Undergraduate Vacation Bursary Reports 2021

These are all the reports from our BSPP funded Undergraduate Bursaries in 2021

Click here to read more and apply for one yourself.

 

Uncovering the role of key resistance genes in the defence against aphids

29th April 2022

Aphids are small sap-sucking insects of the Aphidoidea superfamily. They have evolved to feed on the phloem of vascular plants …

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Relationship between biofilm formation, bacteriophage biocontrol and pathogenicity of Pseudomonas syringae on plant hosts

29th April 2022

Over 10 weeks in summer 2021 I have worked on a research project exploring the relationship between biofilm formation, bacteriophage …

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Investigating the duration of transcriptional memory in response to flg22

29th April 2022

Despite lacking an adaptive immune system, plants display memory of past encounters with pathogens. Plants that have been previously exposed …

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Investigating the helper NLR, NRG1, and associations formed during the effector-triggered immune response

29th April 2022

The helper NLR, NRG1, has been shown to associate with EDS1 family proteins in response to pathogen recognition in plants. …

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Genetic basis of resistance against Pyrenopeziza brassicae in Brassica napus

29th April 2022

Pyrenopeziza brassicae is a fungal pathogen that is the causative agent of Light leaf spot (LLS) disease that affects Brassicae …

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Investigating the effect of different growing media on the cultivation of Nicotiana benthamiana for Cassava Brown Streak Virus research

29th April 2022

This summer, I completed a 6-week research project with Dr Andy Bailey and Dr Fran Robson at the University of …

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The use of UV-C irradiation for the decontamination of growth rooms and glass houses

29th April 2022

UV-C irradiation has spiked up a lot of interest recently, especially in regards to how this system can be used …

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Environmental Pseudomonas isolation, identification, and characterisation

29th April 2022

Infection by Pseudomonas syringae is the lead cause of bacterial canker, a disease affecting the global industries of cherries, plums …

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Investigation into the effect of Cucumber mosaic virus infection on Arabidopsis thaliana under cold conditions

29th April 2022

Food security is an issue of increasing concern as agricultural systems become highly intensified and yields near their forecasted ceiling. …

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Harnessing pathogenicity mechanisms to engineer plants tolerant to heat stress

29th April 2022

Over summer, I spent 8 weeks in the Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre, working in the lab of Prof. Vardis …

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Investigating UK-wide barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) strain variation through informative genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis

29th April 2022

Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) is considered the most destructive viral pathogen infecting cereal crops worldwide with limited strategies for …

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Investigating the role of CHR4 in WRR7-mediated Arabidopsis immunity to a White Blister Rust Pathogen

29th April 2022

The Brassicacea family includes many important crop species, such as broccoli, cabbage, and rapeseed. Therefore, pathogens and pests that interfere …

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Mapping the genome of the wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici

29th April 2022

Zymoseptoria tritici (Zt, anamorph Septoria tritici) is the causative agent of Septoria tritici blotch (STB), which is one of the …

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Interactions between Leptosphaeria maculans and L. biglobosa and the effect of their secondary metabolites on the fungal pathogens of oilseed rape (Brassica napus), Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Verticillium longisporum

29th April 2022

The fungal pathogens Leptosphaeria maculans (Lm) and L. biglobosa (Lb) cause phoma stem canker on oilseed rape resulting yield losses …

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Characterising three yellow rust infection associated genes in wheat through VIGS

29th April 2022

Wheat is a staple crop for many in the world, making up 20% of its calorific intake and playing a …

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B-cin Quest: Developing a curated database and workflow for searching for existing and novel bacteriocins produced by plant pathogenic bacteria

29th April 2022

The potato crop has estimated losses of over £750M globally each year due to Blackleg disease, which in the UK …

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Can a prophage within the bacteria Pseudomonas syringae transfer genes between bacteria?

29th April 2022

The goal of my project was to observe the role of prophages in the transfer of effector genes in the …

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Identification and clone more durable resistances towards major potato pathogens

29th April 2022

My project was supervised by Dr Ingo Hein at the James Hutton Institute. The research project aimed to identify and …

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The role of hydrophilin proteins in mediating antibiotic tolerance in Pseudomonas syringae and P. aeruginosa

29th April 2022

The bacteria Pseudomonas syringae infects over 180 plant species, resulting in major yield and economic losses. Of the same genus, …

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Understanding the effect of elevated CO2 in disease resistance to powdery mildew in 150 year-old oaks

29th April 2022

The research group where I worked this summer have discovered that elevated CO2 evokes a change in the immune system …

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Characterising fungal nutrient transporters and their importance to Fusarium Head Blight of wheat

29th April 2022

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a fungal disease of cereals which reduces crop yields and grain quality. It also poses …

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Understanding the limits of a broad host-range oomycete pathogen: How do Arabidopsis leaves resist Phytophthora palmivora infection

29th April 2022

This summer I was very fortunate to join Dr Phil Carella’s lab at the John Innes Centre in Norwich to …

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Exploiting metabolomics to unravel priming of defence in oak seedlings

29th April 2022

Defence priming acts as a plant’s adaptive immune system – it increases sensitivity following prior experience to allow a faster …

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Environment sensing in fusarium head blight of wheat: tampering with the senses

29th April 2022

Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum, is a pervasive floral disease of cereals from wheat to maize. As …

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