British Society of Plant Pathology

Thinking of supervising a student this summer?
BSPP Vacation Bursaries = flexible projects + great student engagement 🌱
Deadline for proposals: 13 Feb
www.bspp.org.uk/funds/vacati...

BSPP MSc/MRes Bursary, up to £4,000 to support postgraduate study in plant pathology.
www.bspp.org.uk/funds/mscmres/
#PlantPathology #PostgradFunding #BSPP

BSPP Best Student Paper Prizes 2025

Plant Pathology: William J. W. Thomas, first genetic insights into resistance to white leaf spot in canola.

Molecular Plant Pathology: Corrie V. Vincent, definitive evidence that concanamycins drive virulence in potato common scab.

www.bspp.org.uk/369937-2/

Supervisors:
BSPP’s Undergraduate Vacation Bursary is open for project proposals!
Lab, field or remote projects welcome.
Deadline: 13 Feb 2026
www.bspp.org.uk/funds/vacati...

Undertaking an MSc, MRes or MPhil in a plant pathology-related field?
BSPP bursaries of up to £4,000 open on 3 February.

www.bspp.org.uk/funds/mscmres/

Supervisor applications now open! Propose a project for the BSPP Undergraduate Vacation Bursary and mentor an undergraduate researcher in plant pathology this summer.
🔗 www.bspp.org.uk/funds/underg...
#PlantPathology #StudentFunding #BSPP #UndergradResearch

We’re delighted to welcome Prof. Saskia Hogenhout as the new BSPP President, whose pioneering research on plant-microbe-insect interactions is transforming our understanding of pathogen transmission and plant health.

More about her work @johninnescentre.bsky.social www.jic.ac.uk/people/saski...

BSPP Presidential transition!

A huge thank you to Prof. Matthew Dickinson, completing his term as BSPP President after decades of service (including 97 Board meetings!) His leadership has profoundly shaped the Society in numerous ways.

The UK has officially eradicated the Colorado potato beetle after two years of surveillance and control following its detection in Kent.

A big win for UK plant health and biosecurity.
More info: www.gov.uk/government/n...

A person holding a tablet with graphs in front of some plants. Text says: Plant Health Series webinar, cross-sector innovation in microbiome-based protection, Tuesday 3 February 2026, 14:00 to 15:00, online

Don't miss our #PlantHealth Series webinar: Cross-Sector Innovation in Microbiome-Based Protection

Learn about sustainable crop protection, microbial solutions, and alternatives to conventional pesticides and fungicides.

📆 Tues 3 Feb, 14:00-15:00

Find out more: my.rsb.org.uk/item.php?eve...

Supervisors! Project proposals for the UG Vacation Bursary Scheme open on 5th January 2026.

Submit your summer research project ideas and help support the next generation of plant pathologists.

Opens: 5 Jan
Deadline: 12 Feb

www.bspp.org.uk/funds/vacati...

First report of Hoya tobamovirus 2 in Australia, detected across multiple Hoya species and confirmed via sequencing & RT-PCR.
doi.org/10.1002/ndr2...

New NDR report: Diplodia seriata & Dothiorella viticola confirmed as causes of citrus dieback in Morocco through morphology, ITS sequencing and pathogenicity tests.
doi.org/10.1002/ndr2...

#PlantHealth #Citrus

First report: Meloidogyne javanica confirmed on Acalypha indica in Thailand, supported by morphology, PCR and pathogenicity tests.
doi.org/10.1002/ndr2...
#PlantHealth

New BSPP report: Ceratobasidium niltonsouzanum confirmed causing thread blight on coffee in Peru, supported by morphology, ITS sequencing and pathogenicity tests.
doi.org/10.1002/ndr2...

#PlantPathology #Coffee

This #NationalTreeWeek, we’re celebrating trees, and the science that protects them from diseases like ash dieback.
Plant, protect, and plan for healthy forests!
treecouncil.org.uk/seasonal-cam...

Plant Health Professional Development Award The Plant Health Professional Development Award aims to support those working in plant health. Recipients of the award will receive free membership to the Royal Society of Biology for one year, and…

The RSB Plant Health Professional Development Award recognises professionals committed to protecting crops & ecosystems through high standards in biosecurity and plant science.

