BSPP Undergraduate Vacation Bursary Fund

The undergraduate vacation bursary is open to all BSPP members and will provide modest support for work on specified research projects during the summer vacation. The objective of the bursaries is to provide undergraduates considering a research career with some practical experience in a plant pathology laboratory and to assist supervisors to meet some specific research objectives.

Applications are invited from supervisors on behalf of an identified student. Students should be in the middle year(s) of their degree course and each BSPP member will be restricted to making a single application annually. Bursaries will be awarded on a competitive basis.

Insurance cover for BSPP-supported bursaries is the responsibility of the institution hosting the student.  Such cover indemnifies any insurance claims on the BSPP during the tenure of the awards.

The bursary is not transferable and students will receive a sum of 200 pounds sterling per week to cover their living expenses. A sum of 500 pounds sterling will also be provided for consumables. Bursaries will be for a maximum of 10 weeks and a minimum of 8 weeks. In the event of a successful application, cheques will be made payable to the institution in which the student will work who should arrange payment weekly in arrears subject to satisfactory attendance and performance. The final payment should be made only after a short report (500 words maximum), completed by the student, has been submitted to BSPP via the supervisor. For details on the format of this report see instructions for busary fund authors and examples that were condensed for BSPP News.

You can apply for an undergraduate vacation bursary by downloading an application form in MS Word or Acrobat Reader formats below.
	bsppvac.doc (MS Word 104kb)
	bsppvac.pdf (Acrobat Reader 32kb)

Application forms must be returned by the closing date of 1 April to:

Dr James M. Fountaine (Education Officer)

Crop and Soil Systems Research, SRUC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, UK

Tel: 0131 535 4370; email: education@bspp.org.uk

Notification of the results of applications will be made after consideration by the Education sub-committee of BSPP Board.

Student Bursaries Awarded 2012

At: Crop and Soil Systems, Research Division, John Niven Building, SAC, Auchincruive Estate,
Ayr, KA6 5HW.
Title: Contribution of cultivar resistance to the integrated control of potato blight in the UK.
Applicant: Dr Ruairidh Andrew Bain.
Student: Georgina Boswell.

At: School of Life Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Al10 9AB.
Title: The effect of potassium carbonate in a silicon wetter in reducing strawberry powdery mildew in the field.
Applicant: Dr Avice Hall.
Student: Khin Hsu Hsu San.

At: Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RB.
Title: Trade-offs in the evolution of plant defence in the metal hyperaccumulator Noccaea coerulescens.
Applicant: Dr Gail Preston
Student: Freya Varden

At: Department of Disease and Stress Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park,
Colney, Norwich, NR4 7UH.
Title: Temperature-stable disease resistance in wheat.
Applicant: Dr Chris Ridout.
Student: Alice R. Mitchell.

At: Department of Disease and Stress Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park,
Colney, Norwich, NR4 7UH.
Title: Response of Brachypodium distachyon TDNA-tagged mutants to infection by Fusarium.
Applicant: Dr Paul Nicholson.
Student: Jie Li.

At: The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7
Applicant: Dr Cyril Zipfel.
Title: Reverse-genetic analysis of a subfamily of Arabidopsis leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases potentially involved in innate immunity.
Student: Christobel Gallardo.

At: Applied Plant Science and Biometrics Division,
Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute, 18A Newforge Lane, Belfast BT9 5PX, Northern Ireland, UK
Title: Phytophthora infestans: is the A2 genotype Blue 13 surviving in Northern Ireland
Applicant: Dr Louise Cooke.
Student: Emma Walker.

At: Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB.
Title: Investigating the relationship between the plant nuclear pore complex and viral infection.
Applicant: Dr Geraint Parry.
Student: Alexander Hull.

At: Cell and Molecular Sciences Group, James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, Scotland, UK.
Title: Identification and functional characterisation of nematode effectors that suppress PAP triggered immunity.
Applicant:  Dr John Jones.
Student: Celine Delabre.

At: Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Faculty of Natural Sciences, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ.
Title: Cloning and sequencing of dsRNA elements from Aspergillus sp.
Applicant: Dr Robert Coutts.
Student: Catherine Townsend.

At: Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Faculty of Natural Sciences, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ.
Title: Investigating the function of two component proteins in resistance towards Botrytis cinerea.
Applicant: Dr Radhika Desikan.
Student: Rebecca V. Southwell.

