Fusarium avenaceum as a pathogen of cereals and pulses in Europe and Canada

Fusarium avenaceum causes Fusarium Head Blight, a devastating disease affecting cereal crops, and in Root Rot in pulses; diseases that significantly impact Canadian and European farmers. Different strains of F. avenaceum can harbor strain-specific biosynthetic gene clusters that produce mycotoxins which give rise to particularly virulent strains. In this context, the intent of this Globalink Research proposal is to identify discriminant mycotoxins produced between F. avenaceum strains and to investigate the potential role that these molecules might have upon disease onset of root rot in pulses. The proposed Globalink Research project will involve two scientific research groups with complementary scientific skills in: genomics and microscopy at the Mycology and Food Security (MycSA) research unit of the French Research Institute for Agriculture and Environment (INRAE), and metabolomics and gene-editing at Carleton University and the Ottawa Research and Development Center (Agriculture & AgriFood Canada). The Globalink Research project will provide new information regarding F. avenaceum intraspecific variability, contribute to the enrichment of the PhD candidate’s thesis project, and identify key mycotoxin virulence factors involved in F. avenaceum root rot of pulses – potential targets for disease mitigation.

Faculty Supervisor:

David Overy

Student:

Partner:

Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture and Food; Life Sciences (not health)

University:

Carleton University

Program: