Anna is a molecular plant pathologist with a keen interest in understanding the mechanics of plant pathogen interactions. She obtained her PhD whilst working at HRI-Wellesbourne where she cloned the functional Resistance gene, RPP1 from Arabidopsis that recognises elicitors from the oomycete Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis.
Following a post-doc at the University of Manchester Anna joined NIAB, working in the plant pathogen diagnostics laboratory and gained rounded crop-focussed pathology knowledge.
Anna is now in the Genetics and Breeding department of NIAB and she has two areas of interest. Firstly on the interaction between the ergot fungus Claviceps purpurea and hexaploid wheat, where Anna identified QTL for resistance, and more recently has conducted transcriptome analysis to identify differential expression of host and pathogen genes as the infection progresses.
Secondly Anna is exploring non-host resistance working with Lesley Boyd, and the function of Receptor-Like Kinases from barley and how they may affect wheat-adapted powdery mildew infection.
Recent publications:
Gordon A, Basler R, Bansept-Basler P, Fanstone V, Harinarayan L, Grant P. K, Birchmore R, Bayles R. A, Boyd L A and O'Sullivan D. M (2015). The identification of QTL controlling ergot sclerotia size in hexaploid wheat implicates a role for the Rht dwarfing alleles. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 128. Pp. 2447-2460. Abstract
Volpi C, Raiola A, Janni M, Gordon A, O'Sullivan D. M, Favaron F and D'Ovidio R (2013). Claviceps purpurea expressing polygalacturonases escaping PGIP inhibition fully infects PvPGIP2 wheat transgenic plants but its infection is delayed in wheat transgenic plants with increased level of pectin methyl esterification. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 73. pp. 294-301. Abstract