At: Department of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Wellesbourne, Warwick, CV35 9EF.
Title: Do pathogenicity effector proteins interact with host transcription factors?
Applicant: Professor Jim Beynon
Student: Lorna Cox.

At: School of Life Sciences and Warwick Systems Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Wellesbourne, Warwick, CV35 9EF.
Title: Are key regulators of the Arabidopsis defence response against Botrytis cinerea effective against other necrotrophic pathogens?
Applicant: Dr Katherine Denby.
Student: Tessa Slater.

At: Plant Protection Programme, FERA, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ.
Title: Determining how populations of Rhizoctonia solani survive in soil between potato crops.
Applicant: Dr James Woodhall.
Student: Alexander Ward McCormack.

At:  Plant Protection Programme, FERA, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ.
Title: The interaction between plant-pathogenic Streptomyces, the plant host and the soil environment.
Applicant: Dr Richard Thwaites.
Student: Michael Clarke.

At: BIOMERIT Research Centre, Department of Microbiology, UCC, College Road,
Cork, Ireland.
Title: Do non-host plants harbour pathogenic Xanthomonas species as symptomless endophytes?
Applicant: Dr Max Dow.
Student: Jessica Lynagh.

At: Institute of Molecular Plant Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh,
King’s Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3JH.
Title: Arabidopsis RAP1-just another E3 ligase or important regulator of plant disease resistance?
Applicant: Professor Gary J. Loake.
Student: Dimitar Z. Epihov.

At: Diagnostics & Molecular Biology, SASA, 1 Roddinglaw Road, Edinburgh, EH12 9FJ.
Title: Development of an aphid bar-coding database.
Applicant: Dr David Kenyon.
Student: Claire Wood.

Student Bursaries Awarded 2011

Applicant: Dr. Allison van de Meene
Student: Jue Lan
At: Bioimaging, Centre for sustainable pest and disease management, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ.
Title: Microscopic characterisation of the growth and development of a Fusarium graminearum mutant severely compromised in disease causing ability.

Applicant: Dr Chris Ridout
Student: Jodie Daniels
At: Department of Disease and Stress Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich, NR4 7UH
Title: PAMP-induced metabolites in Brassica napus.

Applicant: Prof Sarah Gurr
Student: Eleanor Ceindeg Jaskowsk
Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RB
Title: Glucans and the rice blast fungus cell wall.

Applicant: Dr Andrew Pitman
Student: Emily Codling
At: New Zealand Institute for Plant and Animal Research, Canterbury Agriculture and Science Centre, Gerald Street, Lincoln, New Zealand
Title: Genotyping of geographically distinct New Zealand tomato potato psyllid populations and their associated Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum strains.

Applicant: Dr Geraint Parry
Student: Niedharsan Pooranachandran
At: Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB
Title: Investigating the role of the Arabidopsis nuclear pore complex in the plant defence response.
Applicant: Dr Louise Cooke
Student: Alexander Gilliland
At: Applied Plant Science and Biometrics Division, Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute, 18A Newforge Lane, Belfast BT9 5PX, Northern Ireland, UK
Title: Phytophthora ramorum species jump, what will happen to Northern Ireland’s Japanese larch?

Applicant: Professor James Brown
Student: Coline Boizard
At: John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich, NR4 7UH
Title: Development of a stable transformation method for the barley powdery mildew Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei.

Applicant: Dr Paul Nicholson
Student: Ryan Hamnett
At: Department of Disease and Stress Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich, NR4 7UH
Title: Interactions between Fusarium mycotoxins and cereal hosts.

Applicant: Dr Richard Cooper:
Student: William Kay
At: Department of Biology and Biochemistry, 4 South, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, Fusarium wilt of oil palm: detection and suppression.

Applicant: Dr Cyril Zipfel
Student: Janek Kucinski
At:The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH
Title: Reverse-genetic analysis of a subfamily of Arabidopsis leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases potentially involved in innate immunity.

Applicant: Prof. Sophien Kamoun
Student: Caroline Telford
At: The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH
Title: Host cell processes in interactions between Phytophthora and plants.

Applicant: Dr Heiko Ziebell
Student: Ina Silke Lena Buchholz
At: Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Julius Kuhn-Institut, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Messeweg 11-12, 38104 Braunschweig, Germany
Title: Biological and molecular characterisation of a cowpea mild mosaic virus isolate.

Applicant: Prof. Murray Grant
Student: Max Coulter
At: Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Science, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road,
Exeter EX4 4QD
Title: Discriminating between pathogenic and non-pathogenic Xanthomonas campestris pv musacearum isolates.

