Gareth Thomas gathomas12 - Bluesky Statics

Understanding VOC blends involved in AOD opens doors for early detection and semiochemical-based management of this complex decline syndrome.

#ChemicalEcology #TreeHealth #Microbiology

@rothamsted.bsky.social @forestresearchuk.bsky.social @jamesemcdonald.bsky.social @drcarriebrady.bsky.social

01.12.2025 09:13 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Key results:
• Foliage of AOD-symptomatic trees emits characteristic VOCs
• Virgin female Agrilus biguttatus prefer the odor of symptomatic foliage
• AOD-associated bacteria in necrotic lesions emit newly characterized VOCs
• Gravid females orient toward a blend of bacterial + bark VOCs

01.12.2025 09:13 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

The role of volatile cues in mediating tree host-bacteria-insect interactions in acute oak decline Thomas et al. provide evidence that volatile semiochemicals govern biotic interactions between a wood-boring beetle and its associated bacteria in acute oak decline. The authors propose that Agrilus b...

New publication in @currentbiology.bsky.social !

We show how volatile organic compounds (VOCs) mediate interactions in acute oak decline (AOD), linking oak trees, bacteria, and Agrilus biguttatus beetles.

🔗 www.cell.com/current-biol...

01.12.2025 09:13 — 👍 15 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 1

Synthetic VOCs from T. hamatum—especially 1-octen-3-one—were strongly antifungal, arresting growth of crop pathogens like Botrytis cinerea and Gaeumannomyces tritici. Findings support the use of VOCs as tools for pathogen management in sustainable agriculture.
#ChemicalEcology #Semiochemicals

09.07.2025 11:31 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

In confrontation assays, T. hamatum GD12 suppressed the fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Volatile collections from the assays, followed by GC and GC-MS analysis, revealed that several T. hamatum VOCs were induced during confrontation, supporting a VOC-mediated mechanism

09.07.2025 11:31 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Inducible volatile chemical signalling drives antifungal activity of Trichoderma hamatum GD12 during confrontation with the pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum BACKGROUND: The use of beneficial soil fungi or their natural products offers a more sustainable alternative to synthetic fungicides for pathogen management in crops. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by such fungi act as semiochemicals that inhibit pathogens, with VOC production influenced by physical interactions between competing fungi. This study explores the interaction between the beneficial soil fungus Trichoderma hamatum GD12 strain (GD12), previously shown to antagonize crop pathogens such as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, to test the hypothesis that its antagonistic effect is mediated by volatile chemical signalling. A GD12 mutant deficient in the chitinolytic enzyme N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase ΔThnag::hph, which shows reduced biocontrol activity, was also examined. RESULTS: In dual-culture confrontation assays, co-inoculation of GD12 and S. sclerotiorum led to fungistatic interactions after 7 days, whereas ΔThnag::hph showed no antagonism, indicating a loss of antagonistic function. VOCs collected from individual and co-cultures were analysed by gas chromatography - flame ionization detector (GC-FID) analysis and coupled GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), revealing significant differences in VOC production between treatments, with VOC production notably upregulated in the GD12 + S. sclerotiorum co-culture. Peak production of 6-pentyl-2H-pyran-2-one occurred 17 days post-inoculation. This upregulation was absent in the ΔThnag::hph co-culture, suggesting VOCs may drive antagonism. Synthetic VOC assays revealed several compounds inhibitory to S. sclerotiorum, including 1-octen-3-one, which also arrested the growth of key fungal pathogens (Botrytis cinerea, Pyrenopeziza brassicae, and Gaeumannomyces tritici). Structural insights into 1-octen-3-one's antifungal activity against S. sclerotiorum are also presented. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the hypothesis that the antagonistic properties of T. hamatum GD12 against crop fungal pathogens can, in part, be attributed to VOC production. Further research is needed to assess the potential of these semiochemicals as tools for pathogen management in agriculture. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, https://ror.org/00cwqg982, BB/X010953/1, BBS/E/RH/230003A, BBS/OS/CP/000001, 1622285

🚨New pre-print: we show that the beneficial soil fungus Trichoderma hamatum GD12 uses volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to suppress crop pathogens. Link to the study here:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

09.07.2025 11:31 — 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0

Development of a bioassay guided genome mining approach for antifungal natural product discovery from pseudomonads Zymoseptoria tritici causes Septoria Leaf Blotch disease of wheat and has evolved to overcome most chemical and genetic control methods. As such, new tools are required for future disease control. We...

