Kauri dieback disease, caused by the soil-borne oomycete pathogen Phytophthora agathidicida, has no cure and threatens the survival of Aotearoa's kauri forests. Some Pseudomonas bacteria naturally produce viscosin, part of a family of antimicrobial lipopeptides already shown to act against related oomycete pathogens on other plants, but only switch this compound on under the right conditions.
This project asks whether bacteria can be evolved to reliably switch on viscosin production specifically when a pathogen is present, turning an occasional defence into a dependable one.
Using a well-established model Pseudomonas strain carrying a fluorescent (YFP) reporter linked to the viscosin promoter, the student will apply adaptive laboratory evolution: repeatedly exposing bacterial populations to a surrogate oomycete pathogen and selecting for lineages that switch on viscosin reliably in its presence. A successful outcome builds both the case and the method for extending this approach to Pseudomonas isolated directly from kauri.
The student will gain hands-on experience in experimental evolution, microbial selection and culturing, and fluorescence-based screening, working on a live conservation problem with real stakes. Bacterial ALE supervision from Associate Professor Heather Hendrickson, with Oomycete expertise provided by SL Claudia Meisrimler and day-to-day mentoring on ALE and pathogen handling from Hendrickson lab research technician Rachel-Claire Taila. No prior oomycete experience required, just careful sterile technique and curiosity.
Supervisors
Primary Supervisor: Heather Hendrickson
Other Supervisor(s): Claudia Meisrimler, Rachel-Claire Taila
Application and funding
This is a UC Commitments Summer Scholarship research project. Emailed applications will not be considered. Find out more here: University of Canterbury Scholarship Portal - UC Commitments Summer Scholarship
Final date for receiving applications
25 September 2026