Applicant: Dr Luis A. J. Mur
Student: William Griffiths
At: 14. Aberystwyth University, ‘’IBERS’’, Edward Llwyd Building, Aberystwyth, Wales, UK
Title: Eyes wide shut-The impact on pathogen-induced stomatal lock up in Miscanthus spp.

Applicant: Dr Avice Hall
Student: Steven Moloney
At: School of Life Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Al10 9AB
Title: How fungicide effects on oilseed rape are influenced by interactions between phoma stem canker pathogens.

Student Bursaries Awarded 2010

Applicant:Dr. Jon West
Student: Alexandra East
At: Plant Pathology and Microbiology Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ.

Title: Understanding the timing and dispersal of airborne spores of Fusarium graminearum and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

Applicant: Dr. Jolyon Lorne Alexander Dodgson
Student: Nitis Smanthong

At: Department of Biology/Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University, Tambon Khamriang, Kantharawichai District, Maha Sarakham, 44150 Thailand.

Title: The use of chitin and chitosan from shellfish waste as bio-control agents for Colletotrichum orbiculare on cucumber in Thailand.

Applicant: Dr Dawn L Arnold
Student: Katherine Jane Snell
At: Centre for Research in Plant Science,  Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK.

Title: Studies on the bean pathogen Pseudomonas syringae

Applicant: Dr Eleanor Gilroy
Student: Dionne Turnbull
At: Office D111/D107 laboratory, D-Block, Plant Pathology, SCRI, Dundee DD2 5DA

Title: Recognition of the RXLR effector Avr2 from Phytophthora infestans.

Applicant: Dr John Carr
Student: Heather Dixon

At: Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA

Title: The role of annexin 1 in plant defence against pathogens.

Applicant: Dr Adrian Newton
Student: Anna Macrae

At: Plant Pathology Programme, Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA, Scotland, UK
Title: Studies on Rhynchosporium secalis.

Applicant: Prof Sarah Gurr
Student: Emma Houghton-Brown
At: Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RB

Title: An investigation into the role of nitric oxide in the pathogenicity of Magnaporthe oryzae.

Applicant: Dr Robert Coutts
Student: Joanna Ceinwen Rowley
At: Division of Biology, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Faculty of Natural Sciences, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ

Title: Cloning and sequencing of Aspergillus spp. dsRNAs and preliminary investigation into their silencing.

Applicant: Dr Matthew Dickinson
Student: Sophie Dale
At: School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonnington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD

Title: Improvements in field diagnosis of phytoplasmas.

Applicant: Prof James Brown
Student: Mathilde Cailliau
At: Department of Disease and Stress Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney
Norwich, NR4 7UH

Title: Effects of Mycoshpaerella graminicola on infection of wheat by Blumeria graminis.

Student Bursaries Awarded 2009

Applicant: Prof Sarah Gurr
Supervisor: Prof Sarah Gurr
Title: NO focus: effect of NOS generated NO as a chemical effector of pathogenicity in the rice blast fungus
At: Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3RB
Student: Xanthippi Choraitis
Time: 10 weeks

Applicant:  Dr Chris Ridout and  Dr Mark Stevens
Supervisor: Dr Chris Ridout and Dr Mark Stevens
Title: Impact of Turnip Yellows Virus infection on oilseed quality
At:  Dept of Disease and Stress Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH
Dr Mark Stevens, Dept of Applied Crop Sciences, Broom's Barn Research Centre, Higham, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP28 6NP
Student: Patricia Vives-Garcia
Time: 10 weeks

Applicant: Dr Robert Henry Arnold Coutts
Supervisor: Dr Coutts
Title: Completion of the genomic sequences of two unclassified mycoviruses of the fungus Phlebiopsis gigantea
At: Division of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Rd, London SW7 2AZ
Student: Wang Weiyuan Joshua
Time: 10 weeks

Applicant:  Dr Simon Edwards
Supervisor: Dr Simon Edwards
Title: Quantification of Fusarium species in UK wheat from 2001-2008
At: Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Harper Adams University College, Newport, Shropshire TF10 8NB
Student: Joanne Stubbs
Time: 10 weeks

Applicant:  Dr Matthew Dickinson
Supervisor:  Dr Matthew Dickinson
Title: How prevalent are phytoplasmas in UK crops?
At: University of Nottingham, School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD
Student: Ana Lazar
Time: 10 weeks

