The Microscopy Society of Thailand (MST)
Email: mstconference@gmail.com
The Microscopy Society of Thailand (MST)
MST43 Speaker Detail
Professor Rebecca Ford - Short CV
Highest qualification and current appointment
PhD in molecular and applied crop pathology, University of Melbourne (2000)
Dean, Griffith Graduate Research School, Office of Deputy Vice Cancellor (Research), Griffith University
Online academic profile: https://experts.griffith.edu.au/18969-rebecca-ford
Linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccaford1/
Research expertise
A Fellow of the Australasian Plant Pathology Society, Professor Ford’s research underpins security of production of staple food crops through improved and innovative practices. She has completed >40 PhD candidates and is driven to provide all doctoral candidates with external engagement opportunities and career-readiness skills through authentic and responsible partnering. She employs phytopathology and molecular approaches to develop novel tools and improve sustainability in the management of major fungal pathogens. She also uses molecular breeding approaches to develop crop and fruit genotypes with consumer preferred traits and has been granted plant breeder’s rights for new papaya varieties.
Current research grants held
2024-2028 Queensland State Government. Quantum advanced technologies talent building program. $740,000 AUD
2022-2027 Hort Innovation. Building an advanced genomics platform for Australian horticulture, AS21006, $5,219,622 AUD
2022-2026 Department of Primary Industries. Evolution of increased Ascochyta rabiei aggressiveness $70,000 AUD
2021-2026 Hort Innovation. Genetics of fruit sensory preferences, AS19003 (CON002133), $7,173,952 AUD
2020-2027 Grains Research and Development Corporation Towards effective genetic and sustainable management of Ascochyta blight of chickpea. GRI2007-001RTX, $1,900,000 AUD
2019–2025 Australian Research Council Industry Transformation Research Hub for Sustainable Crop Protection, IH190100022, $4,787,259 AUD
Publication impact
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4192-0706
Google Scholar: h-index = 45, i10-index = 134 (23/01/25) see link
List of ten best research publications since 2021 (last five years)
· MB Monsur, I Bar, J Wanderley Lawley, R Ford (2025). Effector molecules and pathogenicity-associated gene expression in Ascochyta rabiei. Fungal Biology, 101668
· M Chakraborty, SA Bhuiyan, S Strachan, MJA Shiddiky, N-T Nguyen, N Soda, R Ford (2025). A sensitive, specific and fast electrochemical‐based nanobiosensor diagnostic for Xanthomonas albilineans, the cause of Sugarcane Leaf Scald Disease. Advanced Sensor Research 4 (1), 2400103
· M Ghaheri, C Punyadeera, I Bar, PT Sambasivam, A Jangholi, D Garcia-Ceron, MJA Shiddiky, R Ford (2025). Isolation and characterisation of extracellular vesicles from Ascochyta rabiei, a necrotrophic fungal chickpea pathogen. Proteomics (online), 2025: 25(23): 16-36. Available from: http://doi.org/10.1002/pmic.70060J
· J Lomax, R Ford and I Bar (2024). Multi-omic applications for understanding and enhancing tropical fruit flavour. Plant Molecular Biology 114 (4), 83
· D Bao, J Zhou, SA Bhuiyan, P Adhikari, G Tuxworth, R Ford, Y Gao (2024). Early detection of sugarcane smut and mosaic diseases via hyperspectral imaging and spectral-spatial attention deep neural networks. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research 18, 101369
· M Chakraborty, N Soda, S Strachan, CN Ngo, SA Bhuiyan, MJA Shiddiky, R Ford (2023). Ratoon stunting disease of sugarcane: a review emphasizing detection strategies and challenges. Phytopathology 114 (1), 7-20
· Niño-Sánchez J, PT Sambasivam, A Sawyer, R Hamby, A Chen, E Czislowski, P Li, N Manzie, DM Gardiner, R Ford, ZP Xu, N Mitter, H Jin (2022). BioClay™ prolongs RNA interference‐mediated crop protection against Botrytis cinerea. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology 64 (11), 2187-2198
· Z Zhou, R Ford, I Bar, C Kanchana-udomkan (2021). Papaya (Carica papaya L.) flavour profiling. Genes 12 (9), 1416
· I Bar , PT Sambasivam, J Davidson, LM Farfan-Caceres, RC Lee , K Hobson, K Moore, R Ford (2021). Current population structure and pathogenicity patterns of Ascochyta rabiei in Australia. Microbial Genomics 7 (7)
· K Dyussembayev, PT Sambasivam, I Bar, J Brownlie, MJA Shiddiky, R Ford (2021). Biosensor technologies for early detection and quantification of plant pathogens. Frontiers in Chemistry 9, 636245
This presentation will report on a comprehensive study to identify and characterise the structure and putative functions of extracellular vesicles (EVs) produced by Ascochyta rabiei, the causal fungus of Ascochyta blight disease of chickpea. Using nanoparticle tracking analysis and transmission electron microscopy, EV-like particles produced by the fungus were found to be cup-shaped, double-membraned structures of 40 to 200 nm. The EV proteome cargo was subsequently characterised via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and included multiple pathogenesis-related proteins. Significant variations in EV frequency, size and protein cargo were observed when isolated from fungal cultures grown with and without the host. RNA-processing and vesicle-trafficking proteins were the most abundant in cultures with the host, many with signal peptides and implicated as effectors in host invasion and immunity evasion mechanisms. Tracking expression of a key suite of EV-associated effector candidates over time revealed that A. rabiei adjusts its EV cargo in accordance with the infection process. This includes carrying and expressing aldehyde dehydrogenase at the early phase of infection (0-24 hpi), providing a rapid detoxification response to oxidative stress induced host defence. Subsequently, enzymes such as isocitrate dehydrogenase and pectinesterase are carried and activated during the mid phase of infection (24-48 hpi), indicating a shift toward maintaining redox balance as well as host cell wall alteration. Then in the late phase of infection (48-96 hpi), effector genes encoding polygalacturonase, hydrolase, xyloglucan-specific endo-β-1,4-glucanase, and ATP-binding RNA helicase are carried and significantly induced, highlighting a shift into a necrosis stage. These findings represent a major step forward in understanding the pathogenic mechanisms employed by a highly important crop pathogen and are key to the targeted development of integrated disease management strategies of the future