Supervisors
Importance of Research
Project Summary
In this project, the candidate will identify and functionally characterize the effector repertoire of four Meloidogyne species, which differ in ploidy level, host range and virulence, to define, characterize and study the core effectorome of RKN, to reveal key information about RKN pathogenesis.
What will the successful application do?
Using state-of-the-art single cell analyses, the student will generate nematode oesophageal gland libraries from parasitic stages of four Meloidogyne species for transcriptomic analysis. Upon identification of candidate effectors – the student will
1) undertake comparative genomic approaches to define the “core” effectorome;
2) systematically test these “core” effectors for function in in planta assays to determine the role they play in parasitism and the key players that mediate host susceptibility; and
3) define the interactome of “core” effectors to better understand the strategy RKNs use to subvert host processes.
Training Provided
The student will gain expertise in a range of standard molecular biology techniques, genomics (generating high throughput sequencing libraries), comparative genomics, biochemistry and conduct in planta functional characterisation in the model plant species Nicotiana benthamiana.
The student will have the benefit of joint supervision by experts in each respective part of the project: Lida Derevnina, and members of her newly established lab, will be the primary supervisor and mentor for aspects related to plant immunity; Sebastian Eves-van den Akker and members of his lab will supervise aspects related to effector discovery. This multidisciplinary and collaborative project will provide the student with a range of skills that will be greatly beneficial for their future careers and the experience of working in the collaborative environment that is commonplace in research.
The student will be located at the Crop Science Centre, a brand-new research institute and a joint initiative between the University of Cambridge and the National Institute of Agricultural Botany that aims to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable agriculture.
References
- Rutter, W.B. et al. (2022) Rooting out the mechanisms of root-knot nematode-plant interactions. Annual reviews of Phytopathology
- Vieira, P. et al. (2020) A new esophagael gland transcriptome reveals signatures of large scale de novo effector birth in the root lesion nematode Pratylenchus penetrans. BMC Genomics