Applicant: Dr Ruairidh Bain
Supervisor: Dr Ruairidh Bain
Title: Sustainable and effective control of potato blight matching fungicide inputs to cultivar resistance level
At: Agronomy, John Niven Building, SAC, Ayr Campus, Auchincruive Estate, Ayr KA6 5HW
Student: Holly Rivett
Time: 10 weeks

Applicant:  Dr Gail Margaret Preston
Supervisor: Dr Gail Margaret Preston
Title: Does acidity inhibit the growth of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato in tomato fruit?
At: Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3RB
Student: Erin Rose Butterworth
Time: 8 weeks

Applicant: Dr Avice M. Hall
Supervisor: Dr Avice M. Hall
Title: The effect of post harvest treatments on the survival of strawberry powdery mildew between seasons
At: School of Life Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield
Student: Faith Muinde
Time: 9 weeks

Student Bursaries Awarded 2008

Applicant: Prof Sarah Gurr
Supervisor: Prof Sarah Gurr
Title: A role for cell wall glucan remodelling enzymes in fungal virulence?
At: Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3RB
Student: Katie Bonner
Time: 10 weeks

Applicant: Prof Gary D Foster
Supervisor: Prof Gary D Foster
Title: Final testing of infectious clones to Potato Virus Y-NTN
At: School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UG
Student: Winifred Elin Jones
Time: 10 weeks

Applicant: Dr Gareth W. Griffith
Supervisor: Dr Gareth W. Griffith / Dr Luis A.J. Mur
Title: Tomato-flavoured chocolate: using tomato mutants to gain insight into witches’ broom disease of cacao
At:S27 Adeilad Cledwyn Building, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales SY23 3DD
Student: Jonathan Lamb
Time: 10 weeks

Applicant: Dr Radhika Desikan
Supervisor: Dr Radhika Desikan
Title: The effects of Botrytis challenge on Arabidopsis histidine kinase mutants
At: Division of Biology, Sir Alexander Fleming Building Room 510, Imperial College, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ
Student: Emmy McGarry
Time: 8 weeks

Applicant: Dr Matt Dickinson
Supervisor: Dr Matt Dickinson
Title: A survey for the presence of phytoplasmas in UK plants and crops.
At: School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD
Student: Leanne Lane
Time: 9 weeks

Applicant: Dr John Carr
Supervisor: Dr John Carr
Title: Nitric oxide and its effects on plant virus infection
At: Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EA
Student: Tegwen Ecclestone
Time: 8-10 weeks

Applicant: John Clarkson
Supervisor: John Clarkson
Title: Diversity of UK Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on meadow buttercup
At: Warwick HRI, University of Warwick, Wellesbourne, Warwick CV34 5NX
Student: Xinyang Hong
Time: 8 weeks

Applicant: Prof Bruce D L Fitt (Bruce.Fitt@bbsrc.ac.uk)
Supervisor: Bruce Fitt
Title: Symptomless infection of barley, rye and grasses by Rhynchosporium species.
At: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts AL5 2JQ.
Student: Kevin Michael King
Time: 10 weeks (commencing 1 July 2008)

Applicant: Dr Stuart Wale
Supervisor: Dr Stuart Wale / Dr Alison Lees
Title: Investigating the environmental factors affecting infection of potato by Spongospora subterranea the cause of powdery scab
At: SAC Aberdeen, Ferguson Building, Craibstone Estate, Aberdeen AB21 9YA
Student:  Kevin Wright
Time: 10 weeks

Applicant: Dr Luis A.J. Mur
Supervisor: Dr Luis A.J. Mur
Title: From model to crop: Characterising ethylene effects in the Botrytis cinerea – Tomato interaction.
At: University of Aberystwyth, Edward Llwyd Building, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA
Student: Sarah Tvedt
Time: 8 weeks

Applicant: Dr Dawn Arnold
Supervisor: Dr Dawn Arnold and Dr John Hancock
Title: A study of nitric oxide generation by Pseudomonas syringae.
At: Centre for Research in Plant Science, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY
Student: Annieberthia Sadoo
Time: 8 weeks

Student Bursaries Awarded 2007

Applicant: Prof Sarah Gurr
Supervisor: Prof Sarah Gurr
Title: A role for NO in pathogenicity in the rice blast fungus?
At: Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3RB
Student: Clare Turbervill
Time: 10 weeks (commencing July 2007)           

Applicant: Prof. George P C Salmond
Supervisor: Prof. George P C Salmond 
Title: Molecular analysis of an endophytic Serratia strain that makes an antifungal, biocontrol antibiotic.
At: Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Building O. Downing Site, Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge CB2 1QW
Student: Miss Madushi K. Wanaguru
Time: 10 weeks (commencing July 2007).

