Study level

  • Honours

Faculty/School

Faculty of Science

School of Biology and Environmental Science

Topic status

We're looking for students to study this topic.

Research centre

Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy

Supervisors

Dr Anthony James
Position
Senior Research Fellow - Plant Pathology (Banana Biotechnology Program)
Division / Faculty
Faculty of Science
Dr Jean-Yves Paul
Position
Senior Research Fellow
Division / Faculty
Faculty of Science
Dr Jacinta Watkins
Position
Research Fellow - Plant Molecular Biology
Division / Faculty
Faculty of Science

Overview

Bananas (Musa spp.) are one of the most important fruit crops worldwide and are consumed by millions of people as a staple food. However, bananas are under threat from a wide range of fungal, bacterial and viral diseases which significantly impact their production and quality. Salicylic acid plays a key role in plant-microbe interactions and acts as a vital component in systemic acquired resistance (SAR), enabling plants to mount a long-lasting defence response against a wide range of pathogens. In species such as tomato, rice and Arabidopsis, the manipulation of salicylic acid metabolism has shown to enhance systemic acquired resistance to several diseases. Downy-Mildew Resistant 6 (DMR6) is an important and well characterised gene encoding a salicylic acid 5-hydroxylase involved in salicylic acid metabolism. We have identified several DMR6 homologs in the banana genome, however, the function and activity of these enzymes is yet to be determined.

This project aims to characterise several DMR6 homologs from banana in vitro.

Research activities

This project will provide students the opportunity to learn a variety of molecular biology, biochemistry and analytical techniques including:

  • Recombinant expression of proteins in E. coli.
  • Protein purification using immobilised metal affinity chromatography (IMAC).
  • Protein analysis by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting.
  • In vitro enzyme assays.
  • HPLC or LCMS.

Outcomes

This work will improve our knowledge of salicylic acid metabolism in banana and help identify functional DMR6 genes in this important crop. These may serve as gene editing targets to improve the resistance of banana to various pathogens.

Skills and experience

This project would suit students interested in:

  • Molecular biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Plant biotechnology

Scholarships

You may be eligible to apply for a research scholarship.

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Keywords

Contact

Contact the supervisor for more information.