Genome evolution & adaptation of the multinuclear wheat stripe rust fungus. Animals and plants package their genomes into a single nucleus within each cell. In contrast, millions of fungal species acc

Description

Genome evolution & adaptation of the multinuclear wheat stripe rust fungus. Animals and plants package their genomes into a single nucleus within each cell. In contrast, millions of fungal species accommodate multiple nuclei containing individual haploid genomes. It is currently unknown what the evolutionary implications are for this unusual genome division into multiple nuclei. Here we explore the evolutionary consequences of genome division into multiple nuclei for the first time by applying cutting edge genome biology tools and algorithms. The economically significant study system is the devastating wheat stripe rust fungus. This pathogen costs Australian farmers over $100 million a year. New understanding is expected to lead to better disease management, reduced fungicide applications, and increased yields.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3102 - Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. Lead: Prof Benjamin Schwessinger