My MSc in bioinformatics focuses on Exserohilum turcicum, an economically significant plant pathogenic fungal species which is a direct causal agent of the Northern Leaf Blight (NLB), a foliar disease of maize (Zea mays L.), sorghum (sorghum bicolor) and other related grass species. Additionally, Exserohilum rostratum a plant pathogenic fungus, closely related to Exserohilum turcicum was recently reported cause Leaf Spot (LS) disease in maize, in addition to blight and rot diseases, on 30 plant species belonging to 11 families or 28 genera. 

Maize is of great economic importance and serves as staple food in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)with South Africa being the leading producer of maize in Africa. The prevalence of these diseases results in significant yield loss in maize of over 70% thereby negatively impacting the maize yield and quality. Various management strategies have been proposed to control Exserohilum species with identified resistance mechanisms.

There is limited knowledge of the secondary metabolites produced by E. turcicum and E. rostratum fungal genomes which aid the fungi in host infection, colonization, and disease development. This highlights the need for extensive bioinformatics analysis of their pathosystems through the prediction and  characterization of secondary metabolites. Accordingly this project aims to predict and characterize the secondary metabolites and their associated biosynthetic gene clusters in E. turcicum and E. rostratum to understand their roles in fungal pathogenicity.

This study will enhance our understanding of secondary metabolites biosynthetic gene cluster in  and provide more insight into the pathogenic mechanisms of E. turcicum on host plants, enabling development of new approaches in disease management.

This project is under the supervision of Dr. David Nsibo, Dr. Rian Pierneef  and Dr. Nicky Olivier