New tools to study plant parasite effectors at the interaction interface

• Funding – BBSRC funded 4 year studentship, providing tuition fees, training/research costs and an annual stipend at the UKRI rate, currently £21,805
• Start Date – September 2027
• Applicants are expected to have a degree (equivalent of Honours or Masters) in a relevant discipline

Plant parasites form close associations with their host plants and deliver suites of effector molecules, including proteins, inside their host essential for infection or infestation. Effector repertoires (proteins) have been identified for a wide range of plant parasites, including fungi, oomycetes, bacteria, nematodes and more recently herbivorous insects. Importantly, a recent study by the Bos Lab (in collaboration with the Huitema Lab) showed that effectors from an oomycete pathogen and aphid pest target the same host proteins, in this case and E3 SUMO ligase SIZ1, pointing to convergence of independently evolved infection and infestation strategies. 

However, despite progress in the effector biology field, the study of effectors remains challenging due to limitations associated with the genetic transformation of certain pathogens and pests, and with the study of endogenous proteins during host-parasite interactions. For example, while gene editing was shown to work in a single aphid species, this approach is extremely challenging and not widely used or available. Moreover, gene silencing assays in aphids lack robustness due to inconsistent silencing efficiency. The development of new tools to study effectors will help address important questions as to when and where in the host effector proteins are delivered, localised, and potentially active, and what the impact is of disrupting effector activities on virulence. 

In this project we aim to develop new tools to explore effector functions during plant-parasite interactions. The overall research objectives of this project are:

1) To screen for and identify novel effector nanobodies suitable for functional studies.

2) Develop and apply novel assays to characterise effectors during host interactions. 

The student will receive training in and undertake nanobody screens using yeast surface display, protein expression and purification approaches, affinity binding assays. In addition, the student will perform in planta expression and characterisation of nanobodies and the corresponding effectors, which will include approaches based on confocal microscopy. 

Our research community thrives on the diversity of students and staff which helps to make the University of Dundee a UK university of choice for postgraduate research. We welcome applications from all talented individuals and are committed to widening access to those who have the ability and potential to benefit from higher education. 

The student will be hosted in the groups of Dr. Jorunn Bos and Prof. Paul Birch (Department of Plant Sciences, University of Dundee/The James Hutton Institute).

Our research community thrives on the diversity of students and staff which helps to make the University of Dundee a UK university of choice for postgraduate research.  We welcome applications from all talented individuals and are committed to widening access to those who have the ability and potential to benefit from higher education.