Mark Derbyshire

Biography

Mark's research is focussed on the molecular biology of fungal diseases of economically important crop species. His PhD research was on the fungus Zymoseptoria tritici, which causes one of the most destructive wheat diseases worldwide. This research encompassed numerous aspects of fungal metabolism and generally took the approach of generation and extensive physical and biochemical phenotyping of fungal gene knockout strains. Through this research Mark was able to shed light on the role of an enzyme key to the Z. tritici sterol biosynthesis pathway, a pathway that is already targeted by a major group of fungicides, the triazoles. This research led to an enhanced understanding of several key metabolic processes in Z. tritici and may also be useful for the development of novel antifungal compounds in the future. Since graduating from his PhD in 2015 (which was based at Rothamsted Research, UK), Mark has been working as a research associate at the Centre for Crop and Disease Management on the important canola (Brassica napus) pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. The research he is involved in here is aimed at elucidation of the genetic architecture that governs the interaction between S. sclerotiorum and B. napus, with a veiw to aiding the creation of S. sclerotiorum-resistant canola germplasm. Mark is engaged in both bioinformatic and wet-lab research and maintains a keen interest in fungal genomics and molecular biology.

Research Interest

Fungal molecular biology and biochemistry, Fungal genomics, Mycology and Bioinformatics