Applicant: Prof Gary Foster
Supervisor: Prof Gary Foster
Title: Investigating genes involved in symptom variation in Pepino mosaic virus on tomato using recombinant infectious clones
At: School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UG
Student: Jonathan Crouch
Time: 10 weeks (commencing 01/07/07)

Applicant: Dr Robert Henry Arnold Coutts
Supervisor: Title: Isolation of dsRNAs from a range of Phytophthora spp.; Polymerase chain reaction amplification of complementary DNAs from dsRNA; cloning and/or direct sequencing of amplicons; bioinformatic analysis of sequence data; construction of phylograms.
At: Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Rd, London SW7 2AZ
Student: Marcus Blagrove
Time: 10 weeks (commencing 23 June 2007)            

Applicant: Dr Andrew Mark Bailey
Supervisor:
Title: Gene disruption in Mycosphaerella graminicola
At: School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Rd, Bristol BS8 1UG
Student: Rachel Curnock
Time: 10 weeks (commencing 2 July 2007)

Applicant: Dr Eric Boa
Supervisor: Dr Rob Reeder, Mrs Paula Kelly, Dr Eric Boa
Title: The art of diagnosis: learning how the Global Plant Clinic helps producers in developing countries identify the cause of plant diseases and what to do about them.
At: GPC, CABI, Bakeham Lane, Egham, Surrey TW20 9TY
Student: Francesca Blythe
Time: tba

Applicant: Jonathan West
Supervisor: Jonathan West
Title: Measurement of airborne inoculum of toxin-producing fungal diseases of wheat grain
At: Plant-Pathogen Interactions, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ
Student: Clare Rebecca Elliott
Time: 10 weeks

Applicant: Prof Bruce DL Fitt
Supervisor: Prof Bruce DL Fitt
Title: Cost of climate change-induced increase in range and severity of Phoma stem canker on UK oilseed rape.
At: Oilseeds Pathology Group, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts AL5 2JQ
Student: Michael Howard Butterworth
Time: 10 weeks (commencing 24^th June 2007)

Applicant: Dr Simon Weller
Supervisor: Dr Simon Weller
Title: Identifying, to species level, a novel Rhizobium strain which harbours an Agrobacterium Ri-plasmid
At: Central Science Laboratory, Plant Health Group, Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ
Student: Charlotte Bicker
Time: 10 weeks (commencing 18^th June 2007).

Applicant: Matt Dickinson
Supervisor: Matt Dickinson
Title: Isolation and characterization of mobile DNA elements in phytoplasmas
At: University of Nottingham, School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5 RD
Student: Laura Deakin
Time: 8 weeks         

Applicant: Dr Dale Walters
Supervisor: Dr Dale Walters
Title: Coating leaves for disease control: using novel polymers derived from cereals to control foliar pathogens.
At: Crop & Soil Systems Research Group, SAC, King’s Buildings, West Mains Rd, Edinburgh EH9 3JG
Student: Christine Jesson
Time: 10 weeks.

Student Bursaries Awarded 2006

Applicant: Prof Bruce Fitt
Supervisors: Prof Bruce Fitt, Dr Bart Fraaije, Dr Simon Atkins, Prof John Lucas
Title: Historical dynamics of diseases of barley leaves.
At: Rothamsted Research, Plant Pathogen Interactions Division, West Common, Harpenden, Herts AL5 2JQ
Student: Teresa Joanne Punch
Time: 8 weeks; Value of award £2,100

Applicant: Prof Chris Dowson and Prof Peter Mills
Supervisors: Prof Chris Dowson and Prof Peter Mills
Title: Pseudomonas in mushrooms; pathogenicity assessments
At: Biological Sciences and Warwick HRI. [Address to Prof Peter Mills, Warwick HRI, Wellesbourne, Warwick, CV35 9EF
Student: Eleanor Pinnock
Time: 10 weeks; Value of award £2,500

Applicant: Dr Anna Gordon
Supervisor: Dr Anna Gordon
Title: Using molecular diagnostics to unravel pea downy mildew epidemiology and evolution
At: Centre for Disease Resistance and Diagnostics, NIAB, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 0LE
Student: Quynh Trang To
Time: 10 weeks; Value of award £2,500

