Research Interests My work has focused on the characterisation and aetiology of viruses (and some fungi) infecting cultivated as well as wild plants and fungi, using biological, serological and molecular techniques. Many of these diseases are caused by new viruses, or ‘old’ viruses in new settings (hosts). Much of my research has been on viruses infecting economically-important crops grown in tropical or sub-tropical 'developing' countries including Zimbabwe (Fig.1.), Thailand, China and Sri Lanka (Fig.2.) supported by, amongst others, World Bank/British Council/Commonwealth funds. Specific projects* have looked at viruses infecting passion fruit, garlic and other vegetables, as well as a range of woody and herbaceous ornamentals (in collaboration with the horticultural industry); studies have incorporated diagnostics, virus epidemiology and ecology. We have also investigated ways of eliminating viruses from perennial crops using tissues culture in combination with thermo- or chemo-therapies. Other research projects have investigated the molecular basis of virus disease in mushrooms (Fig.3.) where we have detected viruses with double-stranded RNA genomes in several plant pathogens with potential as biocontrol agents (Fig.4.). Recent projects have established the presence of new viruses within wild plant and fungal (ectomycorrhizal) species found in natural ecosystems (the latter as part of a funded investigation of viruses infecting English oak).
	Fig.1. Black ringspot virus symptoms in Brassica oleracea from Zimbabwe	Fig. 2. Mottle virus-infected passion fruit (left) from Sri Lanka
			Fig 3. Genomic dsRNA 'footprints' associated with mushroom virus disease: left to right: apparently healthy, moderately diseased (note deletion mutant), and severely diseased
Fig 4. Effects of virus (red line) on growth of Verticillium fungicola (causes 'dry bubble' of mushrooms) compared to virus-free cultures (blue line) with corresponding dsRNA profiles
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