Plant-microbe interactions
About
The interactions of plants with microbes both in the soil and above ground shoot are of great importance for the growth and productivity of plants in agricultural and natural ecosystems. At the Research School of Biology, interactions between plants, symbiotic bacteria, fungi, and pathogens are being investigated at levels ranging from the molecule to the ecosystem.
Groups
Sustainable food security is of utmost importance to the future of the planet.
The aim of our research is to understand the ecology and evolution of interactions between plants and animals in the Australian biota.
We investigate the molecular basis of disease and disease resistance in tomato (leaf mould and Fusarium wilt resistance) and flax (flax rust resistance).
Our main research interest is in fungal-plant-interactions, both applied and pure research, on a range of important pathogens.
We are interested in the molecular mechanisms controlling nodule development in legumes, and how this is linked to other aspects of root architecture.
The principal interest of the lab is gene silencing mediated by microRNAs, with a focus on microRNAs that control plant disease resistance.
Rathjen group focuses on all aspects of plant immunity, characterising the fascinating interplay between host and pathogen.
Our team focuses on questions around plant biosecurity in Australia by studying the interaction between plants and their fungal pathogen.
The Solomon group focuses on pathogens of wheat that threaten food security and stability.
We aim to understand the molecular basis of the interactions between plant hosts and the microorganisms, particularly fungi, that colonise them.
Projects
News
Researchers have a new understanding of the genetic makeup of a fungus that causes the disease Wheat Stripe Rust, one of the most destructive wheat diseases globally costing $1 billion annually.
Legumes are an interesting plant to study due to their symbiotic relationship with nitrogen fixing bacteria called Rhizobia, which are housed within specialised root structures called nodules. The work of ANU researchers has been very important for our understanding of symbiosis, nodule formation and nitrogen fixation.
Biologists have discovered how the rice plant's immune system is triggered by disease, in a discovery that could boost crop yields and lead to more disease-resistant types of rice.
