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Project properties |
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| Title | Occurrence survey of rust fungi in threatened populations of Yellow star of Bethlehem (Gagea lutea, Bosgeelster) and related species. |
| Group | Biosystematics Group |
| Project type | thesis |
| Credits | 24-36 |
| Supervisor(s) | Dr. Klaas Bouwmeester (Biosystematics) |
| Examiner(s) | Dr. Casper Quist |
| Contact info | klaas.bouwmeester@wur.nl |
| Begin date | 2024/02/01 |
| End date | 2024/01/06 |
| Description | Yellow star-of-Bethlehem (Gagea lutea) is a rare and threatened bulbous plant in The Netherlands. In 2022, numerous plants within a population of G. lutea in Anloo, Drenthe were found to be infected by a rust fungus, which was identified as Uromyces gageae based on morphological and genetic characteristics. This substantiates the first documentation of this rust species in The Netherlands.
Here we aim to investigate the distribution of U. gageae throughout The Netherlands. This survey will potentially give insights into the disease severity and epidemiology of U. gageae on Gagea species. Understanding the ecological impact of pathogens on endangered plant species can play a crucial role in augmenting conservation strategies aimed at safeguarding fragmented wild plant populations that are under pressure from human activities and climate change. In this project you will : - monitor the occurrence of U. gageae in Gagea populations throughout The Netherlands - start a specimen collection - validate species identity by microscopy and DNA barcoding - analyse species distribution and genetic data |
| Used skills | Determination skills, Molecular techniques (DNA barcoding, gene variant analysis), Phylogenetics, Microscopy |
| Requirements | Driving license and willingness to travel;
Basic knowledge in: plant taxonomy, plant-microbe interactions, and molecular biology |