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CANBERRA ACT 2601 AUSTRALIA
Biography
Dr Dodds' research focuses on fungal rust diseases of plants, which constitute one of the most significant threats to cereal crops worldwide. The recent emergence and spread of highly virulent wheat stem rust strains in Africa, including Ug99, is of particular concern to world food security.
Dr Dodds' has used the pathogenic interaction between flax and the flax rust fungus as a model for understanding the basis of rust disease as well as host resistance mechanisms. Resistance to rust disease is governed by the gene-for-gene model, where resistance depends on an interaction between host resistance (R) genes pathogen avirulence (Avr) genes.
Host R proteins constitute the recognition components of the plant innate immunity system and function to recognise specific proteins produced by the pathogen, the Avr proteins, and then induce a localised defence response that prevents infection.
Our work in the model flax rust system identified rust Avr proteins as members of a class of small secreted proteins that are translocated into host cells during infection as disease effectors that promote infection. We have corroborated these observations in cereal rusts through the identification of numerous resistance proteins from wheat and recently the first Avr genes from wheat stem rust, Puccinia graminis fsp tritici.
Current work in the group focuses on:
• molecular basis of recognition of rust Avr proteins by plant R proteins
• the mechanism of R protein activation and signalling in model and crop plants
• improving resistance breeding in wheat through DNA markers for R genes
• identification of wheat stem rust Avr genes
• the mechanism of translocation of rust effector proteins into plant cells
• functions of rust effectors in disease.
Academic Qualifications
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1991
BSC(hons)
University of Melbourne -
1996
PhD
University of Melbourne
Achievements and Awards
-
2022-2022
Highly Cited Researcher
Clarivate/Web of Science -
2021-2021
Highly Cited Researcher
Clarivate/Web of Science -
2020-2020
Highly Cited Researcher
Clarivate/Web of Science -
2019- 2019
Highly Cited Researcher
Clarivate/Web of Science -
2018- 2018
Highly Cited Researcher
Clarivate/Web of Science -
2017- 2017
Co-operative Research Program Fellowship
OECD -
2017-2017
CSIRO Chairman's Medal
CSIRO -
2016-2016
Highly Cited Researcher
Clarivate/Web of Science -
2013-2013
Gene Stewardship Award
Borlaug Global Rust Initiative -
2012-2012
Fellow
Australian Academy of Science -
2007-2007
Fenner Medal
Australian Academy of Science -
2006-2006
Peter Goldacre Award
Australian Society of Plant Scientists -
2004-2004
CSIRO Medal
CSIRO
Community and Corporate Citizenship
-
2016-current
Expert Working group on Control of Wheat Pests and Pathogens
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2007-2019
Board member, International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
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2010-2016
Treasurer, International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
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2012-2017
Editorial board, Molecular Plant Pathology
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2004-2007
Senior editor, Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
ORCID 0000-0003-0620-5923
We have publications by Dr Peter Dodds