We recruited 15 ESRs and implemented a four-phase training program, giving them experience and knowledge in transferable skills such as scientific communication and subject specific training courses linked to our research program, which was adapted due to the covid19 pandemic. As part of the adapted training program the ESRs worked together in online teams to write and produce a series of review articles published in the journal Fungal Biology Reviews, (special issue, volume 40, June 2022), on topics related to the PROTECTA research objectives.Our project has identified new effectors in phytopathogens such as Phytophthora infestans, Phytophthora cactorum, Aphanomyces euteiches, Aphanomyces cochlioides, animal pathogens including Saprolegnia parasitica and the mycoparasites Pythium oligandrum and Pythium periplocum. These findings have greatly advanced our understanding of how the hosts of these species defend themselves, identifying new components of plant immunity and investigating if activation of such immune responses comes with fitness costs. We tested mycoparasitic oomycetes as biostimulators and biocontrol agents for crops including legumes, potatoes and wheat. By studying the host-range and longevity of tree pathogenic oomycetes and modeling what will happen under a changing climate, combined with a systematic review of the literature, published as 5 reviews, we are now better equipped to determine and manage the future risks posed by oomycetes across our different sectors.
In Aphanomyces euteiches we identified a new secreted effector that facilitates infection. In the Phytophthora infestans-Solanum pathosystem, we have identified receptor(s) that bind to members of a new, fastly evolving effector family, and we have also discovered that the host plant activates immune proteases through a proteolytic cascade, which P. infestans inhibits by secreting EPI1. We have new lines of potato that may carry more durable resistance to late blight. We have identified determinants of mycoparasitism in Pythium oligandrum. We performed a pilot study to test if effector-assisted breeding, can be transferred to strawberry. We discovered a species of Gluconobacter that can protect Pine trees from root rot, and collected oomycete samples from production and natural forest ecosystems to assess species diversity in this landscape. We have also developed diploid, near-isogenic potato lines carrying different combinations of Resistance (R) genes, which are currently being exploited in the breeding programs at Solynta. 21 scientific papers have so far been published, and several more are in the pipeline. The ESRs have also attended scientific conferences, met with stakeholders and communicated their research widely. Popular science articles for policy makers and other stakeholders have also been published.
