Population genomics project of two forest pathogens of genus Phytophthora
Dr. Tetyana Tsykun has started a project on the population genomics of two forest pathogens, Phytophthora plurivoraand P. x cambivora. Supported by DFG, the study, titled “Molecular Epidemiology of Phytophthora x cambivora as a Co-Dominant Factor in Beech Tree Decline in European Forests”, will be conducted over two years in the Biocomputing Lab of the Biochemistry division. These pathogens are linked to the decline of European beech (Fagus sylvatica), a species widespread across Europe, with potentially severe ecological and economic consequences. Tetyana received her PhD in 2012 from the Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv. Following research stays at the University Kassel (Germany), the Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL (Switzerland) and the Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main she started her independent DFG-project at the FAU, September 2024.
The research aims to determine whether the aggressive behavior of soil-borne Phytophthora species follows a common genetic pattern or is species-specific. Genomes of P. x cambivora isolates from soil and tree tissues will be sequenced and analyzed to identify regions associated with virulence. The study will focus on genomic variants that (1) correlate with tree disease in different geographic populations, (2) undergo diversifying selection between soil and virulent tree populations, and (3) are located in regions with evidence of selective sweeps. Results will be compared with a previous study on P. plurivora to better understand the emergence of aggressive genotypes, crucial for managing future epidemics.