Applicant: Dr Elaine Ward
Supervisor: Dr Elaine Ward
Title: Analysis of interactions between isolates of Polymyxa species, their plant hosts and the viruses they transmit.
At: Plant Pathogen Interactions Division, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 2JQ
Student: Sahil Chouhan
Time: 10 weeks; Value of award £2,500

Applicant: Dr Alexander Hilton
Supervisor: Dr Alex Hilton
Title: Weeds and crop plants as hosts for Colletotrichum coccodes
At: Select Services, SAC, Ferguson Building, Bucksburn, Aberdeen
Student: Derek Johnston Selbie
Time: 10 weeks; Value of award £2,500

Applicant: Dr Kim Hammond-Kosack
Supervisors: Dr Kim Hammond-Kosack, Dr Martin Urban, Dr Chris Bass, Thomas Baldwin.
Title: Identification and characterisation of Fusarium graminearum mutants reduced in pathogenicity on wheat ears
At: Plant-Pathogen Interaction Division, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts AL5 2JQ|
Student: Pierre Carion
Time: 10 weeks; Value of award £2,500

Applicant: Dr Robert Henry Arnold Coutts
Supervisors: Dr Robert Henry Arnold Coutts
Title: Understanding the virology of Phytophthora endornavirus 1
At: Division of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Rd, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ
Student: Katarina Grznarova
Time: 10 weeks; Value of award £2,500

Applicant: Prof Sarah Gurr
Supervisors: Prof Sarah Gurr and Prof Andrew Smith
Title: Metal hyper-accumulation in plants: an effective elemental defence against fungal pathogens?
At: Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3RB
Student: Catherine Charter
Time: 10 weeks; Value of award £2,500  

Student Bursaries Awarded 2005

Student: Theresa Renee Ball, Supervisors: Dr. Matthew Dickinson, University of Nottingham
Project: Development of improved PCR-based techniques for phytoplasma identification and classification

Student: Rebecca Elizabeth Miller, Supervisor: Dr. Vivian C. Blok, Scottish Crop Research Institute
Project: Detection and quantification of Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida in Scottish soil samples

Student: Susanne Ude, Supervisor: Dr. Robert Henry Coutts, Imperial College London
Project: Development of an Arabidopsis infection model for Burkholderia cepacia

Student: Calum Davis, Supervisor: Dr. Gail M. Preston, University of Oxford
Project: Disease resistance in metal-hyperaccumulating plants

Student: Michael Richard Todd, Supervisor: Dr. Gary Loake, University of Edinburgh
Project: A screen of genetic modifiers of Atgsnor1-3

Student: Xiaoqiang Zhang, Supervisor: Dr. Avice M. Hall, University of Hertfordshire
Project: Calibration and quantification of molecular tests for Podosphaera aphanis

Student: Hye Min Kim, Supervisor: Prof. Sarah Gurr, University of Oxford
Project: Adhesives associated with the appresorial germ tube

Student: Kimberley Anne Oldham, Supervisor: Dr. Kim Hammond-Kosack, Rothamsted Research
Project: Use of the TILLING technique and diploid wheat to define critical defence signalling components for hexaploid wheat

Student: Kevin K. Booth, Supervisor: Dr. Fiona Doohan, UCD, Ireland
Project: The role of polyamines in the response of wheat to trichothecene mycotoxins

Student Bursaries Awarded 2004

Student: Helen Lovell, Supervisor: Dr. Dawn Arnold, Centre for Research in Plant Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol
Project: An investigation into the effect of the avirulence gene avrPpiG on plant cell signalling in bean and Arabidopsis.

Student: Sarah Lee, Supervisor: Dr. Kim Hammond-Kosack, Rothamsted Research
Project: Identification and characterisation of Fusarium graminearum mutants reduced in pathogenicity on wheat ears.

Student: Laura Deakin, Supervisor: Dr. Sarah Gurr, University of Oxford
Project: Secreted protein identification in Magnaporthe grisea.

Student: Peter Davenport, Supervisor: Prof. George Salmond, University of Cambridge
Project: Exploiting bacterial viruses as functional genomic probes for new surface virulence determinants in Erwinia.

Student: Genevieve Lawlor, Supervisor: Dr. Fiona Doohan, UCD, Ireland
Project:. Effect of Fusarium mycotoxins on plant cells

Student: Laura Taylor, Supervisor: Dr. Richard Amey, Centre for Research in Plant Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol
Project: A proteomic approach to the identification of proteins differentially regulated during Peronospora viciae infection in susceptible and resistant pea cultivars.

