant-microbe interactions

Student intake

Open for Honours, Master, PhD students

Status

Current

People

The fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol) causes a devastating wilt disease of tomato crops that has hitherto been managed by breeding for disease resistant cultivars.

Theme

Host-microbe biology, Plant-microbe interactions

Status

Current

ungus Fusarium oxysporum causes devastating wilt diseases of many important crop plants including banana/plantain, cotton, potato, tomato, capsicum, beans, peas, chickpeas and melons. However, individual pathogenic isolates of F. oxysporum are highly specific for a particular species of host plant.

Theme

Plant-microbe interactions, Host-microbe biology

Student intake

Open for Honours, Master students

Status

Current

The molecular basis for plant susceptibility and immunity to Fusarium wilt disease

Theme

Host-microbe biology, Plant-microbe interactions

Student intake

Open for Bachelor, Honours, PhD students

Status

Current

People

Members