This project is developing a deep understanding of the ways in which plant-beneficial microbes in the root microbiome promote growth and suppress disease. This knowledge can then be used to develop synthetic soils and other products which might be particularly …
In the first of our Fighting Bac workshops our researchers will share promising new strategies for controlling bacterial plant diseases using microbes and microbial products. The workshop will focus particularly on the next steps for translating these findings into real …
Fighting Bac: Making microbes our allies (Stakeholder Workshop) Read More »
As part of Plant Health Week, this webinar will explore innovative biocontrol methods that could reduce the impact of bacterial plant diseases on our farms, forests and gardens. Conventional antibiotic treatments can damage the environment and are becoming less effective …
Innovative approaches to controlling bacterial plant diseases (webinar) Read More »
i newspaper article reports on research into disease suppressive microbes and synthetic soils
In early March 2024 brought all of our project teams together for one last time under the umbrella of the Bacterial Plant Disease Programme. We were hosted at the Manchester Institute for Biotechnology by Duncan Cameron and the Disease Suppressive …
Harry Wright from the Disease Suppressive Microbes team has scooped the top prize in the University of Sheffield’s Open Research Prize 2023. The Open Research Prize was introduced in order to recognise and celebrate the excellent work University of Sheffield …
We’ve made it to the end of 2022! For most of us this has been the first full year since 2019 that has felt kind of ‘normal’. For the Bacterial Plant Disease Programme this return to normality made for a …
Tucked away in a corner of the gardening zone of the Great Yorkshire Show is something that looks more like a circus sideshow. What could it possibly have to do with plants? Surprisingly, it is the result of a collaboration …
This year we coordinated a busy programme of activities for plant health week including a webinar, two Twitter takeovers and the launch of our new Resources web page. These activities were to mark Plant Health Week 2022, coordinated by DEFRA, …
#HelpingKeepPlantsHealthy for Plant Health Week 2022 Read More »
Rhizobium radiobacter (formerly known as Agrobacterium tumefaciens) is found in soil. It can infect over 140 plant species including important crop plants like nuts, fruits, and vegetables, plus non-food plants including rose, elm, and willow. Entering via wounds, it colonises …
We finally did it! After a long wait due to COVID restrictions, on Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 March 2022, we finally had our first face-to-face meeting – albeit with a substantial online cohort too. The 41 in-person attendees arrived …
Who are the winners of our first photo competition? Find out here!
In the last few months of the Bacterial Plant Diseases Programme our communications lead Sarah McLusky has been working with the projects and graphic designer Thomas Pawley to create summaries of their research and findings. Each summary give some background …
By Joana Vicente and Andrew Aspin As we are approaching the final stages of most of our BPD projects, we are turning our attention to impact, publications, stakeholders’ engagement, and dissemination. Other important aspects of these final stages also involve …
How BPD projects are using and contributing to culture collections Read More »
Our fourth placement report is from Alejandra Ordonez. Alejandra is a research assistant and PhD student in the Future Oak project. She visited the Institute of Environmental Biotechnology at Graz University of Technology, led by Prof. Gabriele Berg. Alejandra’s placement …
Developing microbial communities (and human ones too!): Alejandra’s placement report Read More »
It’s Plant Health Week 2022 and we are celebrating the benefits of healthy plants. An important part of keeping plants healthy is understanding the relationships between plants and bacteria to help manage bacterial diseases. Plants have a microbiome too Just …
Working together to understand bacterial plant diseases to protect UK farms, forests and gardens. An interdisciplinary research consortium funded by BBSRC, NERC, Defra and the Scottish Government from 2020-2024.
The Bacterial Plant Diseases Programme was a consortium of 9 research projects supported by a Coordination Team. Use the links below to find out about each of the projects.