Student: Stephanie Gardham, Supervisor: Dr. Stephen Rossall, University of Nottingham
Project: The effect of fungicides on malting barley quality.

Student Bursaries Awarded 2003

Student: Mike Andrews, Supervisor: Dr. Adrian C. Newton, Scottish Crop Research Institute
Project: Development of resistance gene pedigree analysis tools for barley and integrated database for pathogen genotype and phenotype data.

Student: Hannah Stickland, Supervisor: Dr. Paul Dyer, Nottingham University
Project: Development of tRNA fingerprinting for analysis of the cereal eyespot pathogen Tapesia

Student: Ana Maria Martin Sanchez, Supervisor: Dr. Robert Coutts, Imperial College, London.
Project: Completion of the genome sequence of curcubit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV) RNA 1

Student: Alexa Fears, Supervisor: Dr. Neal Evans, Rothamsted Research
Project: Analysis and modelling of airborne Leptosphaeria maculans ascospore concentration changes ver time

Student: Catherine Kerr, Supervisor: Dr. Ruairidh Bain, SAC
Project: Phytophthora infestans: the role of latent infection of seed tubers in the epidemiology of potato late blight

Student: Mary Cavanagh, Supervisor: Dr. Sarah Gurr, University of Oxford
Project: Erysiphae graminis and the role of aquaporin channels in primary and appressorial germ tube development

Student: Katy Jordan, Supervisor: Dr. Gail Preston, University of Oxford
Project: Characterisation of lytic factors in Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25

Student: Angela Gillies, Supervisor: Dr. Vivian Blok, Scottish Crop Research Institute
Project: Investigation of a unique promoter trap population of potato by nematode challenge, molecular analysis and confocal microscopy

Student: Angela McGahern, Supervisor: Dr. Fiona Doohan, University College Dublin
Project: In vivo analysis of novel mycotoxin-responsive wheat genes

Student Bursaries Awarded 2002

Jenny Bowers, University of Bristol, to work with Gary Foster on T-DNA tagging in the mycopathogen Verticillium fungicola.

George McCallum, University of Strathclyde to work with Michael Mattey on the effect of a chitin synthase inhibitor on Plasmodiophora brassicae infections of cabbage.

Marianne Mitchell, St. Catherine’s College, University of Oxford, to work with Sally Francis, IACR Broom’s Barn, on microscopic and molecular studies of sugar beet powdery mildew.

Karen Parker, University of Nottingham, to work with Matt Dickinson on regulation of gene expression through DNA methylation during wheat rust development.

Ben Pascoe, University of Hertfordshire, to work with Avice Hall on the control of Diplocarpon rosae and other foliar diseases on roses via Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR). 

Christelle Pinsard, Ecole Nationale Superieur d’Agronomie et des Industries Alimentaire, France, to work with Helen Grogan, Horticulture Research International, on transmission of mushroom virus X (MVX): cropping experiments using fresh spores.

Joanna Woodrow, St. Hilda’s College, University of Oxford, to work with Hannah Jones, The Eden Project, St. Austell, on an investigation in to the use of aromatic (essential) oils for the control of phytopathogenic diseases, using the plant pathogen Botrytis cinerea as a representative fungal species.

Sarah Usher, University of the West of England, to work with Dawn Arnold on the use of a direct optical sensor to detect plant/bacteria interacting proteins.

Student Bursaries Awarded 2001

Reports by the students on their projects appear in the Spring 2002 issue (no. 41) of BSPP News.

Thomas Winter, University of Cambridge, to work with George Salmond, University of Cambridge, on analysis of new quorum sensing gene loci by hybridisation, allelic exchange and mutagenesis in Erwinia carotovora.

Kulvinder Kaur, University of Oxford, to work with Peter Mills and Michael Challen, HRI Wellesbourne, on molecular characterisation of a novel dsRNA mushroom virus.

Susan Atwell, Imperial College at Wye, to work with Murray Grant, Imperial College at Wye, on genetic characterisation of resistance in Arabidopsis to important Brassica isolates of  Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris.

Catherine Eyre, University of Oxford, to work with Ziguo Zhang, University of Oxford, on powdery mildew: coping with the hostile environment of the plant.

