Lifereborn - The Life Weavers Retreat

Youre telling me the bartender is a mouse? Shes a girl whos a mouse? *chuckles warmly* That's pretty out there. I'm too old for that kind of thing, but you have fun with that. *to myself after you walk away, but with no trace of spite in my voice* A bartender who's a mouse... what will they think of next?

Plant Immune System Part 3

The plant immune system is the topic of my PhD thesis, which I'm currently writing following several years of lab-based research as a PhD student at Imperial College London under the supervision of Professor Colin Turnbull.

Here's an introduction to my research, which focused on how certain plants defend themselves against aphids.

Aphids are an important insect pest that threaten agriculture worldwide. As we learned in the previous post, plant resistance (R) genes control resistance to specific pests and pathogens through interaction with effectors from the invaders. Since examples of R gene-dependent aphid resistance have been documented in different plant species, aphid-specific R genes may enable the development of resistant crops.

In the model plant Medicago truncatula, there are some varieties that are resistant to aphids and other varieties that are susceptible to Pea Aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum). Whether the plant is resistant also depends on the variety of aphid. In my project, the A17 plant is resistant to PS01 aphids but not to N116 aphids, while the DZA plant is susceptible to both aphid varieties.

What is the key difference in the resistant versus susceptible plants? Resistant A17 plants have a portion of their genome “Resistance to Acyrthosiphon pisum 1” (RAP1) which determines resistance to PS01 aphids, but the genes controlling the defence response and physiological defence mechanisms remain unknown. Two candidate R genes located in RAP1, designated “RAP1A” and “RAP1B”, may control resistance.

My main objective in my PhD project has been to determine whether RAP1A and RAP1B control aphid resistance, and to investigate the RAP1-mediated defence response. I look forward to sharing the findings in publications and in talks next year!

Image credit: Original diagram by Katia Hougaard with images from the Turnbull Lab.

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Lacking chlorophyll Dodder (genus Cuscuta) has evolved a parasitic relationship with it’s host plants for water and nutrients. It invades its hosts using specialized structures called haustoria, which penetrate the host plant's vascular system to extract resources - sounds like a 1950s horror thriller. Not welcome on farms as it reduces crop yields.

Y'all, I just won €400 in a Science Slam competition that is going toward my research, and I want to thank all of you for being my audience for the last few years. Without this space where I can practice my science communication and my bad lichen jokes, I wouldn't have done nearly as well. Much love to you!

See me here looking extremely uncomfortable to be perceived by others

plants love being polyploid its one of their favorite things to be

I'd love to know the story behind whoever left their wedding album in the spring cleaning pile next to my lab.

Fear