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Honours Projects in Botany (2009) We study fungi that cause diseases of plants and animals. Our research spans disciplines including bioinformatics, genomics, cell and molecular biology, to mycology and pathology. With colleagues in France we lead an initiative aimed at sequencing the blackleg fungus, Leptosphaeria maculans, which causes blackleg disease of canola. We also are involved in an international project on another fungal pathogen of canola, sclerotinia stem rot. We also study toxins made in the blackleg fungus, and in medically important fungi such as Aspergillus fumigatus . Honours projects are offered in the following areas: 1/ Fungal genes involved in blackleg disease and/or toxin production We have mutants of the blackleg fungus with a selectable marker inserted in the genome. We are scoring these mutants for traits including pathogenicity and/or production of a toxin, sirodesmin, involved in virulence. The project involves several of the following aspects: identifying the mutated gene, determining how the disease process (or toxin production) is affected, and how the gene is regulated. 2 / Mining the genome sequence of Leptosphaeria maculans and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Our acquisition of the genome sequence of these fungi provides the opportunity to discover genes involved in disease mechanisms. The project involves seeking genes involved in detoxifying canola defence molecules, production of secondary metabolites, as well as pathogenicity factors. Regulation and functional analysis of such genes would be undertaken. 3/ Recognition and metabolism of plant phenolic molecules by Leptosphaeria maculans Plants have evolved a range of diverse defense strategies to ward off fungal pathogens. We have evidence for a pathway ( β-ketoadipate) in the blackleg fungus that detoxifies plant phenolic compounds, such as lignin at the site of infection. The project will involve examining expression levels of genes in the β-ketoadipate pathway during blackleg infection of canola and in response to phenolics. Bioinformatics, molecular biology (PCR, gene cloning, vector construction, Northern and Southern analyses, fungal transformation), Thin Layer Chromatography, HPLC, fungal culturing, light microscopy. Students with backgrounds in any discipline of biological sciences are invited to apply. Contact Prof. Barbara Howlett, Room 105 phone 8344 5062
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