Head of Diagnostics, Wildlife & Molecular BiologyTelephone Number |
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Research interests/Areas of expertise
- The development of novel diagnostics for the detection of plant pathogens and their application in the study disease development in the environment.
- Use of molecular methods in wildlife crime forensics.
- Molecular nematology focusing on Ditylenchus dipsaci and PCN.
- Deployment of molecular methods to replace routiene visual examination of samples.
- Scottish Government representative in the Euphresco network
- Insect vectored bacterial diseases Liberibacter solanacearum and Xylella fastidiosa
- Novel approaches to disease management (biofumigation, trap cropping, suppressive microbes)
- Molecular soil ecology
Senior Staff / Project Leads
Emma Back – Project Leader - Euphresco
Katherine Lester - Project Leader - Euphresco
Vince Mulholland – Senior Molecular Biologist
Alex Reid – Senior Molecular Biologist
Jason Sumner-Kalkun – Project Leader – Psyllids & Liberibacter
Lucy Webster – Wildlife DNA Forensics
Katie Viezens - Head of Chemistry
Biography
- Joined SASA in 2008 as Head of Diagnostics, Wildlife & Molecular Biology. In addition to my management responsibilities I am involved in a number of research consortium working on storage rots of potatoes, Pectobacterium & Dickeya spp., bee health, wildlife crime as well as contract research for commercial companies.
- 1997 – 2008. Team leader, broadleaved crops and diagnostics at the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB). In addition to Defra and HGCA funded trial programmes we also conduct a range of GEP efficacy trials for agrochemical companies with a recognised specialism in seed-borne diseases. The groups research programme was classified under two central themes of “Disease Resistance & Pathogen Characterisation” and “Diagnostics”.
- 1994 – 1997. Post-Doctoral Research Assistant, SAC. Study of the inducible resistance reaction to Erysiphe sp. in Rhododendron.
- 1991 – 1994. PhD “The biology and pathogenic variation of Erysiphe sp. on Rhododendron” University of Strathclyde / Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.