Molecular Plant Pathology Team

Leader

Staff

Joanna Kaczmarek, PhD
Witold Irzykowski, MSc Eng.
Noor Ramzi, MSc Eng. (PhD student)
Paweł Serbiak, MSc Eng. (PhD student)
Magdalena Wlaszczyk

The aim of our research is to elaborate the methods of early detection of plant pathogenic fungi in the air and in host-plant tissues to identify these species and help to develop strategies of crop protection. Since 2004 the Team has been managing the Decision Support System for Forecasting Disease Epidemics SPEC (www.spec.edu.pl) - the world's third biggest system based on aerobiological monitoring of the primary inoculum of plant pathogens of crop plants. Research concerns also mycological and molecular characterisation of pathogens aiming at the recognition of the structure and changes in fungal populations, what allows to determine proper strategies of resistance breeding. We search for sources of genetic resistance of plants to pathogens. Etiological and epidemiological studies are mainly focused on pathogens originating from the kingdom of fungi (Fungi), including necrotrophs (mainly of the genera: Alternaria, Fusarium, Leptosphaeria, Ramularia and Sclerotinia), and biotrophs (Melampsora). At present the studies also concern Plasmodiophora brassicae - the representative of the kingdom of protists (Protista).

Research profile

Isolation as well as mycological and molecular identification of phytopathogenic fungi to crop plants.
Identification of avirulence genes and the evaluation of genetic polymorphism of pathogens.
Seach for the sources of plant resistance to diseases caused by fungi.
Microscopic and molecular detection of asco- and conidiospores of phytopathogenic and saprotrophic fungi in air samples.

Methods:

identification of crop plant diseases on the basis of visual symptoms,
isolation and cultivation of plant pathogenic fungi on microbiological media,
field experiments and glasshouse as well as controlled environment biotests with the use of inoculation techniques,
microscopic analyses,
evaluation of mycelial compatibility groups (MCG), identification of avirulence genes and mating types,
detection of the components of aeroplankton using classical and molecular methods,
isolation of genomic DNA, design of starters, end-point PCR and Real-Time PCR,
the use and seach for molecular markers (RAPD, CAPS, ISSR, micro- and macrosatellites),
sequencing of DNA fragments,
classical and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).

Current research activities

Genetic polymorphism of Ramularia collo-cygni isolates and the search for cereal and fodder grass resistance to ramulariose.
Identification of genetic sources of resistance to clubroot in mutants of Brassica napus and interspecific hybrids of the genus Brassica.
Development of molecular aerobiology methods for the monitoring of: (i) stem canker of brassicas of oilseed rape (Leptosphaeria maculans and L. biglobosa); (ii) detection of plant pathogens and saprotrophs from the genus Alternaria and Cladosporium; (iii) Fusarium head blight (Fusarium spp.).