JieQiong Li marked the completion of her PhD study by presenting a prestige seminar (thesis defense) on 17 July. She is the second of the FABI-CERC (China Eucalyptus Research Centre) students based in China to present a PhD seminar using a virtual platform.  While FABI colleagues would have much preferred to enjoy this event in person, along with the party that usually accompanies these occasions, this was not possible due to global travel restrictions linked to the SARS COV-2 pandemic.  

JieQiong’s PhD seminar “Taxonomy, mating type distribution and population biology of Calonectria species” was attended by some 150 FABI and CERC students and staff and  provided a summary of the outcome of her research project. This was completed with Prof. ShuaiFei Chen as primary supervisor and Profs Mike Wingfield and Irene Barnes as co-supervisors.  Her examiners were Dr Markus Wilken from the University of Pretoria, Prof. Maria Ferreira, from Lavras University, Brazil and Prof. Paul Taylor from Melbourne University in Australia.

JieQiong’s project investigated the species diversity, mating strategies and the population genetic diversity of Calonectria species that cause disease in Eucalyptus plantations in south China. Calonectria species are present on all the continents except Antarctica and they cause damage on more than 300 plant species. Using multigene phylogenetic analyses, she identified 13 Calonectria species from 25 sites in provinces in South China. Of these, six novel species were identified for which she provided the names Calonectria aciculataCa. honghensisCa. lantauensisCa. pseudoturangicolaCa. pseudoyunnanensis and Ca. yunnanensis.

By sequencing and analysing the genomes of various Calonectria species, JieQiong was able to explore the mating strategies of most species in the genus.  She was thus able to define species as homothallic (self-fertile) or heterothallic and then to interrogate the evolution of mating in these fungi. He work showed that homothallism has likely evolved from the heterothallic state and that this has occurred numerous times over the evolutionary history of these important fungi. Using her genome sequences, she also developed polymorphic microsatellite markers for Ca. pauciramosa, one of the most important of the species, and used population genetic analyses to show extensive movement of this fungus globally, likely via movement of plant material and soil. 

Professor ShuaiFei Chen congratulated JieQiong on publishing chapters from her study in numerous prestigious journals. He also highlighted her significant contribution to building a “stronger and rapidly growing” team of the CERC-FABI Tree Protection Programme. FABI Director Prof. Bernard Slippers said JieQiong had presented a “complete package” and a beautiful seminar. He also presented JieQiong a scanned certificate in honour of the occasion. Professors Irene Barnes and Mike Wingfield congratulated JieQiong, thanked her for the privilege of acting as her supervisors and suggested that she would contribute significantly to forest pathology in the future.