🚨 New preprint!
We've developed a bioassay-guided genome mining approach to identify bacterial secondary metabolites that inhibit Zymoseptoria tritici — a major fungal pathogen of wheat.
Available now on bioRxiv: doi.org/10.1101/2025...

03.06.2025 08:08 — 👍 23 🔁 13 💬 2 📌 1

Great day at the Oak Health & Plant Biosecurity Event at Kew Gardens, hearing updates on oak health research and visiting Kew’s oak collection! @actionoak.bsky.social @rbgkew.bsky.social #ActionOak #PlantHealth

13.05.2025 15:55 — 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

📢New Paper! Identifying subtle differences in the molecular structure of a sex pheromone could ultimately help protect vital stored legume crops from the destructive dried bean beetle. 🫘🪲 @royentsoc.bsky.social
Full story 👇
www.rothamsted.ac.uk/news/bean-be...

09.04.2025 10:27 — 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0

Tree-killing beetle found to be attracted to Britain’s most common spruce Discovery of pest in UK raises fears for Sitka spruce, which accounts for half of country’s commercial plantations A beetle that has previously devastated Norway spruce populations across continental Europe has been found to be equally attracted to the…

Tree-killing beetle found to be attracted to Britain’s most common spruce

17.02.2025 14:00 — 👍 42 🔁 21 💬 3 📌 5

Great to be involved with this study- we show that the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) can identify and colonize both Sitka and Norway spruce trees, providing insights for the management of the forest pest #ChemicalEcology #PestManagement

13.02.2025 08:35 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

It's so nice being back at #MMEG2024 in Southampton finally presenting the results of our study in insect-bacteria interactions @jamesemcdonald.bsky.social @gathomas12.bsky.social

16.12.2024 22:37 — 👍 10 🔁 7 💬 0 📌 0

Using dynamic headspace collections for bacterial volatile sampling This protocol describes a step-by-step guide for sampling Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from the headspace of bacterial cultures, using dynamic headspace collections.

A new protocol from the Chemical Ecology group @rothamsted.bsky.social has now been published on @protocolsio.bsky.social: 'Using dynamic headspace collections for bacterial volatile sampling'.

Link: www.protocols.io/view/using-d...

#ChemicalEcology #Microbiology #Volatiles #Semiochemicals

04.12.2024 18:59 — 👍 4 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 0

Hi #ChemicalEcologists,

Just created a starter package for networking people in our field 😆 Please let me know if people need to be added!

go.bsky.app/KzwBnhN

01.12.2024 15:13 — 👍 19 🔁 12 💬 12 📌 0

I'm excited to announce a PhD studentship, based at UofYork, exploring how land management in African savanna affects climate, past and present. I'm joined by the fabulous
Prof Colin Beale & @sabineclarke.bsky.social
to join historic delivery of ecosystem functions with future savanna management.

28.11.2024 21:30 — 👍 20 🔁 9 💬 1 📌 2

Selenium alters the gene content but not the taxonomic composition of the soil microbiome - Environmental Microbiome Background Microbiomes, essential to ecosystem processes, face strong selective forces that can drive rapid evolutionary adaptation. However, our understanding of evolutionary processes within natural...

🦠 New paper fresh out of press: the first results from a really cool system just out in #EnvironmentalMicrobiome 🦠

environmentalmicrobiome.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

19.11.2024 08:20 — 👍 2 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0

Pest Management Science Call for Papers Special issue: Harnessing Chemical Ecology for Improved Pest management. This special issue welcomes original research and review papers relating to all aspects of how chemical ecology can be used to address crop security challenges, including the following suggested topics:

Just over one month left to submit to our Special Issue in Pest Management Science: "Harnessing Chemical Ecology for Improved Pest Management" 🪲🌿

Deadline: December 31, 2024

📖 Learn more and submit here:

scijournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/...

Please share!

24.11.2024 12:16 — 👍 4 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0

"Unlock Nature's Potential" Join @drjohnphreade.bsky.social, @ipmtom.bsky.social, @randybenjamin.bsky.social and me for a funded #PhD at HAU!

Optimise plant essential oil biopesticides for integrated pest management.

More info: warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fa...

#Sustainability #AgTech #EcoFriendly

30.10.2023 17:47 — 👍 4 🔁 5 💬 0 📌 0

Fully-funded PhD position with Gareth Thomas @rothamsted.bsky.social and myself on entomopathogenic fungi and pest-host-parasitoid interactions 🌽

DEADLINE 11 December

Apply here 👉

www.swbio.ac.uk/programme/ho...

19.11.2024 11:04 — 👍 8 🔁 9 💬 0 📌 0

Posts by Gareth Thomas (@gathomas12.bsky.social)