Dr David Guest

Summary

My research is driven by my fascination with the complex interactions between plants and other organisms, in particular how plants recognise and respond to potential pathogens. Our research aims to discover ways to apply this knowledge to help farmers, especially in tropical countries where disease losses are highest.

Research interests

I am interested in the way plants respond to microbes in their environment, and which responses confer disease resistance. Our research has highlighted the central roles of the hypersensitive response and oxidative burst as key components in the early stages of the resistant response. We are also interested in the interactions between plants and endophytic fungi, and the factors that cause these normally compatible organisms to become pathogens. These questions have significance for the management of plant diseases in agriculture and horticulture.

Our field-based research focuses on the management of Phytophthora diseases in perennial tropical crops like cocoa, coconuts, durian and jackfruit, high value crops grown by smallholder farmers that are severely affected by Phytophthora diseases. Our international collaborations in countries including Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines aim to develop practical integrated crop management strategies for smallholder farmers. In Australia we collaborate with a range of land management authorities to develop strategies to manage dieback disease affecting native forests and bushlands.

Another area of research interest is the role of moulds in human asthma disease. This research involves collaborations with the Faculty of Medicine and the Australian Museum.

Background

David Guest's career began with completing a BScAgr degree, majoring in plant pathology, and PhD at the University of Sydney. Following this, he took a lectureship in the School of Botany at the University of Melbourne, and returned to the University of Sydney in 2004 as Professor of Horticultural Science. In 2007 he became Professor of Plant Pathology. He has also held appointments as Visiting Professor at the University of Paris (6) and Kasetsart University.

Research supervision

David currently supervises 6 PhD and 3 MScAgr students.

Recent publications

• Suddaby T, Alhussaen K, Daniel R and Guest DI. 2008. Phosphonate-induced defence responses in two Lambertia species challenged by Phytophthora cinnamomi. Australian Journal of Botany 56, 550-556
• Guest DI. 2007. Black pod: Diverse pathogens and the greatest global impact on cocoa yield. Phytopathology 97, 1650-1653
• Guest DI. and Keane PJ. 2007. Vascular-streak dieback: A new encounter disease caused by an obligate basidiomycete, Oncobasidium theobromae. Phytopathology 97, 1654-1657
• Daniel R and Guest DI 2006. Defence responses induced by potassium phosphonate in Phytophthora palmivora- challenged Arabidopsis thaliana. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology 67, 194-201
• Wright M, Guest DI and Cross R. 2005. Development of Mycorrhizal Associations in Caladenia tentaculata. Selbyana 26, 114-124
• Konam JK & Guest DI. 2004. Role of beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae and Nitidulidae) in the spread of Phytophthora palmivora pod rot of cocoa in Papua New Guinea. Australasian Plant Pathology 33, 55-59
• Reiter N, Weste GM and Guest DI. 2004. The risk of extinction resulting from disease caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi to endangered, vulnerable or rare plant species endemic to the Grampians, Western Victoria. Australian Journal of Botany 52, 425-433
• Perrone S, McDonald KL, Sutherland MW and Guest DI 2003. Superoxide release is necessary for phytoalexin accumulation in Nicotiana tabacum cells during the expression of cultivar-race and non-host resistance towards Phytophthora spp. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology 62, 127-135
• Able AJ, Sutherland MW & Guest DI 2003. Reactive oxygen species production during non-specific elicitation, non-host resistance and field resistance expression in cultured tobacco cells. Functional Plant Biology 30, 91-99
• Matheson MC, Dharmage S, Raven J, Woods RK, Thien F, Guest D, Rolland J, Walters EH and Abramson MJ. 2003. Residential characteristics predict changes in Der p1 and ergosterol but not fungi over time. Clinical and Experimental Allergy 33, 1281-1288

Contact

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