ThePlantVirologyprogramatUWAunderProf.RogerJonesisacollaborativeonewiththePlantVirologyresearchteamattheDepartmentofAgricultureandFoodWesternAustralia(DAFWA)headedbyMsBrendaCoutts.AllprojectswillhavethebenefitandsecurityofjointsupervisionandenjoyastrongnetworkofsupportfromUWAandDAFWA.Itisthisgroups’visiontofosterplantvirologyinterestandskills developmentin each generation ofstudents passingthroughUWA. Wecurrentlyhaveactiveresearchactivitiesstudyingvirusdiseasesandtheirvectorsingrains(currentlyofwheat,canola,pea,lupin),vegetables(cucurbits,potatoes,tomatoes,capsicums,brassicas),pastureplants(tedera,annualmedic)andwildflowers.Examplesincludeprojectsdevelopinginnovativereal-timePCRproceduresforlarge-scaledetectionofmiteandfungusvectoredvirusesofwheat;identifyingthecauseofblackpodsyndromeinlupin;studyingtheresistancephenoptypesandgenescontrollingthemingermpasmofbrassicaspeciesincludingcanola,mustardsanddiversevegetablebrassicas;investigatingthegenescontrollingresistancetoaphid-vectoredandcontacttransmittedvirusesinpotato;unravelingthecauseofviroidoutbreaksintomato;andstudyingtheetiologyandepidemiologyofSolanaceousvegetablevirusesinWA.Also,aprogramisplannedthatwilllookatthecauses,impactandepidemiologyofvirusdiseasesinfectingnewalternative pasture legumes and grasses. Researchisalsounderwaytoidentifyandunderstandthebiologicalandmolecularpropertiesofvirusesthreateningnativeplantsattheinterfacebetweennaturalandmanagedvegetation,atminesitesandinwildflowernurseries.
Examples of4thYear Project, BSc Honours or MScIdeas:
Characterisationofvirusresistancepathotypesandgenesinfabaandcommonbean.Somefabaandcommonbeancultivarscontainresistancegenesspecifictodifferentviruspathotypes.Weneedtounravelthe relationships between viruspathotypes and cultivars with resistance.
Howdoperennialpasturespeciesrespondtoinvasionbyviruses?Weknowsurprisinglylittleaboutthethreatsposedtoperennialpasturelegumesbyviruses.Giventheconsiderableresearchactivitycurrentlyunderwayon perennialpasture grasses and legumes atUWA,we are ideallyplaced to studythis here.