TO DEFINE A SATISFACTORY METHOD THAT IS ENVIRONMENTALLY ACCEPTABLE TO COMBAT THE PATHOGENIC ROOT INHABITING BASIDIOMYCETE FUNGUS FOMES ANNOSUS. SUCH A METHOD WOULD BE OF REAL ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPORTANCE WITHIN THE EC.

THE PROJECT IS DESIGNED TOWARDS DEVELOPING METHODS OF COMBATING THE PATHOGENIC BASIDIOMYCETE FOMES ANNOSUS. THIS FUNGUS IS GENERALLY ACCEPTED AS THE MAJOR FOREST PATHOGEN IN EUROPE. IT IS PROPOSED TO ESTABLISH THE PART PLAYED BY THE MYCOTOXIN(S) PRODUCED BY THE FUNGUS AND TO EXAMINE THE BEHAVIOUR IN THE HOST CELL. RADIO-LABELLED AND 13C-LABELLED PRECURSORS WILL BE SYNTHETISED FOR THE BIOSYNTHETIC STUDIES AND CELL TISSUE STUDIES. THE LONG TERM RESULT OF THIS STUDY SHOULD LEAD TO THE PRODUCTION OF RESISTANT CONIFER SPECIES.