Carolyn Green, University of Paisley, to work with Julie Eastgate, University of Paisley, on studies into the interaction between the phytopathogen Erwinia amylovora and cultured apple cells.

Martin Croft, University of Birmingham, to work with Clive Bock, IACR-Rothamsted, on the fitness cost of fungicide resistance in Rhychosporium secalis, causal agent of leaf blotch of barley.

Goulielmos Garifallou, University of Wolverhampton, to work with Peter Jenkinson, Harper Adams University College, on preliminary survey of the incidence of anastomosis groups of Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn in potato crops in the UK.

Dewi S. Davies, University of Wales, Bangor, to work with David Cooke, SCRI Dundee, on development and use of molecular markers for studying late blight population biology.

Robert Rees, University of Edinburgh, to work with Ulrike Krauss, CATIE, Costa Rica, on enhancing the germination of Gliocladium spp. for the purpose of biological control of cocoa pathogens.

Student Bursaries Awarded 2000

Reports by the students on their projects appear in the Spring 2001 issue (no. 38) of BSPP News.

Marianne White (University of Glasgow) working with Tony Reglinski at HortResearch, New Zealand on "Combining SAR and ISR to enhance disease resistance of hydroponically grown glasshouse tomatoes"

Helen Wicks (University of Nottingham) working with Dr Neal Evans at IACR - Rothamsted on "Cultural and molecular analysis of the UK Leptosphaeria maculans (stem canker) population"

Charlotte Hogg (Strathclyde University/SAC) working with Dr Peter Scott at CAB International on "Information required for quarantine pest risk analysis (PRA)"

David Chilton (Brunel University) working with Dr B D L Fitt at IACR - Rothamsted on "Resistance of Mycosphaerella linicola to MBC fungicides"

Joanne Perkins (University of Birmingham) working with Dr Jonathan R Green (University of Birmingham) on "Development of appressoria of the bean anthracnose fungus Colletotrichum lindemuthianum"

Elizabeth M Byron (University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire) working with Avice M Hall at the University of Hertfordshire on "Fungicide resistance in Diplocarpon rosae"

Student Bursaries Awarded 1999

Reports by the students on their projects appear in the Spring 2000 issue (no. 36) of BSPP News.

Alison Carmichael, University of  Hertfordshire, to work with Avice Hall on "Biocontrol of Leptosphaeria maculans with Cyathus sp."

Angela Feechan, University of Edinburgh, to  work with Gary Loake on "Identification of novel disease resistance genes by functional genomics"

Lorna Hall, University of Strathclyde, to  work with Ruairidh Bain, SAC Auchincruive, on "Resistance of aerial tubers to potato blackleg (Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica)"

Hardip Kaur, University of Birmingham, to  work with Nicola Spence, HRI Wellesbourne, on "Using molecular diagnostics to investigate emerging plant virus problems in  the UK protected ornamentals industry"

Helen Meakin, University of Nottingham, to  work with Paul Dyer on "Population biology of eyespot disease of cereals caused by Tapesia"

Russell Palmer, University of Wales, Bangor,  to work with Jim Duncan, SCRI, Dundee, on "The development of co-dominant markers to study the population biology of Phytophthora infestans"

Steven Piper, Napier University, Edinburgh,  to work with Ulrike Krauss, CATIE, Costa Rica on "Biocontrol of cocoa disease"

Kenneth Ross, University of Aberdeen, to  work with Rob Clayton, SAC Aberdeen, on "Systemic induced resistance to late blight in tomatoes"

Elizabeth Sims, University of Hertfordshire,  to work with Roger Williams, IACR Rothamsted, on "Integrated air sampling and PCR-based assays for the detection of ascospores of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum"

Caroline Smith, University of Nottingham, to  work with John Mansfield, Wye College, University of London, on "Screening of Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola avr mutants on bean"

Anthony Scott-Tucker, University of  Birmingham, to work with Dez Barbara, HRI Wellesbourne, on "Molecular diversity among isolates of raspberry bushy dwarf virus  and its relation to epidemiology"

David Thomsom, University of Strathclyde, to  work with Mark McQuilken, SAC Auchincruive, on "Distribution of fungicide-resistant strains of Botrytis cinerea in ericaceous plant nurseries in the west of  Scotland and the evaluation of novel fungicides"

Annabel Whibley, Magdalen College,  University of Oxford, to work with Sarah Gurr, Department of Plant Sciences, on "Cyclic AMP signal and germ tube differentiation in  the tomato powdery mildew fungus"