The fungal pathosystem of rice sheath rot

Mathieu Mahillon (postdoctoral researcher) 

Following a PhD in plant pathology at UCLouvain (Belgium) and a postdoc at Agroscope (Switzerland), I currently focus my research on fungi causing rice sheath rot. This devastating disease, occurring in tropical and subtropical regions, can be induced by various species of Fusarium and Sarocladium. How these pathogens influence each another in terms of pathogenicity and transmission rates remains largely unexplored. To address this gap, I will conduct co-inoculation assays using isolates from Sub-Saharan Africa. The infections will be monitored using fluorescent strains, quantitative PCR, and mycotoxin quantification. Additionally, I aim to assemble genomes of these fungi, which will enable comparative genomics and reverse genetics studies. These analyses will have a particular focus on the vast, but underexplored, arsenal of secondary metabolites produced by these fungi.