Zespri fellowship for researcher

Rasika Subasinghe says her research will focus on how the Psa pathogen moves within the host's tissues and, ultimately, how it causes tissue wilt and cane die-back.

University of Waikato PhD candidate Rasika Subasinghe has been awarded a Zespri Innovation Fellowship for her research into the host cell wall-degrading strategies of the Psa bacteria in kiwifruit.

Each year, in efforts to encourage continued research into the kiwifruit industry, the Zespri Innovation Fellowship group identifies key topics in areas where there is a specific need for research.

This year topics included Psa, fruit quality and supply chain on orchard productivity, health and nutrition.

Host cell wall degrading strategies of Psa in kiwifruit

"The goals of my research are to determine whether and how Psa degrades the host's cell walls, how the pathogen moves within the host's tissues and, ultimately, how Psa causes tissue wilt and cane die-back. These goals will be achieved using a range of plant physiology, microbiology, molecular biology, bioinformatics and histological techniques, thus building capability and research into the New Zealand kiwifruit industry," said Ms Subasinghe.

Studies conducted to investigate the actual invasion strategies and mobility of the Psa pathogen in the host plant remain inconclusive.

"However, the outcome of the research conducted into the host cell wall-degrading activity and invasion strategies of a number of other pathogens, and also histological analysis of Psa-infected host plants, shed some light on the possible cell wall-degrading mechanism of the pathogen."

From Sri Lanka to Hamilton

Before studying at Waikato University, Rasika worked at the University of Kelaniya in Sri Lanka. She has also worked as a researcher at the Postharvest Technology Unit of Industrial Technology Institute of Sri Lanka and at the Chamber of Industries of Sri Lanka as an executive for the Agriculture and Horticulture sector.