Determining the origin of the emerging pathogen, Phytophthora multivora

A PhD project has become available to study the biology of Phytophthora multivora. This would be a collaboration between Murdoch University, The University of Pretoria (South Africa) and Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research.

Phytophthora multivora is a widespread and devastating pathogen in natural ecosystems in Western Australia (WA); it has a wide host range and considerably variability in the sequence of the mitochondrial gene cox1 led to the hypothesis that it may be endemic to the region. Recent molecular studies disprove this hypothesis.

Isolates from South Africa (RSA) possess greater nucleotide diversity than those from WA and while P. multivora is widely distributed in natural ecosystems in WA and RSA, it is usually isolated from nurseries or horticulture elsewhere in the world. Additionally, P. multivora is consistently isolated from cankers and dead and dying plants of numerous endemic hosts in WA, but is predominantly isolated from soil associated with asymptomatic plants in RSA. Based on this evidence it was proposed that P. multivora is endemic to RSA and has been introduced to Western Australia.

This project, starting in 2013, would use a population genetics approach (including recently developed microsatellite markers) in combination with phenotypic characterisation to determine the origin of P. multivora and to understand how it is adapting to new environments. The project would involves working in both South Africa and Switzerland in world-recognised research groups.

For more information contact Dr Treena Burgess.

NOTE: the funds are to support the project, the PhD student must have their own stipend