Uncovering How Plants Contain Disease

When plants are infected by pathogens, they have an incredible ability to contain the threat and protect themselves via plant disease resistance genes. Traditionally, scientists have understood that this defence involves a process called programmed cell death, which creates a local “hypersensitive response” to contain the pathogen. Scientists know this defence happens, but the exact way plants manage to stop infections is still a mystery.

This new project, led by Professor Murray Grant from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Warwick and Professor Sureshkumar Balasubramanian from the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University, aims to find out whether tiny molecules called small RNAs (sRNAs) play key signalling roles in this process. These molecules act like messengers, controlling which genes are switched on or off, and could hold the secret to how plants contain infections.

The team will begin by analysing existing pathogen infection time-course data to look for patterns in RNA activity during disease and defense responses. Later, they’ll investigate how temperature affects plant defences, focussing on sRNAs, something that could become increasingly important as the climate changes.

By uncovering these hidden processes, the project could lead to new ways of protecting crops from disease, helping farmers grow healthier plants and supporting global food security.