Biotrophic and Hemibiotrophic plant pathogens and their host plant interactions

This course aims to give participants an advanced understanding of the nature of interactions between plants with fungi exhibiting different lifestyles, focusing on biotrophic (such as powdery mildew and rust fungi) and hemibiotrophic interactions.

The course will focus on the biology of the interactions with the plant and other microorganisms. Another emphasis is the availability and use of different means of disease management based on disease resistance, epidemiology and biological control.

The course is five day full time at a conference centre near Copenhagen preceded by preparation through a journal club once a week for two months using Zoom. Three internationally renowned researchers will participate in the course holding lectures and workshops with the participating students who will come primarily from two Danish and three other Nordic Universities.

• Lectures, 16 hrs
• Student presentations + posters, 8 hrs
• Group project work (at venue), exercises and discussion sessions, 6 hrs
• Preparation, 40 hrs
• Journal clubs (prior to physical course), 25 hrs
• Total, 100 hrs

We also expect participation from the three Baltic countries (i.e. the BOVA network)

The internationally renowned guest teachers are:

• Professor Dave Berger, FABI and Dept of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa https://www.fabinet.up.ac.za/index.php/people-profile?profile=920
• Professor Armin Djamei, Dept. of Plant Pathology, University of Bonn https://www.inres.uni-bonn.de/pflanzenpathologie/en/
• Professor Mogens Støvring Hovmøller, Dept of Agroecology, Aahus University at Flakkebjerg, https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mogens-stoevring-hovmoeller(fa2c9237-7060-4ef9-b0e7-8b0f14517726).html

This course is running within the NOVA PhD programme and is 36^th in the internationally acclaimed series of Nordic PhD courses in Plant Pathology.

The other Nordic partners/Contacts are:

• Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), (Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Prof Magnus Karlsson and Prof Emeritus Dan Funck Jensen)
• Norwegian University of Biological Sciences (NMBU), Prof May Bente Brurberg
• University of Helsinki, (Docent Minna Pirhonen, Prof. Fred Asiegbu)

Subject area: Plant Pathology

Teaching and learning methods: lectures, colloquia, journal club, posters, discussions and exercises.  

Exam form and criteria for assessment: active participation in journal club, assessment of presentation as a short lecture or poster.

Scientific content, learning outcome – insight into fungal plant interactions, literature TBA, from 1st February 2023,

Coorganisers Prof Hans Thordal-Christensen, Prof Dan Funck Jensen and Prof Mogens Hovmøller

Residential 16-21 April 2023, Kobæk Strand, 4230 Skælskør, cost approx. 6700 DKK, all inclusive. It takes approx. 2½ hrs to get to the venue from Copenhagen airport by public transport

Registration and further information from to Prof David B Collinge dbc@plen.ku.dk

Deadline for registration Wednesday 1/2-23