Plant-microbe and microbiome interactions

Microbes are important organisms in developing new and sustainable ways to improve plant yield and control diseases. Within SLU Centre for Biological Control, CBC, we focus on microbes and their effectors that modulate plant traits, e.g. spray-induced gene silencing technology to control plant traits and diseases, understanding the cross-kingdom movement of small RNAs in plant-pathogen interactions, exploiting the biological activity of beneficial microbes in plant breeding, and environmental and ecological analysis of microbiome diversity, pathogenicity, and community interactions.

Spray-induced gene silencing 

Spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS) is an innovative strategy for plant trait improvement and disease control. SIGS technology is based on the exogenous application of RNA molecules in plants to reduce pest or pathogen impacts. We have tested SIGS to control late blight control by spraying potato plants with double-stranded RNAs (dsRNA) with sequences matching Phytophthora infestans genes essential for infection, resulting in late blight disease reduction up to 80%.

Small RNAs

Small RNAs are common in fungi, including fungi that can be used as biocontrol agents in agriculture, horticulture, and forestry. These small RNAs can mediate gene expression regulation through a mechanism known as RNA silencing. RNA silencing plays a crucial role in many biological processes, including both parasitic and mutualistic interactions between fungi and plants.