Project Details
Description
Phytophthora infestans causes the devastating late blight disease on potato and tomato. Its high adaptability allows P. infestans to easily build up pesticide resistance or avoid recognition by resistant cultivars. The resulting arms race requires continuous investments in the development of novel control strategies. To facilitate this development, we propose to set up a novel microscopic assay for quantitative screening of the P. infestans infection efficiency. By quantitatively assessing the infection process of P. infestans, we will categorize phenotypic traits such as cyst germination, hyphal growth and appressorium formation, and use these as indicators for the infection efficiency of the pathogen. In collaboration with experts specialized in developing microlayers for advanced microscopy, we will create plant cell wall mimics with a variation of physical properties to investigate hitherto unstudied physical aspects of the infection process, including adherence to the plant cell wall, penetration force of appressoria, and how physical properties of the plant cell wall affect the infection process. Through automation of microscopy and data processing, we will show the potential of this assay as a quantitative, fast and high-throughput method. Finally, we will assess the assay’s predictive value by comparing results obtained from this assay with that in vivo assays. Such a quantitative microscopic assay for infection efficiency (qMIE-assay) of P. infestans is unprecedented. It can be used to quantitatively predict the efficacy of crop protection agents, and the effects of cell wall properties on pathogen penetration, thereby serving both the agrochemical industry and plant breeding companies.
Status | Finished |
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Effective start/end date | 1/11/19 → 1/11/23 |
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