CALIBER

The bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (Lso) causes widespread disease and damage to crops including potato, tomato, carrot and celery in other parts of the world. Despite both the bacterium and the insects that can spread it being present in the UK, it is not currently causing widespread crop damage. The CALIBER project is trying to understand why this is to prevent Lso becoming a problem in the future.

With a focus on carrots and related plants, the team are researching both the bacterium and the psyllid sap-feeding insects which carry it. The research is studying geographical distribution, genetic variation, landscape design and agricultural practice/policy.

The research is organised into five work packages;

1. Understand genetic variations of pathogen and vectors, and use this information to develop rapid diagnostics tests
2. Study the geographical distributions of Lso and psyllid vectors in crops and the surrounding environments
3. Improve our understanding of vectors host plant preferences and disease spread
4. Use ecological network analysis to build a comprehensive picture of the pathosytem
5. Use ecological and trade models to examine how future policy options (e.g. trading or habitat management regulations) might alter transmission risk

Meet the CALIBER team