New BSPP blog: The search for black rot-resistant brassicas
Researchers uncover promising genetic resistance to one of the most damaging brassica diseases, a key step toward sustainable crop protection.
www.bspp.org.uk/the-search-f...

Delighted to share that James Brown has been awarded BSPP Honorary Membership 2025!

A career spanning pioneering pathogen genetics, major advances in wheat disease resistance, and work to protect UK trees from ash dieback and Dutch elm disease.
bsppjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

A person in a lab coat and safety glasses looking at plants in a greenhouse

Working in plant health and want showcase your achievements? Then why not apply for our new Plant Health Professional Development Award!

Visit the award webpage to find out more: www.rsb.org.uk/plant-health...

#PlantHealth

Call for PPATH 2026 Session/Workshop Proposals!
Norwich | 8–11 Sept 2026
We’re looking for exciting themed sessions, including techniques, pathogens, crops, AI, surveillance, and resistance - anything related to plant pathology!

www.bspp.org.uk/plant-pathol...

The FungiDB/VEuPathDB & Ensembl partnership is expanding resources for fungal & oomycete plant pathogen research, and they want community input.

Help prioritise genomes, datasets & research tools:
👉 Take the survey:
qualtricsxmpy46tq866.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Want good Bioinformatics resources for Phytopathogens?
Plant pathology community at @bspp.bsky.social and @britmycolsoc.org.uk please take the time to complete the Phytopathogen Genomics Resources Survey:-
🔗 zurl.co/gKjC1
Your input is important for FungiDB/@veupathdb.org
& Ensembl @ebi.embl.org.

When heat waves hit, citrus viruses throw a party!
Rising temperatures supercharge citrus yellow mosaic virus, turning off the plant’s defences, allowing the virus to take over. But there’s hope: boosting “superhero genes” could help grow heat-resistant citrus trees.
www.bspp.org.uk/when-heat-wa...

Emily Snaddon - Does the wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici hijack host hormone signalling ? Plant Pathology Videos, Summer Bursary 2025 - Emily Snaddon

Student vlog: BSPP Undergraduate Vacation Bursary
Emily Snaddon talks about her time as a BSPP summer bursary student, asking: Does Zymoseptoria tritici hijack host hormone signalling?
See her vlog here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-scN...

#BSPP #PlantPathology #StudentVlog

Clementine Brannigan - Leaf surface properties impact pathogenic and commensal microbial populations of the barley phyllosphere Plant Pathology Videos, Summer Bursary 2025 - Clementine Brannigan

BSPP Undergraduate Vacation Bursary vlog
Clementine Brannigan shares her bursary experience investigating how leaf surface properties influence microbial populations in the barley phyllosphere.
Watch her vlog: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiH_...
#BSPP #Microbiology #StudentResearch

Grace Brookman - Investigating Rhizoctonia cerealis: Prevalence, History, and Fungicide Sensitivity Plant Pathology Videos, Summer Bursary 2025 - Grace Brookman

BSPP Undergraduate Vacation Bursary vlog
What’s it like to be a summer bursary student? Grace Brookman takes us inside her project on Rhizoctonia cerealis, its prevalence, history, and fungicide sensitivity.
Watch Grace’s story: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl7j...

#BSPP #PlantPathology

Lowri Wigley - Investigating the role of helitrons in the emergence of novel Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae isolates Plant Pathology Videos, Summer Bursary 2025 - Lowri

Student vlog: BSPP Undergraduate Vacation Bursary
Lowri Wigley shares her summer research experience investigating the role of helitrons in the emergence of novel Fusarium oxysporum isolates.
See her bursary journey here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w6R...

#BSPP #StudentResearch #PlantHealth

Student vlog: BSPP Undergraduate Vacation Bursary
Edward Holtom reflects on his time as a BSPP summer bursary student, working on membrane trafficking of plant immune receptors.

Discover his experience here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AgP...

#BSPP #PlantPathology

2025 BSPP Undergrad Summer Students Share Their Experiences – BSPP – The British Society for Plant Pathology

BSPP Undergraduate Vacation Bursary vlog:
Lidija Basic reflects on her summer project, which explored how a unique iron acquisition system impacts the virulence of Pectobacterium atrosepticum.

Watch her experience as a BSPP bursary student www.bspp.org.uk/funds/bspp-u...

#BSPP #PlantPathology